UK girl's name
Surah
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "passage" or "chapter".
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.
Surah is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Surah 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 2021, with 6 births.
This profile covers 21 England and Wales registrations across 5 recorded years from 2009 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 83% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 21 living people in the UK are called Surah. 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
- • Surah ranked #4192 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 5 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2021, when 6 girls were registered as Surah.
- • About 21 living people in the UK are estimated to have Surah 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
2021
6 births
Estimated living
21
2026
Meaning
What does Surah mean?
The name Surah has its origins in the Arabic language and Islamic culture. The word "surah" literally translates to "chapter" or "division" in Arabic, and is specifically used to refer to the chapters of the Quran, the central religious text of Islam.
Surah is not a common given name, but it has been used as a name in some Muslim communities, particularly in South Asia and the Middle East. The name is likely derived from the Arabic word "surah" as a way to honor or pay homage to the Quran and Islamic faith.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Surah can be found in the historical records of the Mughal Empire, which ruled over parts of South Asia from the 16th to the 19th centuries. There are records of a princess named Surah Begum, who was the daughter of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb and lived in the 17th century.
Another notable historical figure with the name Surah was Surah al-Nisa'i, a renowned female Islamic scholar and hadith collector who lived in the 9th century CE. She was born in the city of Nisa, located in modern-day Iran, and contributed significantly to the compilation and preservation of the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad.
In the 20th century, Surah Fatima was a prominent Egyptian feminist and activist who fought for women's rights and social reforms in Egypt. She was born in 1905 and played a crucial role in the establishment of the Egyptian Feminist Union in the 1920s.
Another notable figure with the name Surah was Surah Khan Bangash, a Muslim ruler and military commander who lived in the 18th century and played a significant role in the Afghan-Sikh Wars. He was the ruler of the Bangash Sardars, a Pashtun tribal confederacy in what is now modern-day Pakistan and Afghanistan.
In more recent times, Surah Tharani was an Indian actress and dancer who appeared in several Tamil and Malayalam films in the 1970s and 1980s. She was born in 1952 and is remembered for her performances in popular films such as "Thrishna" and "Oru Kudakkeezhil."
While the name Surah is not as common as some other Arabic or Islamic names, it holds a significant meaning and connection to the Quran and Islamic faith. Its use as a given name has been recorded throughout various historical periods and in different parts of the world where Islam has had a presence.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Surah over time
The chart below shows babies named Surah registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2009 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 Surah, the clearest high point is 2021. The latest England and Wales figure is 5 births in 2024, compared with 6 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Surah by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Surah 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 | #4460 | 14 | 3 |
| 2010s | #4686 | 4 | 1 |
| 2000s | #5556 | 3 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Surah
- 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
Surah: questions and answers
How popular is the name Surah in the UK right now?
In 2024, Surah was ranked #4192 for girls in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.
When was Surah most popular?
The peak year on record was 2021, with 6 babies registered as Surah in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Surah?
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "passage" or "chapter".
How many people are called Surah in the UK?
A total of 21 babies have been registered as Surah across the 5 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.