NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Samirah

A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "companion" or "one who entertains conversations".

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.

Samirah is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Samirah popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4192, with 5 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2003, with 26 births.

This profile covers 371 England and Wales registrations across 28 recorded years from 1996 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 19% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 369 living people in the UK are called Samirah. 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

  • Samirah ranked #4192 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 5 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2003, when 26 girls were registered as Samirah.
  • About 369 living people in the UK are estimated to have Samirah as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4192

2024

Births in 2024

5

Latest year

Peak year

2003

26 births

Estimated living

369

2026

Meaning

What does Samirah mean?

The name Samirah is of Arabic origin and is derived from the Arabic word "samra," meaning "brown" or "dark-skinned." It is believed to have originated in the Middle East during the medieval period, around the 7th to 13th centuries.

The name Samirah is closely associated with Islamic culture and has been found in various historical records and texts. In the Quran, the word "samra" appears in reference to the complexion of certain individuals. However, there is no direct mention of the name Samirah itself in the holy scriptures.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Samirah can be traced back to the 10th century, when a woman named Samirah bint Ahmad al-Qayrawan was a renowned scholar and author from the city of Kairouan, Tunisia. She wrote several books on Islamic jurisprudence and was highly respected in her time.

Another notable figure with the name Samirah was Samirah al-Maqdisiyyah, a 12th-century female poet and scholar from Jerusalem. Her poetry collection, "Diwan Samirah al-Maqdisiyyah," is still widely studied and celebrated in the Arabic literary tradition.

In the 13th century, Samirah al-Quds was a prominent Sufi mystic and spiritual teacher from Jerusalem. She was known for her wisdom and teachings on the mystical path of Islam, and her writings have influenced many generations of Sufis.

In the Ottoman Empire, Samirah Khanum was a 16th-century princess and the daughter of Sultan Selim II. She was known for her patronage of the arts and her contribution to the cultural landscape of the Ottoman court.

Samirah Ramadhan, born in 1951, is a contemporary Sudanese author and activist. She has written several novels and short stories that explore themes of gender, identity, and social issues in Sudan. Her works have been widely acclaimed and translated into multiple languages.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Samirah, reflecting its rich cultural heritage and significance within the Arabic and Islamic traditions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Samirah over time

The chart below shows babies named Samirah 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 Samirah, the clearest high point is 2003. The latest England and Wales figure is 5 births in 2024, compared with 26 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Samirah
07132026199620102024

Decades

Samirah by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Samirah 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 #3922 24 4
2010s #2985 88 10
2000s #1230 199 10
1990s #1268 60 4

Related

Names similar to Samirah

FAQ

Samirah: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Samirah was ranked #4192 for girls in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.

When was Samirah most popular?

The peak year on record was 2003, with 26 babies registered as Samirah in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Samirah?

A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "companion" or "one who entertains conversations".

How many people are called Samirah in the UK?

A total of 371 babies have been registered as Samirah across the 28 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.