NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Saif

A masculine Arabic name meaning "sword".

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.

Saif is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Saif popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #729, with 48 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2008, with 101 births.

This profile covers 1,912 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 48% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 2,004 living people in the UK are called Saif. 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

  • Saif ranked #729 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 48 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2008, when 101 boys were registered as Saif.
  • Saif ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #728 in 2023.
  • About 2,004 living people in the UK are estimated to have Saif as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#729

2024

Births in 2024

48

Latest year

Peak year

2008

101 births

Estimated living

2,004

2026

Meaning

What does Saif mean?

The name Saif originates from the Arabic language and has been in use since ancient times. It is derived from the Arabic word "sayf," which means "sword." The name is rooted in the Arabian Peninsula and was prevalent among the Arab tribes and civilizations that flourished in the region.

Saif is mentioned in various Arabic literary works and historical texts, including the Quran, the central religious text of Islam. In the Quran, the word "saif" is used metaphorically to represent strength, power, and justice.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Saif can be found in the historical accounts of the Rashidun Caliphate, the first Islamic caliphate established after the death of Prophet Muhammad in 632 CE. During this period, there were several notable figures who bore the name Saif, including Saif ibn Umar, a prominent military commander and governor during the reign of the second caliph, Umar ibn al-Khattab.

Throughout history, the name Saif has been associated with warriors, leaders, and influential figures. One of the most famous individuals with this name was Saif al-Dawlah, a powerful ruler of the Hamdanid dynasty who ruled in northern Syria and northern Mesopotamia in the 10th century CE. He was renowned for his military prowess and patronage of arts and literature.

Another notable figure was Saif al-Din al-Amidi, a 12th-century Islamic scholar and jurist from present-day Iraq. He made significant contributions to the field of Islamic jurisprudence and wrote several influential works on Islamic law.

In the 13th century, Saif al-Din Qalawun, a Mamluk sultan of Egypt and Syria, rose to power and established the Qalawunid dynasty. He is remembered for his military campaigns against the Crusaders and his efforts to strengthen the Mamluk Sultanate.

During the 16th century, Saif al-Din al-Rumi was a renowned Ottoman poet and calligrapher who played a significant role in the development of Ottoman literature and calligraphy.

Saif al-Din al-Yazdi, a 15th-century Persian mathematician and astronomer, is also remembered for his contributions to the fields of science and mathematics, particularly his work on the planetary models and astronomical observations.

These are just a few examples of prominent figures throughout history who bore the name Saif, reflecting its deep-rooted significance and association with strength, courage, and leadership in various cultures and civilizations.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Saif over time

The chart below shows babies named Saif 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 Saif, the clearest high point is 2008. The latest England and Wales figure is 48 births in 2024, compared with 101 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Saif
0255176101199620102024

Decades

Saif by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Saif 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 #729 232 5
2010s #651 549 10
2000s #361 859 10
1990s #349 272 4

Geography

Where Saif is most common

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

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

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Saif in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#728 in 2023

23 years of NRS records, 108 total registered

Related

Names similar to Saif

FAQ

Saif: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Saif was ranked #729 for boys in England and Wales, with 48 births registered.

When was Saif most popular?

The peak year on record was 2008, with 101 babies registered as Saif in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Saif?

A masculine Arabic name meaning "sword".

How many people are called Saif in the UK?

A total of 1,912 babies have been registered as Saif across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 108 more in Scotland.

Where is Saif most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Saif 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.