UK girl's name
Sayda
A feminine Arabic name meaning "most fortunate" or "joyful".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2011. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Sayda is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Sayda popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2011 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5785, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2008, with 5 births.
This profile covers 8 England and Wales registrations across 2 recorded years from 2008 to 2011. 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 60% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 8 living people in the UK are called Sayda. 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 2012 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Sayda ranked #5785 for girls in England and Wales in 2011, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2008, when 5 girls were registered as Sayda.
- • About 8 living people in the UK are estimated to have Sayda as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5785
2011
Births in 2011
3
Latest year
Peak year
2008
5 births
Estimated living
8
2026
Meaning
What does Sayda mean?
The name Sayda has its origins in the Arabic language and culture. It is derived from the Arabic word "sayyidah," which means "lady" or "mistress." The name has been in use for centuries in the Middle East and North Africa.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sayda can be found in the Qur'an, the central religious text of Islam. In the Qur'an, the word "sayyidah" is used to refer to revered women, such as the Virgin Mary and the Queen of Sheba.
In Islamic history, Sayda was also the name of a famous Moroccan Sufi saint who lived in the 12th century. She was known for her piety and spiritual teachings, and her tomb in Fez, Morocco, became a popular pilgrimage site.
Another notable figure named Sayda was Sayda Lutfullah, a 16th-century Ottoman princess and the daughter of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. She was known for her patronage of the arts and her support of poets and scholars.
In the 19th century, Sayda was the name of a prominent Egyptian feminist and activist, Sayda Zeinab. She was one of the pioneers of the women's rights movement in Egypt and fought for women's education and legal rights.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Sayda in literature can be found in the Arabic poetry of the 7th century. The famous poet Al-Khansa, who lived during the pre-Islamic era, wrote a famous elegy for her brothers, in which she refers to them as "sayyideen" (lords).
Throughout history, the name Sayda has been associated with nobility, grace, and respect. It has been borne by numerous influential women, from saints and princesses to activists and poets, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of the Arabic-speaking world.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Sayda over time
The chart below shows babies named Sayda registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2008 to 2011. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Sayda, the clearest high point is 2008. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2011, compared with 5 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sayda by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Sayda 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #5785 | 3 | 1 |
| 2000s | #3860 | 5 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Sayda
- 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
Sayda: questions and answers
How popular is the name Sayda in the UK right now?
In 2011, Sayda was ranked #5785 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Sayda most popular?
The peak year on record was 2008, with 5 babies registered as Sayda in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Sayda?
A feminine Arabic name meaning "most fortunate" or "joyful".
How many people are called Sayda in the UK?
A total of 8 babies have been registered as Sayda 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.