NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Zanib

A feminine Arabic name meaning "excellent quality" or "exquisite".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2021. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Zanib is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Zanib popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2021 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5581, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2012, with 8 births.

This profile covers 52 England and Wales registrations across 12 recorded years from 1996 to 2021. 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 38% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 52 living people in the UK are called Zanib. 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 2022 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Zanib ranked #5581 for girls in England and Wales in 2021, with 3 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2012, when 8 girls were registered as Zanib.
  • About 52 living people in the UK are estimated to have Zanib as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#5581

2021

Births in 2021

3

Latest year

Peak year

2012

8 births

Estimated living

52

2026

Meaning

What does Zanib mean?

The name Zanib has its origins in the Arabic language and culture, dating back to the 7th century CE. It is derived from the Arabic word "dhanab," which means "tail" or "something elongated." The name Zanib is considered to be a feminine form of this word.

In Islamic tradition, Zanib was the name of a woman who lived during the time of the Prophet Muhammad. She was known for her piety and devotion to her faith. The name is also mentioned in some ancient Arabic texts and historical records from that era.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Zanib can be found in the writings of the famous Arab historian and scholar, Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406 CE). He mentioned a woman named Zanib in his work, "The Muqaddimah," which is a historical study of the Arab world.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Zanib. One example is Zanib al-Qurashiyah (d. 690 CE), who was a companion of the Prophet Muhammad and is known for her contributions to the spread of Islam in the early years of the religion.

Another prominent figure with the name Zanib was Zanib al-'Awwamiyah (d. 720 CE), who was a renowned scholar of hadith (the recorded sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad) and is considered one of the earliest female traditionists in Islamic history.

In the 11th century, there was a woman named Zanib bint Abi'l-Fath al-Isfahani (d. 1030 CE), who was a celebrated poet and calligrapher in the Abbasid court in Baghdad.

During the 13th century, Zanib bint 'Ata' al-Kinani (d. 1263 CE) was a prominent Sufi mystic and scholar from Damascus, known for her contributions to the study of Sufism and Islamic spirituality.

In more recent times, one notable figure with the name Zanib was Zanib al-Ghazali (1917-2005), an Egyptian writer and activist who played a significant role in the Egyptian feminist movement and advocated for women's rights in the Arab world.

While the name Zanib has its roots in the Arabic language and Islamic tradition, it has also been used in various other cultures and regions over the centuries. However, its origins and earliest recorded examples can be traced back to the Arab world and the rise of Islam in the 7th century CE.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Zanib over time

The chart below shows babies named Zanib registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2021. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Zanib, the clearest high point is 2012. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2021, compared with 8 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Zanib
02468199620082021

Decades

Zanib by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Zanib 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 #5537 6 2
2010s #4801 14 3
2000s #4281 20 5
1990s #2399 12 2

Related

Names similar to Zanib

FAQ

Zanib: questions and answers

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

In 2021, Zanib was ranked #5581 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.

When was Zanib most popular?

The peak year on record was 2012, with 8 babies registered as Zanib in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Zanib?

A feminine Arabic name meaning "excellent quality" or "exquisite".

How many people are called Zanib in the UK?

A total of 52 babies have been registered as Zanib across the 12 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.