NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Zayan

Of Arabic origin, meaning "beauty" or "splendor".

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.

Zayan is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Zayan popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #208, with 241 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 241 births.

This profile covers 2,318 England and Wales registrations across 26 recorded years from 1998 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, 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.

Zayan is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.

We estimate that about 2,366 living people in the UK are called Zayan. 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

  • Zayan ranked #208 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 241 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2024, when 241 boys were registered as Zayan.
  • Zayan ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #339 in 2024.
  • About 2,366 living people in the UK are estimated to have Zayan as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#208

2024

Births in 2024

241

Latest year

Peak year

2024

241 births

Estimated living

2,366

2026

Meaning

What does Zayan mean?

The name Zayan has its roots in the Arabic language and culture, tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Arabic word "zain," which means "beauty" or "adornment." The name is often associated with grace, elegance, and physical attractiveness.

In the Islamic tradition, the name Zayan is mentioned in some historical texts and manuscripts from the medieval period. It was a name given to individuals who were considered exceptionally beautiful or possessed a striking appearance. However, there are no direct references to the name in major religious scriptures or texts.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Zayan can be found in genealogical records and family histories from various regions of the Middle East and North Africa, dating back to the 11th and 12th centuries. Some notable individuals who bore the name Zayan throughout history include:

1. Zayan al-Kabir (born around 1150), a renowned poet and scholar from Andalusia, known for his contributions to Arabic literature and poetry. 2. Zayan al-Din (1186-1262), a celebrated Sufi mystic and philosopher from Persia, who wrote extensively on spiritual enlightenment and the path to self-discovery. 3. Zayan al-Mawsiliyya (1280-1350), a skilled calligrapher and artist from Mosul, Iraq, renowned for her intricate and beautiful Arabic calligraphy works. 4. Zayan bin Othman (1520-1598), a prominent military leader and governor from the Ottoman Empire, who played a crucial role in the conquest of various territories in the Balkans. 5. Zayan al-Kurdi (1670-1741), a revered Kurdish scholar and theologian, known for his extensive knowledge of Islamic jurisprudence and his contributions to religious education.

These individuals, among others, helped to perpetuate and spread the name Zayan across various regions and cultures, contributing to its rich history and significance.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Zayan over time

The chart below shows babies named Zayan registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1998 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 Zayan, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 241 births in 2024, compared with 241 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Zayan
060121181241199820112024

Decades

Zayan by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Zayan 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 #249 963 5
2010s #396 1,099 10
2000s #1443 253 10
1990s #2901 3 1

Geography

Where Zayan is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Zayan. 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.

Zayan ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #339 in 2024.

Scotland
10
Northern Ireland
4

Across the UK

Zayan in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#352 in 2024

12 years of NRS records, 58 total registered

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#339 in 2024

1 years of NISRA records, 4 total registered

Related

Names similar to Zayan

FAQ

Zayan: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Zayan was ranked #208 for boys in England and Wales, with 241 births registered.

When was Zayan most popular?

The peak year on record was 2024, with 241 babies registered as Zayan in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Zayan?

Of Arabic origin, meaning "beauty" or "splendor".

How many people are called Zayan in the UK?

A total of 2,318 babies have been registered as Zayan across the 26 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 58 more in Scotland and 4 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Zayan most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Zayan ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #339 in 2024. 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.