UK boy's name
Usman
A masculine Arabic name meaning "prosperous" or "thriving".
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.
Usman is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Usman popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #442, with 91 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2000, with 118 births.
This profile covers 2,413 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 77% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 2,526 living people in the UK are called Usman. 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
- • Usman ranked #442 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 91 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2000, when 118 boys were registered as Usman.
- • Usman ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #669 in 2012.
- • About 2,526 living people in the UK are estimated to have Usman as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#442
2024
Births in 2024
91
Latest year
Peak year
2000
118 births
Estimated living
2,526
2026
Meaning
What does Usman mean?
The name Usman is derived from the Arabic root word "سَمِعَ" (sama'a), which means "to hear" or "to listen." It is a masculine name that has been widely used in various cultures and regions influenced by Islamic traditions.
The name Usman has a strong connection to the Islamic faith and history. It is the name of the third Caliph (leader) of the Islamic empire after the death of Prophet Muhammad. Usman ibn Affan (577-656 CE) was a prominent companion of the Prophet and played a significant role in the early days of Islam. He was responsible for the compilation and standardization of the Quran, the holy book of Islam.
The name Usman can be traced back to the 7th century CE, during the time of the Islamic expansion and the reign of the Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates. It gained popularity and spread across the regions conquered by the Muslim armies, including parts of the Middle East, North Africa, and the Iberian Peninsula.
Throughout history, there have been several notable figures who bore the name Usman. One of the earliest examples is Usman dan Fodio (1754-1817), a prominent Islamic scholar, religious leader, and the founder of the Sokoto Caliphate in present-day northern Nigeria. Another famous figure is Usman Ghazi (c. 1668-1688), a Turko-Afghan warrior and military leader who played a crucial role in the conquest of the Indian subcontinent.
In the Ottoman Empire, Usman I (c. 1258-1326) was the founder and the first Sultan of the Ottoman dynasty, which ruled over a vast territory spanning three continents for over six centuries. His name is also associated with the term "Osmanli," which refers to the Ottoman people and their culture.
Another notable figure is Usman Semavi (1838-1923), a prominent Turkish statesman and reformer who served as the Grand Vizier (Prime Minister) of the Ottoman Empire during the late 19th century.
The name Usman has also been used by various rulers, scholars, and prominent figures throughout the Islamic world, including in regions such as Central Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia, reflecting its widespread acceptance and cultural significance.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Usman over time
The chart below shows babies named Usman 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 Usman, the clearest high point is 2000. The latest England and Wales figure is 91 births in 2024, compared with 118 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Usman by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Usman 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 | #458 | 437 | 5 |
| 2010s | #583 | 620 | 10 |
| 2000s | #350 | 935 | 10 |
| 1990s | #269 | 421 | 4 |
Geography
Where Usman is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Usman. 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.
Usman ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #669 in 2012.
Across the UK
Usman in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#669 in 2012
26 years of NRS records, 135 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Usman
-
Usman Ahmed
boxer
Muslim boxer
1981-
-
Usman Haque
architect; artist
British artist
Related
Names similar to Usman
- Umar 4,932
- Uzair 1,549
- Umair 1,044
- Uthman 531
- Usmaan 476
- Uwais 438
- Ubaid 383
- Umer 325
- Umut 303
- Uzayr 299
- Uriel 276
- Umayr 232
FAQ
Usman: questions and answers
How popular is the name Usman in the UK right now?
In 2024, Usman was ranked #442 for boys in England and Wales, with 91 births registered.
When was Usman most popular?
The peak year on record was 2000, with 118 babies registered as Usman in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Usman?
A masculine Arabic name meaning "prosperous" or "thriving".
How many people are called Usman in the UK?
A total of 2,413 babies have been registered as Usman across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 135 more in Scotland.
Where is Usman most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Usman ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #669 in 2012. 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.