NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Shehab

Meaning light, flame, or shooting star, a masculine Arabic name.

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2019. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Shehab is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Shehab popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2019 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4702, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2004, with 3 births.

This profile covers 9 England and Wales registrations across 3 recorded years from 2004 to 2019. 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 100% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 9 living people in the UK are called Shehab. 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 2020 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Shehab ranked #4702 for boys in England and Wales in 2019, with 3 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2004, when 3 boys were registered as Shehab.
  • About 9 living people in the UK are estimated to have Shehab as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4702

2019

Births in 2019

3

Latest year

Peak year

2004

3 births

Estimated living

9

2026

Meaning

What does Shehab mean?

The name Shehab has its origins in the Arabic language and culture, dating back to the medieval period in the Middle East. It is derived from the Arabic word "shihab," meaning "shooting star" or "meteor." This name was often given to children with the hope that they would grow up to be as brilliant and radiant as a shooting star in the night sky.

In ancient Arabic literature, the name Shehab is mentioned in various contexts, including poetry and religious texts. One of the earliest recorded references can be found in the Quran, where the word "shihab" is used to describe the shooting stars that were believed to be sent as a warning or punishment from God.

The earliest known individual to bear the name Shehab was Shehab al-Din Suhrawardi, a Persian philosopher and mystic who lived from 1154 to 1191 CE. He was a prominent figure in the Illuminationist school of Islamic philosophy and is renowned for his works on metaphysics and mysticism.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the name Shehab. One such person was Shehab al-Din Ahmad bin Hajar al-Asqalani, a renowned Islamic scholar and jurist who lived from 1372 to 1449 CE. He was a prolific writer and is best known for his biographical works on the companions of the Prophet Muhammad.

Another famous bearer of the name was Shehab al-Din al-Suhrawardi, a Persian Sufi mystic and philosopher who lived from 1145 to 1234 CE. He was a prominent figure in the Suhrawardi order of Sufism and is known for his works on mystical philosophy and the concept of divine illumination.

In the 16th century, Shehab al-Din Ahmad al-Ramli was a renowned Islamic jurist and scholar from Palestine. He lived from 1516 to 1596 CE and is remembered for his contributions to Islamic jurisprudence and his extensive commentaries on various legal texts.

Shehab al-Din al-Qalqashandi, who lived from 1355 to 1418 CE, was an Egyptian scholar and bureaucrat during the Mamluk period. He is best known for his encyclopedic work, "Subh al-A'sha," which provides valuable insights into the administrative practices and daily life of the Mamluk Sultanate.

These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Shehab, a name that carries with it a rich cultural and linguistic heritage rooted in the Arabic tradition.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Shehab over time

The chart below shows babies named Shehab registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2004 to 2019. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Shehab, the clearest high point is 2004. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2019, compared with 3 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Shehab
01223200420112019

Decades

Shehab by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Shehab 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 #4675 6 2
2000s #3651 3 1

Related

Names similar to Shehab

FAQ

Shehab: questions and answers

How popular is the name Shehab in the UK right now?

In 2019, Shehab was ranked #4702 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.

When was Shehab most popular?

The peak year on record was 2004, with 3 babies registered as Shehab in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Shehab?

Meaning light, flame, or shooting star, a masculine Arabic name.

How many people are called Shehab in the UK?

A total of 9 babies have been registered as Shehab 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.