UK girl's name
Seba
A masculine Arabic name meaning "the lion" or "lion of mind".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2017. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Seba is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Seba popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2017 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4763, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2009, with 5 births.
This profile covers 12 England and Wales registrations across 3 recorded years from 2009 to 2017. 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 80% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 12 living people in the UK are called Seba. 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 2018 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Seba ranked #4763 for girls in England and Wales in 2017, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2009, when 5 girls were registered as Seba.
- • About 12 living people in the UK are estimated to have Seba as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4763
2017
Births in 2017
4
Latest year
Peak year
2009
5 births
Estimated living
12
2026
Meaning
What does Seba mean?
The name Seba has its origins in the Middle Eastern region and is derived from the Semitic root word "SB'," which means "lion." It is believed to have originated in ancient Mesopotamia, the cradle of civilization, around the third millennium BCE.
This name has deep historical connections to various cultures and civilizations. In ancient Sumerian texts, the name Seba is mentioned as a title or epithet given to powerful rulers, signifying their strength and courage akin to a lion.
One of the earliest known references to the name Seba can be found in the Hebrew Bible, where it is mentioned as the name of a region in ancient Ethiopia. The land of Seba is described as a wealthy and prosperous kingdom, known for its trade in precious commodities like gold and spices.
In ancient Egyptian records, Seba is mentioned as the name of a Nubian king who ruled over a territory located in present-day Sudan and Eritrea. This king, who lived during the 25th Dynasty around the 7th century BCE, was renowned for his military prowess and his ability to unite the Nubian kingdoms under his leadership.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Seba. One of the earliest recorded examples is Seba I, a king of the Kushite Kingdom of Meroe (modern-day Sudan), who reigned from around 300 BCE to 275 BCE. He is credited with the construction of several pyramids and the expansion of the Meroitic Empire.
Another prominent figure with the name Seba was Seba II, a Kushite king who ruled over the same kingdom around the 1st century BCE. He is renowned for his military campaigns against the Roman Empire and his resistance to Roman expansion in the region.
In Islamic history, there was a notable figure named Seba ibn Abdu Rabbihi, who lived in the 10th century CE. He was a renowned scholar, author, and historian from Cordoba, Spain, and is best known for his work "Al-Iqd al-Farid" (The Unique Necklace), a compendium of knowledge on various subjects.
During the medieval period, there was a Sephardic Jewish philosopher and scholar named Seba ibn Yahya, who lived in the 11th century CE. He was born in Seville, Spain, and is known for his contributions to the field of Jewish philosophy and his commentaries on the works of Maimonides.
In more recent times, one of the most famous individuals with the name Seba was Seba Tupouniua, a Tongan boxer who competed in the heavyweight division during the 1960s and 1970s. He won numerous titles, including the Oceanian Heavyweight Championship and the Commonwealth Heavyweight Championship.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Seba over time
The chart below shows babies named Seba registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2009 to 2017. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Seba, the clearest high point is 2009. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2017, compared with 5 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Seba by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Seba 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 | #5320 | 7 | 2 |
| 2000s | #3936 | 5 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Seba
- 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
Seba: questions and answers
How popular is the name Seba in the UK right now?
In 2017, Seba was ranked #4763 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Seba most popular?
The peak year on record was 2009, with 5 babies registered as Seba in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Seba?
A masculine Arabic name meaning "the lion" or "lion of mind".
How many people are called Seba in the UK?
A total of 12 babies have been registered as Seba across the 3 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.