UK girl's name
Shahida
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "the female martyr" or "witness".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2023. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Shahida is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Shahida popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2023 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5687, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1998, with 12 births.
This profile covers 96 England and Wales registrations across 16 recorded years from 1996 to 2023. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, 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 25% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 106 living people in the UK are called Shahida. 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 2024 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Shahida ranked #5687 for girls in England and Wales in 2023, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1998, when 12 girls were registered as Shahida.
- • Shahida ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #535 in 1979.
- • About 106 living people in the UK are estimated to have Shahida as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5687
2023
Births in 2023
3
Latest year
Peak year
1998
12 births
Estimated living
106
2026
Meaning
What does Shahida mean?
Shahida is a feminine name of Arabic origin, derived from the Arabic word "shahid" which means "witness" or "martyr." The name has strong religious and cultural connotations in the Islamic faith.
The earliest recorded use of the name Shahida can be traced back to the 7th century CE, during the time of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the early Islamic era. It was commonly given to girls as a way to honor and commemorate those who sacrificed their lives for their faith or were martyred in the cause of Islam.
In Islamic history, the name Shahida is often associated with the concept of "shahadat," which refers to the testimony or declaration of faith in the oneness of God and the prophethood of Muhammad. This concept holds great significance in Islamic theology and has been celebrated through various literary works and historical accounts.
One of the earliest known historical figures with the name Shahida was Shahida bint Amir, a renowned female scholar and poet who lived in the 7th century CE in Medina, Saudi Arabia. She was known for her religious devotion and her contributions to the preservation of Islamic teachings and traditions.
Another notable figure was Shahida Bint Al-Husayn, a princess from the Abbasid dynasty who lived in the 8th century CE. She was renowned for her intellectual pursuits and her patronage of the arts and sciences during the Islamic Golden Age.
In the 11th century CE, Shahida Al-Hamawi was a prominent female scholar and author from Hama, Syria. She wrote extensively on Islamic jurisprudence and was highly regarded for her expertise in various fields of knowledge.
During the 13th century CE, Shahida Bint Al-Muhadhdhab was a renowned poet and literary figure from Aleppo, Syria. Her works were widely celebrated and contributed to the rich literary tradition of the Islamic world.
In the 15th century CE, Shahida Al-Misriya was a distinguished Egyptian scholar and writer who made significant contributions to the field of Islamic studies and Arabic literature.
Throughout history, the name Shahida has maintained its religious and cultural significance within the Islamic world, often associated with themes of faith, martyrdom, and scholarly pursuits. Its usage has transcended geographical boundaries and has been embraced by various Muslim communities around the globe.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Shahida over time
The chart below shows babies named Shahida registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2023. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Shahida, the clearest high point is 1998. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2023, compared with 12 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Shahida by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Shahida 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 | #5590 | 6 | 2 |
| 2010s | #5728 | 6 | 2 |
| 2000s | #2972 | 48 | 8 |
| 1990s | #1912 | 36 | 4 |
Geography
Where Shahida is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Shahida. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Shahida ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #535 in 1979.
Across the UK
Shahida in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#535 in 1979
3 years of NRS records, 11 total registered
Related
Names similar to Shahida
- 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
Shahida: questions and answers
How popular is the name Shahida in the UK right now?
In 2023, Shahida was ranked #5687 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Shahida most popular?
The peak year on record was 1998, with 12 babies registered as Shahida in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Shahida?
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "the female martyr" or "witness".
How many people are called Shahida in the UK?
A total of 96 babies have been registered as Shahida across the 16 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 11 more in Scotland.
Where is Shahida most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Shahida ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #535 in 1979. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
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.