UK girl's name
Yalda
A Persian name referring to the winter solstice celebration.
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.
Yalda is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Yalda popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4192, with 5 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2010, with 10 births.
This profile covers 85 England and Wales registrations across 17 recorded years from 2002 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 50% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 85 living people in the UK are called Yalda. 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
- • Yalda ranked #4192 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 5 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2010, when 10 girls were registered as Yalda.
- • About 85 living people in the UK are estimated to have Yalda as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4192
2024
Births in 2024
5
Latest year
Peak year
2010
10 births
Estimated living
85
2026
Meaning
What does Yalda mean?
The name Yalda is of Persian origin, derived from the ancient Iranian word "Yalda," which means "birth" or "rebirth." This name is closely associated with the ancient Persian festival of Yalda, also known as the Iranian Winter Solstice celebration, which marks the longest night of the year and the beginning of the gradual lengthening of days.
The Yalda festival has its roots in the Zoroastrian tradition and has been celebrated in Iran and other regions with Persian cultural influence for centuries. It is a celebration of light, hope, and renewal, symbolizing the victory of light over darkness and the promise of a new beginning.
The name Yalda is not commonly found in ancient texts or religious scriptures, but its association with the Yalda festival and the Persian culture has given it a rich historical significance. It has been used as a given name for females in Iran and other Persian-speaking regions for centuries.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Yalda can be found in the works of the 12th-century Persian poet and philosopher, Nizami Ganjavi. In his epic poem, Haft Paykar (Seven Beauties), he mentions a character named Yalda, who is portrayed as a beautiful and intelligent woman.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Yalda, including:
1. Yalda Hakim (1899-1975), an Iranian painter and sculptor, known for her contributions to the modernist art movement in Iran. 2. Yalda Abbasi (born 1983), an Iranian-American actress and model, best known for her roles in television series such as "NCIS" and "Rizzoli & Isles." 3. Yalda Moaiery (born 1980), an Iranian-American journalist and writer, known for her coverage of human rights issues and her work as a correspondent for various news outlets. 4. Yalda Hakim (born 1983), an Afghan-Australian journalist and news presenter, currently working for the BBC World News. 5. Yalda Deldar (born 1982), an Iranian-American actress and model, known for her roles in films such as "Iron Man" and "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2."
While the name Yalda has its roots in the Persian culture, it has transcended borders and has been embraced by people of various backgrounds, particularly those with an appreciation for its rich historical and cultural significance.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Yalda over time
The chart below shows babies named Yalda registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2002 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 Yalda, the clearest high point is 2010. The latest England and Wales figure is 5 births in 2024, compared with 10 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Yalda by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Yalda 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 | #4594 | 17 | 4 |
| 2010s | #4454 | 40 | 8 |
| 2000s | #3338 | 28 | 5 |
Related
Names similar to Yalda
- 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
Yalda: questions and answers
How popular is the name Yalda in the UK right now?
In 2024, Yalda was ranked #4192 for girls in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.
When was Yalda most popular?
The peak year on record was 2010, with 10 babies registered as Yalda in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Yalda?
A Persian name referring to the winter solstice celebration.
How many people are called Yalda in the UK?
A total of 85 babies have been registered as Yalda across the 17 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.