UK girl's name
Sabina
A feminine name derived from the Roman name Sabinus, meaning "a Sabine woman".
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.
Sabina is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Sabina popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2771, with 9 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1997, with 41 births.
This profile covers 675 England and Wales registrations across 29 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 22% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 690 living people in the UK are called Sabina. 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
- • Sabina ranked #2771 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 9 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1997, when 41 girls were registered as Sabina.
- • Sabina ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #793 in 2008.
- • About 690 living people in the UK are estimated to have Sabina as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#2771
2024
Births in 2024
9
Latest year
Peak year
1997
41 births
Estimated living
690
2026
Meaning
What does Sabina mean?
The name Sabina has its origins in the Latin language and ancient Roman culture. It is derived from the root word "Sabinus", which referred to an ancient Italic tribe that lived in central Italy. The name carries associations with the Sabine region and the city of Sabina, located near modern-day Rieti.
In ancient Roman mythology, the Sabine women played a significant role in the legendary "Rape of the Sabine Women" incident, which helped establish the Roman population through intermarriage between the Romans and the Sabines. This historical event likely contributed to the popularity of the name Sabina among the Romans.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sabina dates back to the 1st century AD, when it was borne by Sabina, the wife of the Roman Emperor Hadrian. She was known for her beauty, intelligence, and influence during her husband's reign.
Throughout history, several notable women have carried the name Sabina. In the 4th century AD, Sabina was the name of a Roman martyr and saint who was persecuted for her Christian faith during the rule of Emperor Vespasian. Her feast day is celebrated on August 29th in the Catholic Church.
In the 16th century, Sabina von Bayern was a German princess and duchess, born in 1492. She played a significant role in the promotion of the Protestant Reformation in her territories.
During the Renaissance period, Sabina Poppaea was an influential Roman empress and the second wife of Emperor Nero. She was known for her beauty and was a patron of the arts.
In the 19th century, Sabina Altariba y Vallès was a Spanish composer and pianist, born in 1828. She was one of the first female composers to achieve recognition in Spain during her lifetime.
Another famous bearer of the name was Sabina Spielrein, a Russian psychoanalyst and physician, born in 1885. She made significant contributions to the field of psychoanalysis and had a profound influence on the work of Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Sabina over time
The chart below shows babies named Sabina 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 Sabina, the clearest high point is 1997. The latest England and Wales figure is 9 births in 2024, compared with 41 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sabina by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Sabina 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 | #1889 | 79 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1450 | 221 | 10 |
| 2000s | #1131 | 230 | 10 |
| 1990s | #667 | 145 | 4 |
Geography
Where Sabina is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Sabina. 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.
Sabina ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #793 in 2008.
Across the UK
Sabina in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#793 in 2008
6 years of NRS records, 19 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Sabina
-
Sabina Lovibond
philosopher
British philosopher
2000-
-
Sabina Simmonds
tennis player
Italian tennis player
1960-
-
Sabina Franklyn
actor
British actress
1954-
-
Sabina de Alvear y Ward
writer; businessperson
Spanish writer (1815–1906)
1815-1906
Related
Names similar to Sabina
- Sophie 103,803
- Sophia 46,936
- Scarlett 34,261
- Sienna 32,418
- Sofia 29,136
- Sarah 27,961
- Shannon 25,510
- Summer 24,167
- Sara 14,205
- Skye 13,654
- Samantha 12,697
- Stephanie 9,309
FAQ
Sabina: questions and answers
How popular is the name Sabina in the UK right now?
In 2024, Sabina was ranked #2771 for girls in England and Wales, with 9 births registered.
When was Sabina most popular?
The peak year on record was 1997, with 41 babies registered as Sabina in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Sabina?
A feminine name derived from the Roman name Sabinus, meaning "a Sabine woman".
How many people are called Sabina in the UK?
A total of 675 babies have been registered as Sabina across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 19 more in Scotland.
Where is Sabina most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Sabina ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #793 in 2008. 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.