UK girl's name
Zahava
A Hebrew feminine name meaning "gold" or "radiant one".
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.
Zahava is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Zahava popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5891, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2018, with 3 births.
This profile covers 6 England and Wales registrations across 2 recorded years from 2018 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 100% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 6 living people in the UK are called Zahava. 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
- • Zahava ranked #5891 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2018, when 3 girls were registered as Zahava.
- • About 6 living people in the UK are estimated to have Zahava as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5891
2024
Births in 2024
3
Latest year
Peak year
2018
3 births
Estimated living
6
2026
Meaning
What does Zahava mean?
The name Zahava is a Hebrew name derived from the word "zahav," meaning "gold" in the ancient Hebrew language. It has its origins in the Middle East, specifically in the region that is now modern-day Israel, dating back to biblical times.
The name Zahava is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, also known as the Old Testament, where it is used as a symbolic reference to the precious metal gold. In the Book of Proverbs, wisdom is likened to "more precious than rubies, and all the things you may desire cannot compare with her."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Zahava dates back to the 12th century CE, when a Jewish woman named Zahava bat Avraham lived in Judea during the Crusades period. She is mentioned in historical records as a respected scholar and teacher of the Torah.
In the 16th century, a prominent Jewish philosopher and mystic named Zahava ben Shmuel Ashkenazi lived in Safed, a city in the Galilee region of modern-day Israel. He was known for his works on Kabbalah and contributed significantly to the development of Jewish mysticism.
During the 17th century, a woman named Zahava bat Yitzchak was a renowned Hebrew calligrapher and scribe in Amsterdam, Netherlands. She was responsible for transcribing and preserving many important Jewish texts and religious writings.
In more recent history, Zahava Gal-On, born in 1956, is an Israeli politician and former leader of the Meretz political party in Israel. She has been a member of the Knesset (Israeli Parliament) since 1999 and has advocated for social justice, human rights, and environmental issues.
Another notable figure with the name Zahava is Zahava Levine, born in 1940, an Israeli-American writer and journalist. She has written extensively on Jewish culture, history, and identity, and her works have been widely published and acclaimed.
Throughout its history, the name Zahava has been associated with beauty, radiance, and precious value, reflecting its origins as a symbol of gold in the ancient Hebrew language. It has been borne by scholars, mystics, artists, and influential figures across different eras and regions.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Zahava over time
The chart below shows babies named Zahava registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2018 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 Zahava, the clearest high point is 2018. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2024, compared with 3 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Zahava by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Zahava 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 | #5891 | 3 | 1 |
| 2010s | #5666 | 3 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Zahava
- Zoe 23,808
- Zara 19,377
- Zainab 9,407
- Zahra 8,438
- Zoya 4,523
- Zuzanna 4,231
- Zaynab 3,722
- Zofia 2,773
- Zaynah 1,472
- Zaina 1,376
- Zoey 1,262
- Zarah 1,167
FAQ
Zahava: questions and answers
How popular is the name Zahava in the UK right now?
In 2024, Zahava was ranked #5891 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Zahava most popular?
The peak year on record was 2018, with 3 babies registered as Zahava in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Zahava?
A Hebrew feminine name meaning "gold" or "radiant one".
How many people are called Zahava in the UK?
A total of 6 babies have been registered as Zahava across the 2 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.