UK boy's name
Zahid
A Muslim name of Arabic origin meaning "ascetic" or "abstinent".
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.
Zahid is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Zahid popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2671, with 8 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2007, with 26 births.
This profile covers 387 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, 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 31% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 405 living people in the UK are called Zahid. 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
- • Zahid ranked #2671 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 8 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2007, when 26 boys were registered as Zahid.
- • Zahid ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #253 in 1985.
- • About 405 living people in the UK are estimated to have Zahid as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#2671
2024
Births in 2024
8
Latest year
Peak year
2007
26 births
Estimated living
405
2026
Meaning
What does Zahid mean?
The given name Zahid has its roots in the Arabic language and Islamic culture, originating from the word 'zahid' which means 'ascetic' or 'one who abstains from worldly pleasures'. The name gained popularity during the early years of Islam, particularly in the Middle Eastern regions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the historical accounts of the Abbasid Caliphate, where several prominent figures bore the name Zahid. Among them was Zahid al-Kufi, a renowned scholar and jurisprudent who lived in the 8th century CE.
The name Zahid also appears in various religious texts and scriptures, often associated with individuals known for their piety and devotion to spiritual pursuits. In the 11th century, a Sufi mystic named Zahid al-Sarraj authored a influential work titled "The Book of Lights" which explored the depths of Islamic mysticism.
Throughout history, the name Zahid has been carried by numerous influential figures across various fields. One notable individual was Zahid al-Bukhari (1170-1242 CE), a renowned Persian poet and philosopher whose works explored themes of love, spirituality, and the human condition.
In the realm of Islamic scholarship, Zahid al-Kawthari (1879-1951) was a prominent Egyptian scholar and reformist who made significant contributions to the study of Hadith (prophetic traditions) and Islamic jurisprudence.
Another prominent figure bearing the name was Zahid Husain (1667-1724), a celebrated Mughal era poet and calligrapher from India, known for his mastery of the Persian and Urdu languages.
The name Zahid has also found its way into the annals of political leadership. Zahid Hussain (1897-1969) was a prominent Pakistani politician who served as the Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1953 to 1957, playing a crucial role in the country's early years after independence.
While the name Zahid has its roots in the Arabic language and Islamic culture, it has transcended geographical boundaries and has been embraced by various communities around the world, reflecting the diverse and rich tapestry of human civilization.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Zahid over time
The chart below shows babies named Zahid registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 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 Zahid, the clearest high point is 2007. The latest England and Wales figure is 8 births in 2024, compared with 26 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Zahid by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Zahid 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 | #2340 | 46 | 5 |
| 2010s | #2198 | 108 | 10 |
| 2000s | #1217 | 164 | 10 |
| 1990s | #878 | 69 | 4 |
Geography
Where Zahid is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Zahid. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Zahid ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #253 in 1985.
Across the UK
Zahid in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#253 in 1985
6 years of NRS records, 22 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Zahid
-
Zahid Hussain
writer
British writer and poet
1972-
Related
Names similar to Zahid
- Zachary 29,362
- Zak 9,988
- Zain 7,620
- Zac 7,272
- Zack 7,101
- Zakariya 5,447
- Zach 4,754
- Zayn 4,326
- Zachariah 3,234
- Zion 3,141
- Zane 2,818
- Zayd 2,609
FAQ
Zahid: questions and answers
How popular is the name Zahid in the UK right now?
In 2024, Zahid was ranked #2671 for boys in England and Wales, with 8 births registered.
When was Zahid most popular?
The peak year on record was 2007, with 26 babies registered as Zahid in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Zahid?
A Muslim name of Arabic origin meaning "ascetic" or "abstinent".
How many people are called Zahid in the UK?
A total of 387 babies have been registered as Zahid across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 22 more in Scotland.
Where is Zahid most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Zahid ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #253 in 1985. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
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.