UK boy's name
Tahir
An Arabic name meaning "pure" or "chaste.".
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.
Tahir is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Tahir popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2263, with 10 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2005, with 22 births.
This profile covers 393 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 45% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 400 living people in the UK are called Tahir. 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
- • Tahir ranked #2263 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 10 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2005, when 22 boys were registered as Tahir.
- • Tahir ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #337 in 1988.
- • About 400 living people in the UK are estimated to have Tahir as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#2263
2024
Births in 2024
10
Latest year
Peak year
2005
22 births
Estimated living
400
2026
Meaning
What does Tahir mean?
The name Tahir is of Arabic origin, derived from the Arabic word "tahir," which means "pure" or "virtuous." It is believed to have originated in the Middle East region during the early centuries of Islam.
The name Tahir can be traced back to the 7th century AD, when it was first used by Arab tribes in the Arabian Peninsula. As Islam spread across the region, the name gained popularity and was adopted by Muslims in various parts of the Middle East, North Africa, and beyond.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Tahir is found in the Qur'an, the holy book of Islam. The name is mentioned in the context of describing the virtuous qualities of a believer, emphasizing the importance of purity and righteousness.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Tahir. One of the most prominent was Tahir ibn Husayn, a Persian military leader who founded the Tahirid dynasty in Khorasan (present-day Iran and Afghanistan) in the 9th century AD. He played a significant role in the expansion of the Abbasid Caliphate and the spread of Islamic culture in the region.
Another famous bearer of the name was Tahir al-Nuri, an Iraqi scholar and poet who lived during the 10th century AD. He was renowned for his contributions to Arabic literature and his poetic works, which explored themes of love, spirituality, and the human condition.
In the 12th century, Tahir al-Silafi was a prominent Sufi mystic and philosopher from present-day Iran. His teachings and writings on Islamic mysticism and spirituality had a lasting impact on the development of Sufism in the region.
During the medieval period, the name Tahir was also associated with several rulers and military leaders, such as Tahir ibn Ziyad, a governor of Khurasan in the 8th century AD, and Tahir ibn Muhammad, a ruler of the Samanid dynasty in the 10th century AD.
In more recent times, notable figures with the name Tahir include Tahir Hussain, a Pakistani politician and former governor of Sindh province, and Tahir Shah, a British writer and traveler known for his books on spiritual journeys and cultural explorations.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Tahir over time
The chart below shows babies named Tahir 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 Tahir, the clearest high point is 2005. The latest England and Wales figure is 10 births in 2024, compared with 22 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Tahir by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Tahir 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 | #2318 | 46 | 5 |
| 2010s | #2096 | 105 | 10 |
| 2000s | #1128 | 176 | 10 |
| 1990s | #918 | 66 | 4 |
Geography
Where Tahir is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Tahir. 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.
Tahir ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #337 in 1988.
Across the UK
Tahir in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#337 in 1988
3 years of NRS records, 10 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Tahir
-
Tahir Ali
politician
British politician
1971-
-
Tahir Shah
writer; comedian; novelist; journalist; explorer
British journalist and documentary filmmaker
1966-
-
Tahir Burhan
actor; composer; musician
British actor
Related
Names similar to Tahir
- Thomas 160,894
- Tyler 42,147
- Theo 40,594
- Toby 32,482
- Theodore 30,211
- Tommy 25,300
- Teddy 20,781
- Taylor 14,354
- Tobias 13,102
- Tom 9,822
- Tristan 9,171
- Timothy 6,200
FAQ
Tahir: questions and answers
How popular is the name Tahir in the UK right now?
In 2024, Tahir was ranked #2263 for boys in England and Wales, with 10 births registered.
When was Tahir most popular?
The peak year on record was 2005, with 22 babies registered as Tahir in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Tahir?
An Arabic name meaning "pure" or "chaste.".
How many people are called Tahir in the UK?
A total of 393 babies have been registered as Tahir across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 10 more in Scotland.
Where is Tahir most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Tahir ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #337 in 1988. 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.