NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Reyah

A Hebrew name meaning "friend".

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.

Reyah is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Reyah popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1672, with 18 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2021, with 24 births.

This profile covers 273 England and Wales registrations across 20 recorded years from 2005 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, 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 75% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 272 living people in the UK are called Reyah. 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

  • Reyah ranked #1672 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 18 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2021, when 24 girls were registered as Reyah.
  • About 272 living people in the UK are estimated to have Reyah as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#1672

2024

Births in 2024

18

Latest year

Peak year

2021

24 births

Estimated living

272

2026

Meaning

What does Reyah mean?

The name Reyah is believed to have originated from the Arabic language, with roots dating back to the 7th century AD. It is a feminine name that may have been derived from the Arabic word "raya," meaning "banner" or "flag." This connection suggests that the name could have been associated with concepts of leadership, authority, or victory.

In the early days of Islam, the name Reyah was sometimes used to honor newborn daughters, particularly among families with a strong military or tribal background. It was a name that carried connotations of strength, courage, and the ability to rally others under a unified cause or belief.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Reyah can be found in ancient Islamic texts and historical records from the 8th century AD. These documents mention a woman named Reyah bint Abi Bakr, who was a renowned scholar and hadith narrator during the Abbasid Caliphate.

Throughout history, several notable women have carried the name Reyah. One such figure was Reyah al-Muqaddasi (born around 945 AD), a renowned Arab geographer and traveler from Jerusalem. Her writings and observations of the regions she visited provided valuable insights into the culture and geography of the medieval Islamic world.

Another remarkable woman with the name Reyah was Reyah al-Andalusiyah (1030-1107), a celebrated poet and literary figure from Andalusia, Spain. Her poetic works were widely admired and celebrated during the Golden Age of Islamic culture in Andalusia.

In the 12th century, Reyah bint al-Hasan al-Khazraji (1120-1196) was a prominent Muslim jurist and scholar from Damascus. She was renowned for her expertise in Islamic jurisprudence and her contributions to the study of Sharia law.

Moving forward in time, Reyah al-Tahtawi (1801-1873) was an Egyptian writer, scholar, and reformer who played a significant role in the Egyptian Renaissance and the introduction of modern secular education in Egypt. Her writings and efforts to promote education and social reforms left a lasting impact on Egyptian society.

While the name Reyah may not be as common in contemporary times, its historical significance and associations with scholarship, leadership, and cultural achievements make it a name with a rich legacy, deeply rooted in the Arabic and Islamic traditions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Reyah over time

The chart below shows babies named Reyah registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2005 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 Reyah, the clearest high point is 2021. The latest England and Wales figure is 18 births in 2024, compared with 24 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Reyah
06121824200520142024

Decades

Reyah by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Reyah 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 #1600 96 5
2010s #1948 148 10
2000s #3569 29 5

Related

Names similar to Reyah

FAQ

Reyah: questions and answers

How popular is the name Reyah in the UK right now?

In 2024, Reyah was ranked #1672 for girls in England and Wales, with 18 births registered.

When was Reyah most popular?

The peak year on record was 2021, with 24 babies registered as Reyah in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Reyah?

A Hebrew name meaning "friend".

How many people are called Reyah in the UK?

A total of 273 babies have been registered as Reyah across the 20 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.

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.