UK girl's name
Sahla
A feminine Arabic name meaning "easy, pleasant, smooth, or gentle".
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.
Sahla is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Sahla popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5891, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2020, with 6 births.
This profile covers 43 England and Wales registrations across 12 recorded years from 2008 to 2024. 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 50% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 43 living people in the UK are called Sahla. 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
- • Sahla ranked #5891 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2020, when 6 girls were registered as Sahla.
- • About 43 living people in the UK are estimated to have Sahla as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5891
2024
Births in 2024
3
Latest year
Peak year
2020
6 births
Estimated living
43
2026
Meaning
What does Sahla mean?
The name Sahla is derived from the Arabic language and is believed to have originated in the Middle East during the medieval period. It is thought to be a variant of the Arabic name Sahal, which means "easy" or "smooth".
In ancient Arabic texts, the name Sahla is mentioned as a female name, often associated with beauty, grace, and gentleness. It is possible that the name was inspired by the word "sahlah", which means "smooth surface" or "plain".
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Sahla can be found in the writings of the 9th-century Arabic poet, Abu Tammam. He wrote a poem dedicated to a woman named Sahla, praising her beauty and describing her as a "rose among thorns".
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Sahla. For instance, Sahla bint al-Husayn (born around 630 AD) was a renowned Islamic scholar and poet during the Umayyad Caliphate. She was known for her expertise in hadith literature and her contributions to the advancement of Islamic education.
Another notable figure was Sahla al-Kurdi (1180-1252 AD), a Kurdish mystic and Sufi poet from present-day Syria. Her poetic works, which often explored themes of love and spirituality, were highly regarded in the region and influenced subsequent generations of poets.
In the 14th century, Sahla bint Abi al-Qasim al-Ishbili (1321-1388) was a prominent Andalusian scholar and poet. She was renowned for her mastery of various disciplines, including Arabic literature, grammar, and Islamic jurisprudence.
During the Ottoman Empire, Sahla Hatun (1497-1562) was a prominent figure in the court of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. She was known for her philanthropic efforts and her support for the construction of mosques, schools, and other public institutions.
More recently, Sahla Kamal (1927-1990) was an Egyptian writer and activist who played a significant role in the women's rights movement in Egypt. She advocated for gender equality and worked tirelessly to raise awareness about issues affecting women in her country.
These are just a few examples of the many individuals throughout history who bore the name Sahla, a name rooted in the rich cultural and linguistic traditions of the Arabic-speaking world.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Sahla over time
The chart below shows babies named Sahla registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2008 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 Sahla, the clearest high point is 2020. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2024, compared with 6 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sahla by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Sahla 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 | #4929 | 16 | 4 |
| 2010s | #5340 | 24 | 7 |
| 2000s | #5545 | 3 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Sahla
- 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
Sahla: questions and answers
How popular is the name Sahla in the UK right now?
In 2024, Sahla was ranked #5891 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Sahla most popular?
The peak year on record was 2020, with 6 babies registered as Sahla in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Sahla?
A feminine Arabic name meaning "easy, pleasant, smooth, or gentle".
How many people are called Sahla in the UK?
A total of 43 babies have been registered as Sahla across the 12 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.