NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Sahara

Large desert in northern Africa, also symbolizing vastness and solitude.

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.

Sahara is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Sahara popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1603, with 19 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2006, with 41 births.

This profile covers 637 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 46% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 637 living people in the UK are called Sahara. 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

  • Sahara ranked #1603 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 19 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2006, when 41 girls were registered as Sahara.
  • Sahara ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #783 in 2009.
  • About 637 living people in the UK are estimated to have Sahara as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#1603

2024

Births in 2024

19

Latest year

Peak year

2006

41 births

Estimated living

637

2026

Meaning

What does Sahara mean?

The name Sahara has its roots in the Arabic language and is derived from the Arabic word "sahra," which means "desert." The name is closely associated with the Sahara Desert, one of the largest and most famous deserts in the world, spanning across several countries in North Africa.

The Sahara Desert has played a significant role in the history and culture of the region, and the name Sahara reflects this connection. It has been used as a given name for both males and females, although it is more commonly used for females in recent times.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Sahara can be found in ancient Arabic literature, where it was used as a descriptive term to refer to the desert. However, its use as a personal name is believed to have emerged later, possibly during the medieval period.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who have borne the name Sahara. One of the earliest recorded examples is Sahara al-Qurashi (born c. 620 CE), a female companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and one of the first converts to Islam.

Another prominent figure with the name Sahara was Sahara bint Ahmed al-Baghdadi (1186-1252 CE), an influential Arabic poet and writer from Baghdad. She is known for her contributions to the field of literature and her work in preserving Arabic culture and language.

In more recent times, Sahara Khatun (1819-1879) was a notable figure in the history of the Indian subcontinent. She was a courtesan and poet in the court of Wajid Ali Shah, the last Nawab of Awadh (Oudh).

Sahara Jasmin (born 1988) is a contemporary French singer and songwriter of Algerian descent. She rose to fame after participating in the French reality television show "Nouvelle Star" in 2010.

Sahara Davenport (1984-2012) was an American drag performer and reality television personality. She gained recognition for her participation in the second season of the reality competition series "RuPaul's Drag Race."

These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have carried the name Sahara. The name's association with the desert and its cultural significance in the Arab world have contributed to its enduring use and popularity across various regions and cultures.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Sahara over time

The chart below shows babies named Sahara 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 Sahara, the clearest high point is 2006. The latest England and Wales figure is 19 births in 2024, compared with 41 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Sahara
010213141199620102024

Decades

Sahara by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Sahara 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 #1614 92 5
2010s #1282 272 10
2000s #1323 236 10
1990s #1784 37 4

Geography

Where Sahara is most common

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

Sahara ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #783 in 2009.

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Sahara in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#783 in 2009

1 years of NRS records, 3 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Sahara

  • Sahara Knite

    professional dominatrix; webcam model; television actor; pornographic actor

    British Indian webcam model, pornographic film actress, and television actress

    1975-

Related

Names similar to Sahara

FAQ

Sahara: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Sahara was ranked #1603 for girls in England and Wales, with 19 births registered.

When was Sahara most popular?

The peak year on record was 2006, with 41 babies registered as Sahara in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Sahara?

Large desert in northern Africa, also symbolizing vastness and solitude.

How many people are called Sahara in the UK?

A total of 637 babies have been registered as Sahara across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 3 more in Scotland.

Where is Sahara most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Sahara ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #783 in 2009. 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.