UK boy's name
Sayf
A masculine Arabic name meaning "sword" or "scimitar".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2021. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Sayf is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Sayf popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2021 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2730, with 7 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2021, with 7 births.
This profile covers 63 England and Wales registrations across 16 recorded years from 1997 to 2021. 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.
Sayf is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 63 living people in the UK are called Sayf. 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 2022 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Sayf ranked #2730 for boys in England and Wales in 2021, with 7 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2021, when 7 boys were registered as Sayf.
- • About 63 living people in the UK are estimated to have Sayf as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#2730
2021
Births in 2021
7
Latest year
Peak year
2021
7 births
Estimated living
63
2026
Meaning
What does Sayf mean?
The name Sayf has its origins in the Arabic language and culture. It is derived from the Arabic word "sayf" which means "sword" or "blade". This name has been used in the Middle East and among Arab communities for centuries.
The earliest known reference to the name Sayf can be found in pre-Islamic Arabic literature, where it was used to describe warriors and their swords. In Islamic tradition, the name is mentioned in various historical texts and records, often associated with military leaders and soldiers known for their bravery and skill in battle.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Sayf was Sayf al-Dawlah al-Hamdani, an Arab ruler who founded the Hamdanid dynasty in northern Syria and Iraq in the 10th century AD. He was known for his military conquests and patronage of arts and literature.
Another notable figure was Sayf al-Din Qalawun, a Mamluk sultan of Egypt who ruled from 1279 to 1290 AD. He was a skilled military leader and played a significant role in defending Egypt against the Mongol invasions.
In the 13th century, Sayf al-Din al-Amidi was a prominent Islamic scholar and philosopher from modern-day Iraq. He made significant contributions to the field of logic and Islamic jurisprudence.
During the Ottoman Empire, Sayf al-Din Yakhshi was a renowned military commander who served under Sultan Selim I in the early 16th century. He played a crucial role in the Ottoman conquest of the Mamluk Sultanate in Egypt and Syria.
In more recent history, Sayf al-Din al-Qassam was a Syrian Muslim scholar and resistance fighter who led an armed uprising against the British and French colonial powers in Palestine during the 1930s. He is revered as a nationalist hero in parts of the Arab world.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Sayf, reflecting its strong association with military prowess, leadership, and scholarly pursuits in the Arabic and Islamic spheres.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Sayf over time
The chart below shows babies named Sayf registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1997 to 2021. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Sayf, the clearest high point is 2021. The latest England and Wales figure is 7 births in 2021, compared with 7 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sayf by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Sayf 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 | #2730 | 7 | 1 |
| 2010s | #4238 | 25 | 7 |
| 2000s | #3170 | 28 | 7 |
| 1990s | #2859 | 3 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Sayf
- Samuel 108,505
- Sebastian 33,008
- Sam 20,889
- Stanley 16,354
- Sonny 15,028
- Sean 15,006
- Scott 12,587
- Seth 9,841
- Syed 9,050
- Stephen 8,884
- Spencer 8,333
- Steven 6,970
FAQ
Sayf: questions and answers
How popular is the name Sayf in the UK right now?
In 2021, Sayf was ranked #2730 for boys in England and Wales, with 7 births registered.
When was Sayf most popular?
The peak year on record was 2021, with 7 babies registered as Sayf in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Sayf?
A masculine Arabic name meaning "sword" or "scimitar".
How many people are called Sayf in the UK?
A total of 63 babies have been registered as Sayf across the 16 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.