UK girl's name
Sarai
A feminine Hebrew name meaning "princess" or "noblewoman".
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.
Sarai is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Sarai 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 2018, with 27 births.
This profile covers 314 England and Wales registrations across 21 recorded years from 1997 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 70% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 313 living people in the UK are called Sarai. 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
- • Sarai ranked #1603 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 19 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2018, when 27 girls were registered as Sarai.
- • About 313 living people in the UK are estimated to have Sarai 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
2018
27 births
Estimated living
313
2026
Meaning
What does Sarai mean?
Sarai is a feminine given name of Hebrew origin, derived from the biblical name Sarah. The name can be traced back to the ancient Semitic root "śrr," meaning "princess" or "noblewoman." It is believed to be one of the oldest recorded names in history, originating in the Middle East region.
In the Hebrew Bible, Sarai is the original name of Sarah, the wife of the patriarch Abraham. The Book of Genesis recounts how God changed her name from Sarai to Sarah, which means "princess," to reflect her role as the mother of nations. The name Sarai appears numerous times in the Torah and is deeply rooted in the Judeo-Christian tradition.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sarai can be found in the ancient city of Ur, located in modern-day Iraq, where Abraham and his family are believed to have lived before their migration to Canaan. Archaeological evidence suggests that the name was used in the region during the third millennium BCE.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Sarai. In the 11th century, Sarai of Kyiv was a Kievan Rus' princess who married the Grand Prince of Kiev, Yaroslav the Wise. Another notable bearer of the name was Sarai Shavit (1935-2003), an Israeli author and playwright known for her works exploring the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In the 15th century, Sarai Khanum (1475-1521) was a prominent figure in the Mughal Empire, serving as the chief consort of Emperor Babur and exerting significant influence over the court. Sarai Michelsen Riggs (1911-1991) was an American artist and illustrator who gained recognition for her works depicting scenes from everyday life in the rural American South.
Sarai Makdisi (1939-2021) was a prominent Lebanese academic and author, known for her contributions to the study of English literature and her advocacy for Palestinian rights. She was a respected figure in the literary and academic circles of the Middle East.
It is important to note that while the name Sarai has deep historical and cultural significance, particularly in the Judeo-Christian tradition, its popularity and usage have ebbed and flowed over time in different regions and cultures.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Sarai over time
The chart below shows babies named Sarai registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1997 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 Sarai, the clearest high point is 2018. The latest England and Wales figure is 19 births in 2024, compared with 27 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sarai by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Sarai 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 | #1537 | 99 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1963 | 153 | 10 |
| 2000s | #2251 | 56 | 5 |
| 1990s | #2411 | 6 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Sarai
- 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
Sarai: questions and answers
How popular is the name Sarai in the UK right now?
In 2024, Sarai was ranked #1603 for girls in England and Wales, with 19 births registered.
When was Sarai most popular?
The peak year on record was 2018, with 27 babies registered as Sarai in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Sarai?
A feminine Hebrew name meaning "princess" or "noblewoman".
How many people are called Sarai in the UK?
A total of 314 babies have been registered as Sarai across the 21 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.