NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Wali

Guardian, protector; a devout or orthodox Muslim.

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.

Wali is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Wali popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1282, with 21 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2022, with 37 births.

This profile covers 268 England and Wales registrations across 18 recorded years from 1998 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 57% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 272 living people in the UK are called Wali. 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

  • Wali ranked #1282 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 21 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2022, when 37 boys were registered as Wali.
  • Wali ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #728 in 2023.
  • About 272 living people in the UK are estimated to have Wali as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#1282

2024

Births in 2024

21

Latest year

Peak year

2022

37 births

Estimated living

272

2026

Meaning

What does Wali mean?

The name Wali has its origins in Arabic and has been in use for centuries. It is derived from the Arabic word "waliy" which means "protector," "guardian," or "friend of God." The name is deeply rooted in Islamic culture and tradition.

In the Islamic tradition, the term "wali" is often used to refer to saints, holy figures, or those who have achieved a high level of spiritual enlightenment. It is believed that these individuals have a close relationship with God and serve as intermediaries between the divine and the mortal realms.

One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Wali can be found in the Qur'an, the holy book of Islam. It is mentioned in several verses, often in reference to those who have attained a state of spiritual purity and closeness to God.

Throughout history, there have been several notable figures who bore the name Wali. One of the most renowned was Wali al-Din Rumi (1207-1273), a Persian poet and Sufi mystic whose works, such as the Masnavi, have had a profound influence on Islamic spirituality and literature.

Another prominent figure was Wali Muhammad (1642-1712), a Mughal prince and military commander who played a significant role in the expansion of the Mughal Empire in South Asia.

In the realm of Islamic scholarship, Wali al-Din al-Farisi (d. 1318) was a renowned philosopher and theologian who made significant contributions to the study of Islamic jurisprudence and metaphysics.

Wali Khan (1917-1998) was a prominent political leader from Pakistan who fought for the rights of the Pashtun people and was instrumental in the formation of the Awami National Party.

Wali Bahadur Puar (1820-1857) was an Indian ruler and military commander who played a crucial role in the Indian Rebellion of 1857 against the British East India Company.

These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Wali, a name that carries with it a rich cultural and spiritual significance in the Islamic tradition.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Wali over time

The chart below shows babies named Wali registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1998 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 Wali, the clearest high point is 2022. The latest England and Wales figure is 21 births in 2024, compared with 37 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Wali
09192837199820112024

Decades

Wali by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Wali 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 #1226 117 5
2010s #2475 138 10
2000s #3080 10 2
1990s #2901 3 1

Geography

Where Wali is most common

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

Wali ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #728 in 2023.

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Wali in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#728 in 2023

2 years of NRS records, 6 total registered

Related

Names similar to Wali

FAQ

Wali: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Wali was ranked #1282 for boys in England and Wales, with 21 births registered.

When was Wali most popular?

The peak year on record was 2022, with 37 babies registered as Wali in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Wali?

Guardian, protector; a devout or orthodox Muslim.

How many people are called Wali in the UK?

A total of 268 babies have been registered as Wali across the 18 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 6 more in Scotland.

Where is Wali most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Wali ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #728 in 2023. 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.