UK boy's name
Younis
A masculine Arabic name meaning "dove" or "young pigeon".
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.
Younis is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Younis popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1000, with 30 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2022, with 39 births.
This profile covers 440 England and Wales registrations across 27 recorded years from 1997 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 77% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 437 living people in the UK are called Younis. 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
- • Younis ranked #1000 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 30 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2022, when 39 boys were registered as Younis.
- • About 437 living people in the UK are estimated to have Younis as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1000
2024
Births in 2024
30
Latest year
Peak year
2022
39 births
Estimated living
437
2026
Meaning
What does Younis mean?
The name Younis is derived from the Arabic word "Yunus" which means "dove" or "pigeon." Its origins can be traced back to the ancient Semitic languages of the Middle East, where it was used as a personal name several centuries before the Common Era.
Younis is a prominent name in Islamic history and literature. It is the Arabic form of the biblical name Jonah, who was a prophet in the Abrahamic religions. The story of Jonah and the whale is narrated in the Quran, where he is referred to as Younis or Dhun-Nun.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Younis can be found in the works of the renowned Arab poet and scholar Al-Mutanabbi, who lived from 915 to 965 CE. He wrote a poem praising a man named Younis ibn Abd al-Rahman, who was a ruler in the Hamdanid dynasty.
In the 12th century, Younis al-Qattan was a famous Andalusian poet and scholar from Seville, Spain. He is renowned for his contributions to Arabic literature and his expertise in the fields of linguistics and theology.
Another notable figure with the name Younis was Younis Bahri, a Mamluk Sultan who ruled over Egypt and Syria in the late 13th century. He was known for his military campaigns against the Mongols and his efforts to strengthen the Mamluk Sultanate.
During the Ottoman Empire, Younis Aga was a highly influential figure who served as the Chief Black Eunuch of the imperial harem in the 16th century. He was a powerful advisor to Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and played a significant role in the administration of the empire.
In more recent times, Younis Mahmoud Khoudri was a prominent Lebanese writer and journalist who lived from 1917 to 2003. He is renowned for his contributions to Arabic literature and his advocacy for Lebanese independence and Arab nationalism.
These are just a few examples of the many notable figures throughout history who have borne the name Younis, which has a rich cultural and historical significance in the Arabic-speaking world and beyond.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Younis over time
The chart below shows babies named Younis registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1997 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 Younis, the clearest high point is 2022. The latest England and Wales figure is 30 births in 2024, compared with 39 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Younis by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Younis 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 | #959 | 156 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1504 | 182 | 10 |
| 2000s | #1957 | 82 | 9 |
| 1990s | #1699 | 20 | 3 |
Related
Names similar to Younis
- Yusuf 11,801
- Yahya 5,758
- Yunus 2,009
- Yaseen 1,799
- Yasin 1,797
- Yuvraj 1,605
- Yaqub 1,517
- Yousef 1,489
- Yousuf 1,454
- Yasir 1,056
- Yash 876
- Youssef 749
FAQ
Younis: questions and answers
How popular is the name Younis in the UK right now?
In 2024, Younis was ranked #1000 for boys in England and Wales, with 30 births registered.
When was Younis most popular?
The peak year on record was 2022, with 39 babies registered as Younis in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Younis?
A masculine Arabic name meaning "dove" or "young pigeon".
How many people are called Younis in the UK?
A total of 440 babies have been registered as Younis across the 27 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.