UK girl's name
Sureya
A Turkish feminine name of Persian origin meaning "charming rose".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2021. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Sureya is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Sureya popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2021 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5581, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2010, with 10 births.
This profile covers 60 England and Wales registrations across 14 recorded years from 2002 to 2021. 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 30% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 60 living people in the UK are called Sureya. 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 2022 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Sureya ranked #5581 for girls in England and Wales in 2021, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2010, when 10 girls were registered as Sureya.
- • About 60 living people in the UK are estimated to have Sureya as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5581
2021
Births in 2021
3
Latest year
Peak year
2010
10 births
Estimated living
60
2026
Meaning
What does Sureya mean?
The name Sureya is of Arabic origin and is derived from the word "sur" which means "wall" or "fortification". It is believed to have originated in the Middle East region during the medieval period, around the 7th or 8th century.
The name Sureya was initially used as a surname or a descriptive title to refer to individuals who lived near or were associated with protective walls or fortifications. Over time, it transitioned into being used as a given name.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sureya can be found in the writings of the renowned Arab poet and scholar Al-Mutanabbi, who lived from 915 to 965 AD. He mentioned a person named Sureya in one of his famous poems, suggesting the name's usage during that era.
In the 12th century, a notable figure named Sureya ibn al-Muqaddasi was a renowned Islamic scholar and traveler who wrote extensively about his journeys across the Middle East and parts of Europe. His birth year is estimated to be around 1130 AD.
During the Ottoman Empire era, which spanned from the 13th to the 20th century, the name Sureya gained popularity among the ruling class and nobility. One prominent individual with this name was Sureya Pasha, a Turkish military commander and statesman who lived from 1810 to 1885.
Another historical figure bearing the name Sureya was Sureya Agha, an influential Ottoman courtier and military leader who served during the reign of Sultan Selim III in the late 18th century. He played a significant role in the military reforms of the Ottoman Empire.
In more recent history, Sureya Ayda was a renowned Turkish actress and singer who graced the stage and screen in the mid-20th century. She was born in 1925 and passed away in 2005, leaving behind a legacy in the entertainment industry.
While the name Sureya has its roots in the Middle East and was historically associated with the Arabic and Ottoman Turkish cultures, it has since gained recognition and usage in various parts of the world, particularly in regions with significant Muslim populations or cultural influences from the Middle East.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Sureya over time
The chart below shows babies named Sureya registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2002 to 2021. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Sureya, the clearest high point is 2010. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2021, compared with 10 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sureya by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Sureya 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 | #4349 | 10 | 2 |
| 2010s | #4691 | 28 | 6 |
| 2000s | #4340 | 22 | 6 |
Related
Names similar to Sureya
- 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
Sureya: questions and answers
How popular is the name Sureya in the UK right now?
In 2021, Sureya was ranked #5581 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Sureya most popular?
The peak year on record was 2010, with 10 babies registered as Sureya in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Sureya?
A Turkish feminine name of Persian origin meaning "charming rose".
How many people are called Sureya in the UK?
A total of 60 babies have been registered as Sureya across the 14 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.