NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Wasif

An Arabic masculine name meaning description or depiction of character.

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.

Wasif is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Wasif popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4270, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2000, with 12 births.

This profile covers 152 England and Wales registrations across 26 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. 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 33% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 151 living people in the UK are called Wasif. 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

  • Wasif ranked #4270 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 4 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2000, when 12 boys were registered as Wasif.
  • About 151 living people in the UK are estimated to have Wasif as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4270

2024

Births in 2024

4

Latest year

Peak year

2000

12 births

Estimated living

151

2026

Meaning

What does Wasif mean?

The name Wasif has its origins in the Arabic language and culture. It is derived from the Arabic word "wasf," which means "description" or "attribute." The name likely emerged during the early centuries of the Islamic era, around the 7th or 8th century AD.

Wasif is believed to have been a relatively uncommon name in the early days of Islam, but it gained popularity over time. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this name was Wasif al-Khazraj, a prominent poet and scholar who lived in the 9th century AD in modern-day Iraq.

In the 10th century, Wasif ibn Ata al-Naysaburi, a renowned Shafi'i scholar and author, gained recognition for his contributions to Islamic jurisprudence and literature. He was born in Nishapur, a city in what is now northeastern Iran.

During the 11th century, Wasif al-Qayruwani, a philosopher and mathematician from Kairouan (present-day Tunisia), made significant contributions to the field of optics and wrote several treatises on the subject.

In the 12th century, Wasif ibn Ali al-Tawil, a respected poet and calligrapher from Baghdad, Iraq, gained fame for his mastery of the Arabic language and his exquisite calligraphic works.

Another notable figure with the name Wasif was Wasif Pasha, an Ottoman statesman and diplomat who lived in the 19th century. He served as the Grand Vizier (Prime Minister) of the Ottoman Empire from 1857 to 1858 and played a crucial role in the Tanzimat reforms, which aimed to modernize the Ottoman state.

While the name Wasif has its roots in the Arabic language and Islamic culture, it has been adopted and used by people of various backgrounds and ethnicities throughout history. The name's meaning and association with description or attributes have endured, making it a unique and meaningful choice for many parents.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Wasif over time

The chart below shows babies named Wasif 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 Wasif, the clearest high point is 2000. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2024, compared with 12 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Wasif
036912199620102024

Decades

Wasif by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Wasif 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 #3979 17 4
2010s #3294 50 9
2000s #2239 64 9
1990s #2009 21 4

Related

Names similar to Wasif

FAQ

Wasif: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Wasif was ranked #4270 for boys in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.

When was Wasif most popular?

The peak year on record was 2000, with 12 babies registered as Wasif in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Wasif?

An Arabic masculine name meaning description or depiction of character.

How many people are called Wasif in the UK?

A total of 152 babies have been registered as Wasif across the 26 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.