NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Sumaira

An Arabic feminine name meaning "small pearl" or "small gem".

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.

Sumaira is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Sumaira popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4192, with 5 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 10 births.

This profile covers 151 England and Wales registrations across 26 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 50% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 150 living people in the UK are called Sumaira. 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

  • Sumaira ranked #4192 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 5 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 1996, when 10 girls were registered as Sumaira.
  • About 150 living people in the UK are estimated to have Sumaira as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4192

2024

Births in 2024

5

Latest year

Peak year

1996

10 births

Estimated living

150

2026

Meaning

What does Sumaira mean?

The name Sumaira is of Arabic origin, derived from the root word "sumur" which means "whiteness" or "light-colored." It is a feminine name that has been in use for centuries across the Arab world and regions influenced by Islamic culture.

The earliest known reference to the name Sumaira can be traced back to medieval Arabic literature, where it was occasionally used as a poetic term to describe the moon or a beautiful woman with a radiant complexion. In some Islamic texts, the name is mentioned in connection with celestial bodies and the concept of divine light.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Sumaira was Sumaira al-Baghdadiya, a renowned Iraqi poet and scholar who lived in the 9th century during the Abbasid Caliphate. She was highly respected for her contributions to Arabic literature and her mastery of various poetic forms.

In the 12th century, Sumaira bint Al-Muqaddam was a prominent Syrian scholar and poet who gained recognition for her literary works and expertise in Islamic jurisprudence. She was actively involved in the intellectual circles of Damascus and was praised for her wisdom and knowledge.

During the 14th century, Sumaira al-Andalusiya, a renowned Andalusian poet and calligrapher, left a lasting impact on the cultural and literary scene of the Iberian Peninsula. Her exquisite calligraphic works and poetic compositions were widely admired and preserved for their artistic and literary merit.

In the 16th century, Sumaira al-Malikiya was a prominent Moroccan scholar and mystic who authored several influential texts on Sufism and Islamic spirituality. Her writings were widely studied and revered by followers of the Sufi tradition across North Africa and the Middle East.

Another notable figure with the name Sumaira was Sumaira al-Sawda, a 19th-century Egyptian poet and activist who used her literary talents to advocate for women's rights and social reforms. She played a significant role in shaping the intellectual discourse of her time and challenging societal norms and conventions.

These are just a few examples of historical figures who bore the name Sumaira, each leaving an indelible mark on various fields, including literature, scholarship, and intellectual pursuits, across different eras and regions of the Islamic world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Sumaira over time

The chart below shows babies named Sumaira 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 Sumaira, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 5 births in 2024, compared with 10 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Sumaira
035810199620102024

Decades

Sumaira by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Sumaira 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 #4411 18 4
2010s #4297 38 8
2000s #2908 65 10
1990s #2219 30 4

Related

Names similar to Sumaira

FAQ

Sumaira: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Sumaira was ranked #4192 for girls in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.

When was Sumaira most popular?

The peak year on record was 1996, with 10 babies registered as Sumaira in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Sumaira?

An Arabic feminine name meaning "small pearl" or "small gem".

How many people are called Sumaira in the UK?

A total of 151 babies have been registered as Sumaira across the 26 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.