UK girl's name
Shamira
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "bright, beautiful rose".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2020. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Shamira is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Shamira popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2020 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5493, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2000, with 6 births.
This profile covers 32 England and Wales registrations across 8 recorded years from 1996 to 2020. 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 50% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 32 living people in the UK are called Shamira. 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 2021 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Shamira ranked #5493 for girls in England and Wales in 2020, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2000, when 6 girls were registered as Shamira.
- • About 32 living people in the UK are estimated to have Shamira as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5493
2020
Births in 2020
3
Latest year
Peak year
2000
6 births
Estimated living
32
2026
Meaning
What does Shamira mean?
The name Shamira has its roots in the Arabic language, with origins dating back to the 7th century CE. It is derived from the Arabic word "shamirah," which means "watchful" or "vigilant." This name is believed to have originated in the Middle East, particularly in regions where Arabic was the predominant language.
In ancient Arabic texts and poetry, the name Shamira was often associated with the concept of protection and watchfulness. It was sometimes used as a descriptive term for guardians or sentinels, reflecting the vigilant nature of the name's meaning.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Shamira can be found in the historical records of the Umayyad Caliphate, which ruled over a vast territory spanning from the Iberian Peninsula to Central Asia between the 7th and 8th centuries CE. During this period, the name Shamira was borne by several notable individuals, including a renowned female scholar and poet known as Shamira bint Al-Hasan Al-Ansari (born around 680 CE).
Throughout the centuries, the name Shamira has been carried by numerous influential figures across various cultures and regions influenced by Arabic language and traditions. One such notable figure was Shamira Al-Andalusiyya (1000-1067 CE), a revered poet and scholar from the Iberian Peninsula during the Golden Age of Islamic civilization.
In the 12th century, a prominent female mathematician and astronomer named Shamira Al-Qurashiyya (1115-1185 CE) made significant contributions to the field of science in the Islamic world, furthering the legacy of the name Shamira.
During the Ottoman Empire, the name Shamira was also borne by several influential women, including Shamira Khanum (1504-1580 CE), a renowned poet and calligrapher, and Shamira Sultan (1642-1704 CE), a powerful political figure and wife of Sultan Mehmed IV.
Throughout its history, the name Shamira has been carried by numerous individuals, each leaving their mark in various fields, including literature, science, and politics. These examples highlight the enduring presence and significance of this name across different eras and cultures influenced by the Arabic language.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Shamira over time
The chart below shows babies named Shamira registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2020. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Shamira, the clearest high point is 2000. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2020, compared with 6 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Shamira by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Shamira 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 | #5493 | 3 | 1 |
| 2010s | #5742 | 3 | 1 |
| 2000s | #3786 | 22 | 5 |
| 1990s | #3126 | 4 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Shamira
- 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
Shamira: questions and answers
How popular is the name Shamira in the UK right now?
In 2020, Shamira was ranked #5493 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Shamira most popular?
The peak year on record was 2000, with 6 babies registered as Shamira in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Shamira?
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "bright, beautiful rose".
How many people are called Shamira in the UK?
A total of 32 babies have been registered as Shamira across the 8 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.