NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Zayda

A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "increase" or "increase in prosperity".

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.

Zayda is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Zayda 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 2019, with 6 births.

This profile covers 9 England and Wales registrations across 2 recorded years from 2019 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 50% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 9 living people in the UK are called Zayda. 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

  • Zayda ranked #5891 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 3 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2019, when 6 girls were registered as Zayda.
  • About 9 living people in the UK are estimated to have Zayda 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

2019

6 births

Estimated living

9

2026

Meaning

What does Zayda mean?

The name Zayda has its origins in the Arabic language and culture. It is derived from the Arabic word "zaid," which means "increase" or "abundance." The name was particularly popular in the Middle East and North Africa during the medieval period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Zayda can be found in the Quran, where it is mentioned as the name of a companion of the Prophet Muhammad. This association with Islamic scripture and tradition likely contributed to its widespread use among Muslim communities.

During the 8th century, a prominent Islamic scholar and poet named Zayda bin Ali bin Husayn al-Alawi lived in present-day Iraq. He was renowned for his contributions to Arabic literature and his expertise in religious studies.

In the 11th century, Zayda bint al-Muʿtadid was a notable princess and poet from the Abbasid caliphate, known for her influential works and her patronage of the arts.

Zayda al-Rumi was a renowned 12th-century Sufi mystic and scholar from Konya, in present-day Turkey. Her writings and teachings on Islamic spirituality were widely influential during her lifetime and continue to be studied today.

In more recent history, Zayda Peña Arjona was a Mexican actress and singer who gained popularity in the mid-20th century for her performances in various films and television shows.

While the name Zayda has its roots in the Arabic language and Islamic tradition, it has also been adopted and used in various cultures and communities around the world, often with slight variations in spelling or pronunciation.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Zayda over time

The chart below shows babies named Zayda registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2019 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 Zayda, the clearest high point is 2019. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2024, compared with 6 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Zayda
02356201920212024

Decades

Zayda by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Zayda 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 #5891 3 1
2010s #3541 6 1

Related

Names similar to Zayda

FAQ

Zayda: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Zayda was ranked #5891 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.

When was Zayda most popular?

The peak year on record was 2019, with 6 babies registered as Zayda in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Zayda?

A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "increase" or "increase in prosperity".

How many people are called Zayda in the UK?

A total of 9 babies have been registered as Zayda across the 2 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.