NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Safwan

A masculine Arabic name meaning "smooth rock" or "pebble".

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.

Safwan is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Safwan popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #711, with 50 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2023, with 58 births.

This profile covers 926 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 86% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 923 living people in the UK are called Safwan. 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

  • Safwan ranked #711 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 50 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2023, when 58 boys were registered as Safwan.
  • Safwan ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #728 in 2023.
  • About 923 living people in the UK are estimated to have Safwan as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#711

2024

Births in 2024

50

Latest year

Peak year

2023

58 births

Estimated living

923

2026

Meaning

What does Safwan mean?

The name Safwan has its origins in Arabic, and it can be traced back to ancient times. It is derived from the Arabic root word "safwan," which means "pure" or "chosen one." The name is believed to have been in use among the Arabs during the pre-Islamic era and was later adopted by Muslims after the advent of Islam.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Safwan can be found in the Quran, the holy book of Islam. In the Quran, the name Safwan is mentioned in reference to a companion of the Prophet Muhammad, named Safwan ibn Umayya. He was a prominent figure in early Islamic history and played a significant role in various events and battles.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Safwan. One of the most famous was Safwan ibn Idris (1213-1292 CE), a renowned Arab mathematician and astronomer from Morocco. He made significant contributions to the fields of trigonometry and spherical geometry, and his works were widely studied and referenced by scholars in the Islamic world.

Another prominent figure was Safwan ibn Yahya al-Azdi (d. 976 CE), a renowned Arab poet and literary figure from modern-day Iraq. He was known for his mastery of Arabic poetry and was highly respected in the literary circles of his time. His poetry often explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition.

In the realm of Islamic scholarship, Safwan ibn Sulaiman al-Kalbi (d. 819 CE) was a prominent Arab historian and genealogist. He authored several works on the history and genealogy of Arabic tribes, which have become invaluable resources for understanding the cultural and social dynamics of the early Islamic period.

Safwan ibn Muattal al-Sulami (d. 723 CE) was an influential Arab jurist and scholar of Islamic law. He was renowned for his expertise in the field of fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) and his contributions to the development of Islamic legal principles and practices.

It is worth noting that while the name Safwan has been borne by many notable individuals throughout history, its usage has not been limited to any particular region or culture within the Arabic-speaking world. The name has transcended geographical boundaries and has been adopted by people of diverse backgrounds and ethnicities, reflecting the rich cultural exchange and influence that has characterized the Islamic world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Safwan over time

The chart below shows babies named Safwan 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 Safwan, the clearest high point is 2023. The latest England and Wales figure is 50 births in 2024, compared with 58 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Safwan
015294458199620102024

Decades

Safwan by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Safwan 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 #781 218 5
2010s #775 412 10
2000s #889 253 10
1990s #1236 43 4

Geography

Where Safwan is most common

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

Safwan ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #728 in 2023.

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Safwan in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#728 in 2023

1 years of NRS records, 3 total registered

Related

Names similar to Safwan

FAQ

Safwan: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Safwan was ranked #711 for boys in England and Wales, with 50 births registered.

When was Safwan most popular?

The peak year on record was 2023, with 58 babies registered as Safwan in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Safwan?

A masculine Arabic name meaning "smooth rock" or "pebble".

How many people are called Safwan in the UK?

A total of 926 babies have been registered as Safwan across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 3 more in Scotland.

Where is Safwan most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Safwan ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #728 in 2023. 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.