NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Usama

A masculine Arabic name meaning "lion" or "brave lion".

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.

Usama is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Usama popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3254, with 6 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2000, with 47 births.

This profile covers 221 England and Wales registrations across 16 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 13% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 222 living people in the UK are called Usama. 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

  • Usama ranked #3254 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 6 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2000, when 47 boys were registered as Usama.
  • Usama ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #422 in 1998.
  • About 222 living people in the UK are estimated to have Usama as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#3254

2024

Births in 2024

6

Latest year

Peak year

2000

47 births

Estimated living

222

2026

Meaning

What does Usama mean?

The name Usama has its origins in the Arabic language and culture, dating back to the 7th century CE. It is derived from the Arabic root word "sama," which means "to be elevated" or "to rise high." The name is a masculine given name and is often translated as "exalted" or "sublime."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Usama can be found in the biography of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, where it is mentioned as the name of his companion and military leader, Usama ibn Zayd. Usama ibn Zayd was a prominent figure in early Islamic history and was appointed by the Prophet Muhammad to lead an expedition against the Byzantine Empire in the year 632 CE, making him one of the youngest military commanders in history.

Throughout the centuries, the name Usama has been associated with several notable figures in various fields. One of the most famous bearers of this name was Usama bin Ladin, the founder and former leader of the militant Islamist group Al-Qaeda, who was born in 1957 and was killed in 2011 during a U.S. military operation in Pakistan.

Another well-known person with the name Usama was Usama ibn Munqidh, a 12th-century Arab writer, poet, and warrior from Syria. He is best known for his memoir, Kitab al-I'tibar (Book of Learning by Example), which provides valuable insights into the life and culture of the medieval Islamic world.

In the realm of literature, Usama al-Nukhayli was a 20th-century Syrian poet and writer who made significant contributions to modern Arabic poetry. He was born in 1938 and is celebrated for his poetic works that explore themes of love, identity, and social issues.

Usama Anwar Awad was an Egyptian writer and journalist who lived from 1925 to 2011. He was a prominent figure in the literary circles of Egypt and is known for his novels, short stories, and essays that addressed social and political issues in the Arab world.

The name Usama has also been borne by several athletes, including Usama Hosny, an Egyptian footballer who played for the Egyptian national team and various clubs in Egypt and Saudi Arabia during the late 20th century.

While the name Usama has its roots in the Arabic language and culture, it has gained popularity and recognition across various regions and communities throughout history, with notable bearers of the name making significant contributions in various fields.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Usama over time

The chart below shows babies named Usama 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 Usama, the clearest high point is 2000. The latest England and Wales figure is 6 births in 2024, compared with 47 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Usama
012243547199620102024

Decades

Usama by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Usama 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 #3263 18 3
2010s #4714 9 3
2000s #2271 88 6
1990s #670 106 4

Geography

Where Usama is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Usama. 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.

Usama ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #422 in 1998.

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Usama in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#422 in 1998

1 years of NRS records, 3 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Usama

  • Usama Hasan

    writer

    Imam of the Masjid Madrasah al-Tawhid mosque in Leyton

Related

Names similar to Usama

FAQ

Usama: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Usama was ranked #3254 for boys in England and Wales, with 6 births registered.

When was Usama most popular?

The peak year on record was 2000, with 47 babies registered as Usama in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Usama?

A masculine Arabic name meaning "lion" or "brave lion".

How many people are called Usama in the UK?

A total of 221 babies have been registered as Usama across the 16 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 3 more in Scotland.

Where is Usama most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Usama ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #422 in 1998. 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.