NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Zainub

A feminine name derived from Arabic meaning "fragrant flower" or "beautiful fragrance".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2015. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Zainub is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Zainub popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2015 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4736, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 10 births.

This profile covers 93 England and Wales registrations across 15 recorded years from 1996 to 2015. 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 40% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 92 living people in the UK are called Zainub. 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 2016 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Zainub ranked #4736 for girls in England and Wales in 2015, with 4 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 1996, when 10 girls were registered as Zainub.
  • About 92 living people in the UK are estimated to have Zainub as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4736

2015

Births in 2015

4

Latest year

Peak year

1996

10 births

Estimated living

92

2026

Meaning

What does Zainub mean?

The name Zainub is of Arabic origin, derived from the root word "zain" which means "beauty" or "adornment." It is a feminine name that gained popularity in the Middle East and parts of North Africa.

In Islamic tradition, Zainub was the name of one of the daughters of the Prophet Muhammad and his first wife, Khadijah. She was born around 594 CE in Mecca and is revered as a pious and virtuous woman in Islamic history.

The earliest recorded use of the name Zainub can be traced back to the 7th century CE, during the time of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad and the early days of Islam. It is mentioned in various Islamic texts and historical records from that period.

One of the most famous historical figures named Zainub was Zainub bint Ali, the daughter of Ali ibn Abi Talib (the fourth Caliph of Islam) and Fatimah (the daughter of Prophet Muhammad). She lived from 628 to 680 CE and was known for her courage and resilience during the Battle of Karbala.

Another notable figure with the name Zainub was Zainub an-Nafzawiyyah, a 9th-century Sufi mystic and poet from Tunisia. She was renowned for her spiritual teachings and her contribution to the development of Sufism in North Africa.

In the 12th century, Zainub bint Yahya al-Maraghi was a prominent female scholar and teacher from Maragha, Iran. She was highly respected for her expertise in various fields, including Islamic jurisprudence, hadith, and Arabic literature.

During the Mamluk period in Egypt (1250-1517 CE), Zainub bint al-Khadr was a renowned calligrapher and artist. Her works are known for their intricate designs and beautiful calligraphic representations of Islamic texts.

In the 19th century, Zainub al-Ghazali was an Egyptian feminist and activist who played a significant role in the women's rights movement in Egypt. She advocated for women's education and social reforms, and her writings and activism inspired many generations of Arab women.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Zainub over time

The chart below shows babies named Zainub registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2015. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Zainub, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2015, compared with 10 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Zainub
035810199620052015

Decades

Zainub by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Zainub 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
2010s #4830 12 3
2000s #3215 47 8
1990s #1922 34 4

Related

Names similar to Zainub

FAQ

Zainub: questions and answers

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

In 2015, Zainub was ranked #4736 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.

When was Zainub most popular?

The peak year on record was 1996, with 10 babies registered as Zainub in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Zainub?

A feminine name derived from Arabic meaning "fragrant flower" or "beautiful fragrance".

How many people are called Zainub in the UK?

A total of 93 babies have been registered as Zainub across the 15 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.