UK girl's name
Zaiya
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "bright" or "shining 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.
Zaiya is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Zaiya popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4843, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2020, with 5 births.
This profile covers 18 England and Wales registrations across 4 recorded years from 2016 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 80% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 18 living people in the UK are called Zaiya. 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
- • Zaiya ranked #4843 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2020, when 5 girls were registered as Zaiya.
- • About 18 living people in the UK are estimated to have Zaiya as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4843
2024
Births in 2024
4
Latest year
Peak year
2020
5 births
Estimated living
18
2026
Meaning
What does Zaiya mean?
The name Zaiya is believed to have originated in the Middle East, possibly deriving from the Arabic word "Zayd" or "Zaid," which means "to increase" or "to grow." This name gained popularity during the medieval period, particularly among Muslim communities in the region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Zaiya can be traced back to the 7th century, when a companion of the Prophet Muhammad was known as Zayd ibn Thabit. He was a renowned scholar and one of the scribes responsible for compiling the Quran during the time of the third Caliph, Uthman ibn Affan.
In the 12th century, a notable figure named Zaiya al-Din Nakhshabi was a prominent Sufi mystic and scholar from Bukhara, which is now part of modern-day Uzbekistan. He was known for his contributions to the development of Sufism and his writings on spiritual enlightenment.
Another historical figure bearing the name Zaiya was Zaiya al-Din Ghaznavi, a Persian poet who lived in the 13th century. He was renowned for his lyrical compositions and his mastery of the ghazal form of poetry, which was popular during the Ghaznavid dynasty in present-day Afghanistan and Pakistan.
In the 15th century, Zaiya al-Din Razi was a renowned Persian physician and philosopher from Ray, Iran. He made significant contributions to the fields of medicine, physics, and philosophy, and his works were widely studied throughout the Islamic world and Europe.
A more recent figure with the name Zaiya was Zaiya Pir Muhammad Rashidi, a renowned Sindhi poet and writer from Pakistan who lived in the 20th century (1901-1962). He was celebrated for his poetic works that celebrated the rich cultural heritage of the Sindh region and its people.
While the name Zaiya may have originated in the Middle East, it has since gained popularity in various parts of the world, with individuals from different cultural backgrounds adopting it for their children. However, its roots can be traced back to the ancient Arabic language and the rich cultural and historical traditions of the region.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Zaiya over time
The chart below shows babies named Zaiya registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2016 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 Zaiya, the clearest high point is 2020. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2024, compared with 5 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Zaiya by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Zaiya 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 | #4266 | 14 | 3 |
| 2010s | #4763 | 4 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Zaiya
- 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
Zaiya: questions and answers
How popular is the name Zaiya in the UK right now?
In 2024, Zaiya was ranked #4843 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Zaiya most popular?
The peak year on record was 2020, with 5 babies registered as Zaiya in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Zaiya?
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "bright" or "shining one".
How many people are called Zaiya in the UK?
A total of 18 babies have been registered as Zaiya across the 4 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.