UK girl's name
Zaineb
An Arabic feminine name meaning "fragrant flower" or "radiant beauty".
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.
Zaineb is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Zaineb 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 1996, with 11 births.
This profile covers 147 England and Wales registrations across 25 recorded years from 1996 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 27% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 146 living people in the UK are called Zaineb. 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
- • Zaineb ranked #5891 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1996, when 11 girls were registered as Zaineb.
- • About 146 living people in the UK are estimated to have Zaineb 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
1996
11 births
Estimated living
146
2026
Meaning
What does Zaineb mean?
The name Zaineb has its origins in the Arabic language. It is a feminine form of the name Zain, which means "adornment" or "grace" in Arabic. The name is derived from the Arabic root word "zayn," which means "beauty" or "splendor."
Zaineb is a popular name among Muslims, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa. It holds a significant cultural and religious significance in these regions. The name is believed to have been inspired by Zainab bint Ali, the granddaughter of the Prophet Muhammad and the daughter of Ali ibn Abi Talib and Fatimah al-Zahra.
Historically, the name Zaineb has been associated with several notable figures. One of the earliest recorded examples is Zainab bint Khuzaimah, who was one of the wives of the Prophet Muhammad. She lived in the 7th century and is known for her piety and devotion to Islam.
Another prominent figure with the name Zaineb is Zainab al-Ghazali, an Egyptian activist and author who played a significant role in the Egyptian revolution of 1919. She was born in 1917 and was a prominent figure in the women's rights movement in Egypt.
In the literary realm, Zaineb is the name of a character in the famous Arabic novel "Children of Gebelawi" by the Egyptian writer Naguib Mahfouz. The novel, published in 1959, explores themes of religion, power, and social dynamics in a fictional village.
One of the most famous historical figures with the name Zaineb is Zainab bint Ali, the granddaughter of the Prophet Muhammad. She lived in the 7th century and is revered in Shia Islam for her courage and resilience during the Battle of Karbala, where she played a pivotal role in preserving the teachings of Islam.
In the realm of art, Zaineb Sedira is a renowned Algerian-French artist and filmmaker known for her explorations of identity, migration, and cultural memory. She was born in 1963 and has received numerous awards and accolades for her work.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have carried the name Zaineb throughout history, reflecting its cultural and religious significance, as well as its association with various artistic and literary works.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Zaineb over time
The chart below shows babies named Zaineb 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 Zaineb, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2024, compared with 11 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Zaineb by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Zaineb 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 | #4972 | 12 | 3 |
| 2010s | #4249 | 48 | 9 |
| 2000s | #3025 | 59 | 9 |
| 1990s | #2299 | 28 | 4 |
Related
Names similar to Zaineb
- 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
Zaineb: questions and answers
How popular is the name Zaineb in the UK right now?
In 2024, Zaineb was ranked #5891 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Zaineb most popular?
The peak year on record was 1996, with 11 babies registered as Zaineb in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Zaineb?
An Arabic feminine name meaning "fragrant flower" or "radiant beauty".
How many people are called Zaineb in the UK?
A total of 147 babies have been registered as Zaineb 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.