NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Sanija

A feminine name of Arabic origin symbolizing beauty and grace.

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.

Sanija is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Sanija 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 2011, with 3 births.

This profile covers 6 England and Wales registrations across 2 recorded years from 2011 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 100% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 6 living people in the UK are called Sanija. 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

  • Sanija ranked #5891 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 3 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2011, when 3 girls were registered as Sanija.
  • About 6 living people in the UK are estimated to have Sanija 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

2011

3 births

Estimated living

6

2026

Meaning

What does Sanija mean?

The name Sanija is of Arabic origin, derived from the root word "sani" which means "elevated" or "exalted." This name gained popularity in the Middle East and North African regions during the medieval period, around the 7th to 10th centuries CE.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sanija can be found in the ancient Arabic poetry of the Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates. Several female poets and scholars from this era bore this name, though their exact birth and death dates are uncertain.

In the 12th century, a notable figure named Sanija al-Husayni was a renowned physician and herbalist who contributed significantly to the field of traditional Arabic medicine. She is believed to have lived in the city of Aleppo, Syria, during the Ayyubid dynasty.

During the Ottoman Empire era, which spanned from the 13th to the early 20th century, the name Sanija was commonly used among the nobility and ruling classes. One prominent figure was Sanija Valide Sultan, the wife of Sultan Ahmed III, who lived from 1673 to 1732 CE.

In more recent history, Sanija Firidon was a celebrated Albanian writer and poet from the early 20th century. Born in 1890 in Tirana, she played a significant role in promoting Albanian literature and culture during the country's struggle for independence.

Another notable figure was Sanija Achmetović, a Bosnian writer and translator who lived from 1903 to 1983. She was recognized for her literary contributions and her efforts in preserving the cultural heritage of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

While the name Sanija has its roots in the Arabic language, it has been adopted and used in various cultures and regions throughout history, reflecting the diverse influences and interactions among different civilizations.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Sanija over time

The chart below shows babies named Sanija registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2011 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 Sanija, the clearest high point is 2011. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2024, compared with 3 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Sanija
01223201120172024

Decades

Sanija by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Sanija 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 #5891 3 1
2010s #5785 3 1

Related

Names similar to Sanija

FAQ

Sanija: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Sanija was ranked #5891 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.

When was Sanija most popular?

The peak year on record was 2011, with 3 babies registered as Sanija in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Sanija?

A feminine name of Arabic origin symbolizing beauty and grace.

How many people are called Sanija in the UK?

A total of 6 babies have been registered as Sanija across the 2 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.