NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Safaa

A feminine Arabic name meaning "clarity" or "purity".

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.

Safaa is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Safaa popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #565, with 69 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2014, with 120 births.

This profile covers 1,688 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 57% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 1,709 living people in the UK are called Safaa. 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

  • Safaa ranked #565 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 69 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2014, when 120 girls were registered as Safaa.
  • Safaa ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #790 in 2024.
  • About 1,709 living people in the UK are estimated to have Safaa as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#565

2024

Births in 2024

69

Latest year

Peak year

2014

120 births

Estimated living

1,709

2026

Meaning

What does Safaa mean?

The name Safaa is an Arabic name that has its origins in the ancient Semitic languages of the Middle East. It is derived from the Arabic root word "safa," which means "purity" or "clarity." The name carries connotations of transparency, sincerity, and moral virtue.

Safaa has a long history that can be traced back to the pre-Islamic era in the Arabian Peninsula. It was a name used by various tribes and clans in the region, reflecting the importance of purity and honesty in the cultural values of the time.

In Islamic tradition, the name Safaa gained additional significance as it is mentioned in the Qur'an, the holy book of Islam. The Safa and Marwah hills in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, are sacred sites that Muslims are required to walk between as part of the Hajj pilgrimage rituals.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Safaa can be found in the poetry of the renowned pre-Islamic Arab poet, Imru' al-Qais, who lived in the 6th century CE. He referenced a woman named Safaa in his verses, indicating the name's usage during that era.

Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Safaa. One such person was Safaa Khudhayri, a renowned Iraqi poet and writer who lived from 1888 to 1959. Her poetic works celebrated love, beauty, and the struggles of the human experience.

Another prominent figure was Safaa Khulusi, an Iraqi artist and painter who was born in 1936. His vibrant and expressive paintings captured the essence of Iraqi culture and society, earning him widespread acclaim in the Arab world.

In the field of science, Safaa Kumri was an Egyptian molecular biologist and geneticist who made significant contributions to the study of plant genetics. She lived from 1940 to 2017 and received numerous awards for her groundbreaking research.

Additionally, Safaa Fathy was an Egyptian actress and singer who rose to fame in the mid-20th century. Born in 1924, she starred in numerous films and Television shows, captivating audiences with her talent and charisma.

Lastly, Safaa Amer was a Palestinian writer and activist who lived from 1953 to 2015. She dedicated her life to advocating for human rights and promoting Palestinian culture, publishing several books and articles on these topics.

The name Safaa has a rich historical legacy, embodying the virtues of purity, clarity, and moral uprightness. Its origins can be traced back to ancient Arabia, and it has been borne by numerous influential figures throughout the centuries, spanning various fields and cultures.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Safaa over time

The chart below shows babies named Safaa 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 Safaa, the clearest high point is 2014. The latest England and Wales figure is 69 births in 2024, compared with 120 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Safaa
0306090120199620102024

Decades

Safaa by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Safaa 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 #600 321 5
2010s #458 981 10
2000s #1043 344 10
1990s #1772 42 4

Geography

Where Safaa is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Safaa. 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.

Safaa ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #790 in 2024.

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Safaa in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#790 in 2024

9 years of NRS records, 29 total registered

Related

Names similar to Safaa

FAQ

Safaa: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Safaa was ranked #565 for girls in England and Wales, with 69 births registered.

When was Safaa most popular?

The peak year on record was 2014, with 120 babies registered as Safaa in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Safaa?

A feminine Arabic name meaning "clarity" or "purity".

How many people are called Safaa in the UK?

A total of 1,688 babies have been registered as Safaa across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 29 more in Scotland.

Where is Safaa most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Safaa ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #790 in 2024. 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.