UK girl's name
Shahad
An Arabic feminine name meaning "honeycomb" or "sweet nectar".
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.
Shahad is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Shahad popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4843, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2003, with 11 births.
This profile covers 152 England and Wales registrations across 24 recorded years from 2000 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 36% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 151 living people in the UK are called Shahad. 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
- • Shahad ranked #4843 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2003, when 11 girls were registered as Shahad.
- • About 151 living people in the UK are estimated to have Shahad as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4843
2024
Births in 2024
4
Latest year
Peak year
2003
11 births
Estimated living
151
2026
Meaning
What does Shahad mean?
The name Shahad is of Arabic origin, derived from the word "shahd," which means "honey" or "sweet." It has been used predominantly in the Middle East and the Arab world for centuries.
The earliest recorded use of the name Shahad dates back to the 7th century, during the time of the Islamic Golden Age. It was a popular name among Arab scholars, poets, and intellectuals of that era, as honey was revered for its natural sweetness and medicinal properties.
In Islamic literature, the name Shahad is mentioned in various poems and literary works, often used as a metaphor for beauty, purity, and sweetness. The renowned 9th-century Arab poet, Abu Tammam, wrote a famous poem praising the virtues of a woman named Shahad, comparing her to the sweetness of honey.
One of the earliest notable figures to bear the name Shahad was Shahad bint Muhammad al-Qurashi (born around 680 CE), a renowned Islamic scholar and hadith narrator from Medina. She was known for her vast knowledge of Islamic jurisprudence and her contributions to preserving the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad.
Another prominent historical figure with the name Shahad was Shahad al-Darir (died 1209 CE), a renowned Arab mathematician and astronomer from Mosul, Iraq. He made significant contributions to the fields of trigonometry and spherical geometry, and his works were widely studied in the Islamic world.
In the 12th century, Shahad al-Baghdadi (born around 1145 CE) was a celebrated Arab poet and writer from Baghdad. She was renowned for her eloquent poetry and her mastery of the Arabic language, and her works were widely read and admired throughout the medieval Islamic world.
During the 14th century, Shahad al-Dimashqi (born around 1320 CE) was a prominent Syrian scholar and historian. She authored several works on the history and culture of Damascus, and her writings are considered valuable sources for understanding the social and intellectual life of the city during that period.
In more recent times, Shahad Ameen (1875-1951) was a pioneering Egyptian feminist and writer. She was one of the first women in Egypt to advocate for women's rights and education, and her works played a significant role in shaping the feminist movement in the Arab world.
The name Shahad has endured through the centuries, carrying with it a sense of sweetness, beauty, and cultural significance. Its rich history and literary associations have contributed to its continued popularity in the Arab world and among those of Arabic heritage.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Shahad over time
The chart below shows babies named Shahad registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2000 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 Shahad, the clearest high point is 2003. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2024, compared with 11 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Shahad by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Shahad 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 | #4020 | 27 | 5 |
| 2010s | #3763 | 60 | 10 |
| 2000s | #2691 | 65 | 9 |
Related
Names similar to Shahad
- 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
Shahad: questions and answers
How popular is the name Shahad in the UK right now?
In 2024, Shahad was ranked #4843 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Shahad most popular?
The peak year on record was 2003, with 11 babies registered as Shahad in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Shahad?
An Arabic feminine name meaning "honeycomb" or "sweet nectar".
How many people are called Shahad in the UK?
A total of 152 babies have been registered as Shahad across the 24 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.