NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Rima

A feminine Arabic name meaning "raised above others" or "white antelope".

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.

Rima is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Rima popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2411, with 11 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 24 births.

This profile covers 253 England and Wales registrations across 28 recorded years from 1996 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 46% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 252 living people in the UK are called Rima. 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

  • Rima ranked #2411 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 11 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 1996, when 24 girls were registered as Rima.
  • About 252 living people in the UK are estimated to have Rima as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#2411

2024

Births in 2024

11

Latest year

Peak year

1996

24 births

Estimated living

252

2026

Meaning

What does Rima mean?

The name Rima originates from the Arabic language and is derived from the word "Reem," which means "a kind of Arabian deer" or "white antelope." The name has been in use in the Middle East and Arabic-speaking regions for centuries, with roots dating back to ancient times.

Rima has a poetic and lyrical quality to it, which may be why it has been used as a character's name in various literary works throughout history. One of the earliest known references to the name Rima can be found in the epic poem "Khawaran" by the renowned Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi, who lived from 1141 to 1209 CE.

In the Western world, the name gained popularity after the publication of the novel "Green Mansions" by W.H. Hudson in 1904. The book's main character, a mystical forest-dwelling girl, was named Rima, which helped to introduce the name to a wider audience.

Some notable historical figures with the name Rima include:

1. Rima Fakih (born 1985), an American television personality and the first Lebanese-American to win the Miss USA pageant in 2010. 2. Rima Khouri (born 1963), a Palestinian-American author and human rights activist, known for her work advocating for Palestinian refugees. 3. Rima Khash (born 1964), a Lebanese singer and actress who has had a successful career in the Arabic music industry since the 1980s. 4. Rima Bhuyan (born 1977), an Indian politician and member of the Assam Legislative Assembly, representing the Congress party. 5. Rima Khalaf (born 1949), a Jordanian diplomat and former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, serving from 2010 to 2017.

While the name Rima is not as common as some other Arabic names, it has maintained a level of popularity across various cultures and regions, appreciated for its elegant and poetic sound.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Rima over time

The chart below shows babies named Rima 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 Rima, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 11 births in 2024, compared with 24 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Rima
06121824199620102024

Decades

Rima by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Rima 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 #3550 33 5
2010s #2985 78 9
2000s #2826 77 10
1990s #1251 65 4

Notable bearers

Famous people named Rima

  • Rima Horton

    politician; university teacher

    English politician

    1947-

Related

Names similar to Rima

FAQ

Rima: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Rima was ranked #2411 for girls in England and Wales, with 11 births registered.

When was Rima most popular?

The peak year on record was 1996, with 24 babies registered as Rima in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Rima?

A feminine Arabic name meaning "raised above others" or "white antelope".

How many people are called Rima in the UK?

A total of 253 babies have been registered as Rima across the 28 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.