UK girl's name
Rushda
An Arabic feminine name meaning "righteous guidance, righteousness, maturity".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2023. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Rushda is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Rushda popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2023 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4709, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2011, with 6 births.
This profile covers 36 England and Wales registrations across 10 recorded years from 2008 to 2023. 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 67% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 36 living people in the UK are called Rushda. 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 2024 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Rushda ranked #4709 for girls in England and Wales in 2023, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2011, when 6 girls were registered as Rushda.
- • About 36 living people in the UK are estimated to have Rushda as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4709
2023
Births in 2023
4
Latest year
Peak year
2011
6 births
Estimated living
36
2026
Meaning
What does Rushda mean?
The name Rushda is believed to have originated in the Persian language, derived from the word "rushd," which means "growth" or "development." It is a name that has been in use for centuries in various parts of the Middle East and Central Asia.
During the Islamic Golden Age, which spanned from the 8th to the 13th centuries, the name Rushda gained popularity among Muslim scholars and intellectuals. It was often associated with the concept of intellectual growth and enlightenment, reflecting the flourishing of knowledge and scientific advancements during that era.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rushda can be found in the works of renowned scholars and philosophers such as Ibn Rushd, also known as Averroes, who lived from 1126 to 1198 CE. He was a prominent Andalusian philosopher, jurist, and polymath who made significant contributions to the fields of philosophy, law, and medicine.
Another notable individual with the name Rushda was Rashid al-Din Rushda, a 13th-century Persian physician and philosopher. He was a prominent figure in the Ilkhanate period and is known for his works on medicine and philosophy.
In the 14th century, Rushda Ibn Zakariya al-Qazwini, a renowned Arab geographer and writer, authored an influential work called "Athar al-Bilad wa Akhbar al-'Ibad" (The Monument of Countries and the Narratives of Servants), which provided valuable insights into the geography and culture of various regions.
During the Ottoman Empire, the name Rushda was also used, as evidenced by the existence of Rushda Pasha, a 17th-century Ottoman statesman and grand vizier who served under Sultan Mehmed IV.
In more recent times, Rushda Ahmed, a Pakistani writer and academic born in 1964, has gained recognition for her works on gender, religion, and postcolonial studies.
While the name Rushda has its roots in the Persian language and Islamic culture, it has transcended geographical boundaries and has been adopted by various communities across the world, each attributing their own unique meanings and interpretations to this name.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Rushda over time
The chart below shows babies named Rushda registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2008 to 2023. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Rushda, the clearest high point is 2011. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2023, compared with 6 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rushda by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Rushda 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 | #4971 | 11 | 3 |
| 2010s | #5112 | 19 | 5 |
| 2000s | #5551 | 6 | 2 |
Related
Names similar to Rushda
- 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
Rushda: questions and answers
How popular is the name Rushda in the UK right now?
In 2023, Rushda was ranked #4709 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Rushda most popular?
The peak year on record was 2011, with 6 babies registered as Rushda in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Rushda?
An Arabic feminine name meaning "righteous guidance, righteousness, maturity".
How many people are called Rushda in the UK?
A total of 36 babies have been registered as Rushda across the 10 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.