UK girl's name
Yakira
Feminine name of Hebrew origin meaning "anticipated" or "longed for".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2019. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Yakira is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Yakira popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2019 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5591, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2011, with 5 births.
This profile covers 17 England and Wales registrations across 5 recorded years from 2005 to 2019. 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 60% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 17 living people in the UK are called Yakira. 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 2020 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Yakira ranked #5591 for girls in England and Wales in 2019, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2011, when 5 girls were registered as Yakira.
- • About 17 living people in the UK are estimated to have Yakira as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5591
2019
Births in 2019
3
Latest year
Peak year
2011
5 births
Estimated living
17
2026
Meaning
What does Yakira mean?
The name Yakira has its origins in the Hebrew language and Jewish culture. It is derived from the Hebrew word "ya'kir," which means "precious" or "valuable." The name is believed to have first appeared in ancient Israelite communities during the biblical era, around the 1st millennium BCE.
In the Hebrew Bible, the name is not specifically mentioned, but the root word "ya'kir" is used several times to describe valuable or precious objects or people. For instance, in the Book of Jeremiah, the prophet laments the loss of "precious children" using the word "ya'kirim."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Yakira can be found in the Talmud, a central text of Rabbinic Judaism, compiled around the 3rd to 5th centuries CE. The Talmud mentions a woman named Yakira, who was known for her wisdom and piety.
Throughout Jewish history, several notable figures have borne the name Yakira. One of the most famous was Yakira Basheva'ot (c. 1550-1625), a renowned Kabbalist and scholar from Safed, in present-day Israel. She was highly respected for her knowledge of Jewish mysticism and was considered a spiritual leader in her community.
Another notable Yakira was Yakira Aron (1904-1998), a German-born Israeli dancer and choreographer. She was a pioneer of modern dance in Israel and played a significant role in shaping the country's dance scene in the early 20th century.
In more recent times, Yakira Aruga (1898-1987) was a Japanese-born Israeli artist and painter known for her vibrant depictions of landscapes and still-life scenes. Her works are celebrated for their unique blend of Japanese and Israeli artistic influences.
Yakira Vizel (1972-present) is a contemporary Israeli author and screenwriter, best known for her novels and TV series that explore themes of identity, family, and relationships in modern Israeli society.
Yakira Halili (1985-present) is an Israeli singer and songwriter who has gained popularity for her fusion of Middle Eastern and Western musical styles. Her music often draws inspiration from her Yemeni-Jewish heritage and has garnered critical acclaim for its unique sound.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Yakira over time
The chart below shows babies named Yakira registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2005 to 2019. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Yakira, the clearest high point is 2011. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2019, compared with 5 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Yakira by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Yakira 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #5312 | 14 | 4 |
| 2000s | #4798 | 3 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Yakira
- Yasmin 10,052
- Yusra 2,725
- Yasmine 2,474
- Yara 1,487
- Yazmin 806
- Yumna 601
- Yasmeen 527
- Yasmina 518
- Yasemin 513
- Yana 452
- Yvie 377
- Yvonne 368
FAQ
Yakira: questions and answers
How popular is the name Yakira in the UK right now?
In 2019, Yakira was ranked #5591 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Yakira most popular?
The peak year on record was 2011, with 5 babies registered as Yakira in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Yakira?
Feminine name of Hebrew origin meaning "anticipated" or "longed for".
How many people are called Yakira in the UK?
A total of 17 babies have been registered as Yakira across the 5 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.