UK boy's name
Sufyan
An Arabic name meaning "valuable", "precious" or "little wool".
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.
Sufyan is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Sufyan popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #702, with 51 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 51 births.
This profile covers 969 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.
Sufyan is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 962 living people in the UK are called Sufyan. 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
- • Sufyan ranked #702 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 51 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2024, when 51 boys were registered as Sufyan.
- • About 962 living people in the UK are estimated to have Sufyan as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#702
2024
Births in 2024
51
Latest year
Peak year
2024
51 births
Estimated living
962
2026
Meaning
What does Sufyan mean?
The name Sufyan is of Arabic origin and has its roots in the ancient Semitic language family. It is derived from the Arabic word "sufn," which means "wool" or "fleece," and is believed to have been initially used as a descriptive name or nickname for someone who worked with wool or had a connection to the wool trade.
The name Sufyan has a long history dating back to the early days of Islam. One of the most notable historical figures bearing this name was Sufyan ibn Awf, a prominent companion of the Prophet Muhammad and one of the earliest converts to Islam. He participated in several significant battles during the early Islamic conquests and played a crucial role in the spread of Islam.
Another historical figure with the name Sufyan was Sufyan ath-Thawri, an influential Islamic scholar and jurist who lived during the 8th century CE. He was a prominent figure in the field of hadith (the recorded sayings and traditions of the Prophet Muhammad) and is regarded as one of the founders of the science of hadith criticism.
In the realm of literature, Sufyan al-Mawsili was a renowned Arab poet and musician who lived during the 8th century CE. He was celebrated for his poetic works and contributions to the development of Arabic music and is considered one of the greatest poets and musicians of the Abbasid era.
Another notable figure with the name Sufyan was Sufyan al-Andalusi, a renowned Andalusian poet and scholar who lived in the 10th century CE. He was highly respected for his literary works and contributions to the intellectual and cultural life of the Iberian Peninsula during the Golden Age of Islamic civilization in Spain.
Sufyan ibn Uyayna, who lived in the 8th century CE, was a prominent Islamic scholar and jurist from Basra, Iraq. He was highly regarded for his expertise in hadith and Islamic jurisprudence, and his teachings and interpretations had a significant impact on the development of Islamic legal thought.
These are just a few examples of historical figures who bore the name Sufyan, showcasing its long and rich history within the Arabic-Islamic tradition and its association with various fields, including religion, scholarship, literature, and the arts.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Sufyan over time
The chart below shows babies named Sufyan 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 Sufyan, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 51 births in 2024, compared with 51 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sufyan by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Sufyan 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 | #833 | 193 | 5 |
| 2010s | #791 | 403 | 10 |
| 2000s | #785 | 300 | 10 |
| 1990s | #850 | 73 | 4 |
Related
Names similar to Sufyan
- Samuel 108,505
- Sebastian 33,008
- Sam 20,889
- Stanley 16,354
- Sonny 15,028
- Sean 15,006
- Scott 12,587
- Seth 9,841
- Syed 9,050
- Stephen 8,884
- Spencer 8,333
- Steven 6,970
FAQ
Sufyan: questions and answers
How popular is the name Sufyan in the UK right now?
In 2024, Sufyan was ranked #702 for boys in England and Wales, with 51 births registered.
When was Sufyan most popular?
The peak year on record was 2024, with 51 babies registered as Sufyan in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Sufyan?
An Arabic name meaning "valuable", "precious" or "little wool".
How many people are called Sufyan in the UK?
A total of 969 babies have been registered as Sufyan 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.