NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Sohaib

An Arabic name meaning "bright" or "shining".

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.

Sohaib is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Sohaib popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3688, with 5 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1998, with 20 births.

This profile covers 324 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. 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 333 living people in the UK are called Sohaib. 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

  • Sohaib ranked #3688 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 5 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 1998, when 20 boys were registered as Sohaib.
  • Sohaib ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #438 in 2002.
  • About 333 living people in the UK are estimated to have Sohaib as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#3688

2024

Births in 2024

5

Latest year

Peak year

1998

20 births

Estimated living

333

2026

Meaning

What does Sohaib mean?

The name Sohaib is of Arabic origin and has its roots in the ancient Semitic languages. It is derived from the Arabic word "sahib," which means "friend" or "companion." The name gained prominence during the early days of Islam, particularly in the 7th century CE.

Sohaib was the name of one of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad, known as Sohaib ibn Sinan. He was a former slave who embraced Islam and migrated from Mecca to Medina with the early Muslims. Sohaib ibn Sinan is remembered for his unwavering devotion to the teachings of Islam and his sacrifices for the faith.

Another early historical figure bearing the name Sohaib was Sohaib al-Rumi, a renowned Arab poet and scholar who lived in the 8th century CE. He was known for his mastery of the Arabic language and his contributions to the literary tradition of that era.

In the 9th century CE, Sohaib ibn Anbari was a prominent Arab philologist and grammarian who wrote extensively on the Arabic language and its grammar rules.

During the Abbasid Caliphate, which ruled from 750 to 1258 CE, there was a notable figure named Sohaib al-Daylami, who served as a vizier (minister) and played a significant role in the administration of the caliphate.

In more recent times, Sohaib Idriss was a Syrian writer and journalist who lived from 1924 to 2008. He was known for his literary works and his advocacy for freedom of expression.

These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who bore the name Sohaib. The name has endured across centuries and cultures, carrying with it the connotations of friendship, companionship, and loyalty that are rooted in its Arabic origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Sohaib over time

The chart below shows babies named Sohaib 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 Sohaib, the clearest high point is 1998. The latest England and Wales figure is 5 births in 2024, compared with 20 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Sohaib
05101520199620102024

Decades

Sohaib by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Sohaib 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 #3531 25 5
2010s #3194 65 10
2000s #1222 161 10
1990s #837 73 4

Geography

Where Sohaib is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Sohaib. 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.

Sohaib ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #438 in 2002.

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Sohaib in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#438 in 2002

3 years of NRS records, 12 total registered

Related

Names similar to Sohaib

FAQ

Sohaib: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Sohaib was ranked #3688 for boys in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.

When was Sohaib most popular?

The peak year on record was 1998, with 20 babies registered as Sohaib in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Sohaib?

An Arabic name meaning "bright" or "shining".

How many people are called Sohaib in the UK?

A total of 324 babies have been registered as Sohaib across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 12 more in Scotland.

Where is Sohaib most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Sohaib ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #438 in 2002. 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.