NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Zaeem

A masculine Arabic name meaning "leader" or "commander".

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.

Zaeem is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Zaeem popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2921, with 7 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2012, with 20 births.

This profile covers 240 England and Wales registrations across 25 recorded years from 1999 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 35% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 238 living people in the UK are called Zaeem. 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

  • Zaeem ranked #2921 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 7 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2012, when 20 boys were registered as Zaeem.
  • About 238 living people in the UK are estimated to have Zaeem as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#2921

2024

Births in 2024

7

Latest year

Peak year

2012

20 births

Estimated living

238

2026

Meaning

What does Zaeem mean?

The name Zaeem has its origins in the Arabic language, where it is derived from the word "za'im," which means "leader" or "chief." This name has been in use in the Middle East and North Africa for centuries, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 7th century CE.

In Islamic history, the name Zaeem gained significance during the early years of the Umayyad Caliphate, when it was used to refer to the military commanders and governors who led armies and administered provinces on behalf of the caliph. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this name was Zaeem ibn Anas, a prominent military leader who served under the Umayyad caliph Mu'awiya I in the 7th century.

Throughout the subsequent centuries, the name Zaeem continued to be associated with leadership and authority in the Islamic world. Several notable figures bore this name, including Zaeem al-Dawla, a powerful military commander and statesman who served under the Abbasid caliph al-Muqtadir in the 10th century, and Zaeem al-Mulk, a vizier and military leader who played a key role in the Seljuk Empire in the 11th century.

In more recent times, the name Zaeem has been carried by several influential figures in the Arab world. One of the most prominent individuals with this name was Zaeem Nuri al-Said, an Iraqi politician and prime minister who played a significant role in the country's political landscape in the mid-20th century. He served as prime minister from 1958 to 1963 and was known for his pro-Western policies and his efforts to modernize Iraq.

Another notable figure with the name Zaeem was Zaeem Abdel Razek, an Egyptian intellectual and writer who lived in the early 20th century. He was a prominent advocate of Arab nationalism and played a crucial role in shaping the intellectual discourse of his time.

In addition to these historical figures, the name Zaeem has also been borne by several contemporary individuals, including Zaeem Qadri, a Pakistani cricketer who played for the national team in the 1970s and 1980s, and Zaeem Jah, a British entrepreneur and philanthropist of Pakistani descent.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Zaeem over time

The chart below shows babies named Zaeem registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1999 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 Zaeem, the clearest high point is 2012. The latest England and Wales figure is 7 births in 2024, compared with 20 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Zaeem
05101520199920112024

Decades

Zaeem by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Zaeem 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 #2353 48 5
2010s #1855 130 10
2000s #2466 59 9
1990s #2943 3 1

Related

Names similar to Zaeem

FAQ

Zaeem: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Zaeem was ranked #2921 for boys in England and Wales, with 7 births registered.

When was Zaeem most popular?

The peak year on record was 2012, with 20 babies registered as Zaeem in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Zaeem?

A masculine Arabic name meaning "leader" or "commander".

How many people are called Zaeem in the UK?

A total of 240 babies have been registered as Zaeem across the 25 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.