UK girl's name
Sima
A feminine Persian name meaning "beautiful, graceful".
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.
Sima is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Sima 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 1999, with 12 births.
This profile covers 192 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 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 33% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 191 living people in the UK are called Sima. 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
- • Sima ranked #4843 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1999, when 12 girls were registered as Sima.
- • About 191 living people in the UK are estimated to have Sima 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
1999
12 births
Estimated living
191
2026
Meaning
What does Sima mean?
The name Sima has its origins in the Slavic languages, stemming from the word "sima" which means "strength" or "might". It was a common name among the Slavic people of Eastern Europe during the Middle Ages.
In the early medieval period, the name Sima was widely used in regions such as present-day Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and parts of Germany. It was popular among both nobility and commoners, reflecting the cultural significance of strength and resilience.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sima can be found in the Polish chronicles of the 12th century, where it is mentioned in reference to a nobleman from the region of Silesia. The name also appears in various historical documents and records from the 13th to 15th centuries across Central and Eastern Europe.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Sima. One of the earliest was Sima Milutin II (1253-1321), a Serbian king who ruled from 1282 to 1321 and is renowned for his patronage of the Serbian Orthodox Church and the construction of numerous monasteries.
Another prominent figure was Sima Pandurović (1642-1686), a Serbian military leader and rebel commander who led an uprising against the Ottoman Empire in the late 17th century. His exploits were celebrated in traditional folk songs and stories.
In the 19th century, Sima Milutinović Sarajlija (1791-1848) was a renowned Serbian poet, playwright, and translator who played a significant role in the development of modern Serbian literature.
The name Sima also had a presence in Russia, with Sima Konstantinovich Zhukov (1847-1922) being a prominent Russian revolutionary and Marxist theorist who played a role in the Russian Revolution of 1917.
In more recent times, Sima Qian (145-86 BC) was a Chinese historian and writer who authored the monumental "Records of the Grand Historian", a comprehensive account of ancient Chinese history that is considered a cornerstone of Chinese historiography.
While the name Sima has its roots in the Slavic languages, it has transcended cultural boundaries and has been adopted by various cultures and ethnicities throughout history, reflecting its enduring appeal and the universal admiration for strength and resilience.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Sima over time
The chart below shows babies named Sima registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 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 Sima, the clearest high point is 1999. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2024, compared with 12 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sima by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Sima 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 | #3911 | 31 | 5 |
| 2010s | #4185 | 52 | 10 |
| 2000s | #2557 | 73 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1899 | 36 | 4 |
Related
Names similar to Sima
- 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
Sima: questions and answers
How popular is the name Sima in the UK right now?
In 2024, Sima was ranked #4843 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Sima most popular?
The peak year on record was 1999, with 12 babies registered as Sima in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Sima?
A feminine Persian name meaning "beautiful, graceful".
How many people are called Sima in the UK?
A total of 192 babies have been registered as Sima across the 29 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.