NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Rukaiyah

A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "spiritually elevated" or "rose garden".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2017. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Rukaiyah is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Rukaiyah popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2017 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5765, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2000, with 4 births.

This profile covers 7 England and Wales registrations across 2 recorded years from 2000 to 2017. 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 7 living people in the UK are called Rukaiyah. 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 2018 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Rukaiyah ranked #5765 for girls in England and Wales in 2017, with 3 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2000, when 4 girls were registered as Rukaiyah.
  • About 7 living people in the UK are estimated to have Rukaiyah as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#5765

2017

Births in 2017

3

Latest year

Peak year

2000

4 births

Estimated living

7

2026

Meaning

What does Rukaiyah mean?

The name Rukaiyah is of Arabic origin and has its roots in the Islamic faith. It is a variant spelling of the name Ruqayyah, which means "rising" or "elevated" in Arabic.

The name Rukaiyah is derived from the Arabic word "raqi," which means "to rise" or "to ascend." It is believed that the name was given to a daughter of the Prophet Muhammad, whose full name was Ruqayyah bint Muhammad. She lived from 601 to 624 AD and was the third daughter of the Prophet and his first wife, Khadijah.

Ruqayyah, the daughter of the Prophet, is mentioned in several historical texts and Islamic sources, including the Hadith (sayings and traditions of the Prophet) and the Sirah (biographies of the Prophet). She is known for her piety, devotion to Islam, and her close relationship with her father.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Rukaiyah is found in the writings of the famous Muslim scholar and historian, Ibn Ishaq, who lived in the 8th century AD. He mentions Ruqayyah, the daughter of the Prophet, in his biographical work on the life of Muhammad.

Throughout history, several notable women have borne the name Rukaiyah or its variant spellings. Some examples include:

1. Ruqayyah bint Husayn (629-680 AD), the daughter of Husayn ibn Ali and a prominent figure in early Islamic history. 2. Ruqayya Sultan (1554-1605), a Ottoman princess and the daughter of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. 3. Ruqayya Khan (1718-1789), an Indian princess and the daughter of the Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah. 4. Ruqayya Bint Al-Husayn Al-Hashimi (1892-1959), a Syrian scholar and poet known for her contributions to Arabic literature. 5. Ruqayyah Hepworth (born 1957), a British artist and sculptor of Yemeni descent.

The name Rukaiyah has been carried on through generations, transcending cultures and regions, and remains a popular name among Muslim communities worldwide, serving as a reminder of the legacy and influence of the Prophet Muhammad's daughter.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Rukaiyah over time

The chart below shows babies named Rukaiyah registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2000 to 2017. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Rukaiyah, the clearest high point is 2000. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2017, compared with 4 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Rukaiyah
01234200020082017

Decades

Rukaiyah by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Rukaiyah 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
2010s #5765 3 1
2000s #3247 4 1

Related

Names similar to Rukaiyah

FAQ

Rukaiyah: questions and answers

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

In 2017, Rukaiyah was ranked #5765 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.

When was Rukaiyah most popular?

The peak year on record was 2000, with 4 babies registered as Rukaiyah in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Rukaiyah?

A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "spiritually elevated" or "rose garden".

How many people are called Rukaiyah in the UK?

A total of 7 babies have been registered as Rukaiyah across the 2 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.