UK girl's name
Rayah
A feminine Arabic name meaning "admired" or "flourishing plant".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Rayah is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Rayah popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #776, with 48 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 48 births.
This profile covers 385 England and Wales registrations across 21 recorded years from 1998 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
Rayah is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 401 living people in the UK are called Rayah. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Rayah ranked #776 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 48 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2024, when 48 girls were registered as Rayah.
- • Rayah ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #337 in 2024.
- • About 401 living people in the UK are estimated to have Rayah as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#776
2024
Births in 2024
48
Latest year
Peak year
2024
48 births
Estimated living
401
2026
Meaning
What does Rayah mean?
The name Rayah is believed to have originated from the Arabic language, with roots tracing back to the Middle Eastern region. It is derived from the Arabic word "raya," which means "banner" or "flag." This name gained popularity during the medieval period in the Arab world.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Rayah can be found in ancient Islamic texts and historical records from the 7th century AD. It was often given to individuals who played a significant role in carrying the banner or flag during battles or important events.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Rayah. One of the most prominent was Rayah al-Qadri (1088-1166), a renowned Sufi scholar and mystic from Baghdad. His teachings and writings had a profound impact on the spiritual and intellectual landscape of the time.
Another notable figure was Rayah al-Andalusi (1203-1285), a renowned mathematician and astronomer from the Iberian Peninsula during the Golden Age of Islamic civilization. Her contributions to the field of mathematics and her groundbreaking work on celestial mechanics were highly influential.
In the 14th century, Rayah al-Masri (1313-1386) was a celebrated poet and calligrapher from Cairo. Her intricate calligraphic works and poetic compositions were highly regarded and have been preserved in various collections and anthologies.
During the Ottoman Empire, Rayah Pasha (1520-1598) was a prominent military leader and statesman. He served as the Grand Vizier, the highest-ranking Ottoman official, and played a crucial role in the expansion and administration of the empire.
In more recent history, Rayah Hammad (1908-1994) was a renowned Syrian novelist and playwright. Her works explored themes of social justice, women's rights, and the complexities of life in the Middle East, earning her critical acclaim and recognition.
It is important to note that while the name Rayah has its roots in the Arabic language and culture, it has been adopted and used in various parts of the world over the centuries, transcending cultural and linguistic boundaries.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Rayah over time
The chart below shows babies named Rayah registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1998 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Rayah, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 48 births in 2024, compared with 48 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rayah by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Rayah was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #1030 | 175 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1889 | 172 | 10 |
| 2000s | #2926 | 35 | 5 |
| 1990s | #3848 | 3 | 1 |
Geography
Where Rayah is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Rayah. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Rayah ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #337 in 2024.
Across the UK
Rayah in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#638 in 2024
2 years of NRS records, 7 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#337 in 2024
3 years of NISRA records, 11 total registered
Related
Names similar to Rayah
- Ruby 60,551
- Rebecca 45,764
- Rosie 35,558
- Rachel 19,034
- Rose 18,043
- Robyn 14,556
- Rosa 6,236
- Rhiannon 6,180
- Rachael 4,702
- Rebekah 4,395
- Rhianna 4,177
- Ruth 4,118
FAQ
Rayah: questions and answers
How popular is the name Rayah in the UK right now?
In 2024, Rayah was ranked #776 for girls in England and Wales, with 48 births registered.
When was Rayah most popular?
The peak year on record was 2024, with 48 babies registered as Rayah in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Rayah?
A feminine Arabic name meaning "admired" or "flourishing plant".
How many people are called Rayah in the UK?
A total of 385 babies have been registered as Rayah across the 21 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 7 more in Scotland and 11 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Rayah most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Rayah ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #337 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.