UK girl's name
Rehana
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "paradise".
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.
Rehana is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Rehana popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2574, with 10 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2007, with 17 births.
This profile covers 199 England and Wales registrations across 25 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, 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.
The latest count is about 59% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 204 living people in the UK are called Rehana. 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
- • Rehana ranked #2574 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 10 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2007, when 17 girls were registered as Rehana.
- • Rehana ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #565 in 1985.
- • About 204 living people in the UK are estimated to have Rehana as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#2574
2024
Births in 2024
10
Latest year
Peak year
2007
17 births
Estimated living
204
2026
Meaning
What does Rehana mean?
The name Rehana is of Arabic origin and is believed to have its roots in the word "rihan," which means "basil" or "sweet basil" in Arabic. The name is often associated with fragrance, beauty, and purity.
In Arabic culture, basil is considered a sacred herb with numerous religious and symbolic meanings. It is believed to have purifying properties and is often used in traditional rituals and ceremonies. The name Rehana may have been given to girls in the hope that they would embody the virtues associated with the herb.
The earliest known record of the name Rehana dates back to the 7th century AD, during the Islamic Golden Age. It is mentioned in several ancient Arabic texts and poetry from that period, often used as a metaphor for beauty and grace.
One of the earliest known historical figures to bear the name Rehana was Rehana bint Zayd, a companion of the Prophet Muhammad and one of the first female scholars of Islam. She lived in the 7th century AD and was known for her knowledge of Islamic jurisprudence and her contributions to the preservation of the Prophet's teachings.
Another notable figure with the name Rehana was Rehana Begum, a 16th-century Mughal princess and the daughter of Emperor Akbar. She was known for her patronage of the arts and her support for the construction of several architectural marvels, including the Anup Talao in Fatehpur Sikri.
In the realm of literature, Rehana was the name of a character in the famous Persian epic "Shahnameh" by Ferdowsi. In this work, Rehana was portrayed as a beautiful and intelligent woman who played a significant role in the story's events.
In more recent times, Rehana Kausar was a prominent Pakistani poet and writer who lived from 1928 to 2001. Her works explored themes of love, spirituality, and the human condition, and she is considered one of the most influential voices in Urdu literature.
Rehana Yaseen was an Indian classical dancer and choreographer who lived from 1945 to 2020. She was renowned for her contributions to the Kathak dance form and her efforts in promoting and preserving Indian cultural heritage.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Rehana over time
The chart below shows babies named Rehana registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 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 Rehana, the clearest high point is 2007. The latest England and Wales figure is 10 births in 2024, compared with 17 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rehana by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Rehana 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 | #3237 | 15 | 2 |
| 2010s | #4138 | 51 | 9 |
| 2000s | #2386 | 92 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1861 | 41 | 4 |
Geography
Where Rehana is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Rehana. 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.
Rehana ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #565 in 1985.
Across the UK
Rehana in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#565 in 1985
2 years of NRS records, 6 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Rehana
-
Rehana Khalil
basketball player
British basketball player (born 1986)
1986-
Related
Names similar to Rehana
- 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
Rehana: questions and answers
How popular is the name Rehana in the UK right now?
In 2024, Rehana was ranked #2574 for girls in England and Wales, with 10 births registered.
When was Rehana most popular?
The peak year on record was 2007, with 17 babies registered as Rehana in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Rehana?
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "paradise".
How many people are called Rehana in the UK?
A total of 199 babies have been registered as Rehana across the 25 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 6 more in Scotland.
Where is Rehana most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Rehana ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #565 in 1985. 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.