NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Zeinab

A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "fragrant flower".

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.

Zeinab is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Zeinab popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3318, with 7 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 19 births.

This profile covers 257 England and Wales registrations across 28 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, 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 37% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 259 living people in the UK are called Zeinab. 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

  • Zeinab ranked #3318 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 7 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 1996, when 19 girls were registered as Zeinab.
  • Zeinab ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #627 in 2001.
  • About 259 living people in the UK are estimated to have Zeinab as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#3318

2024

Births in 2024

7

Latest year

Peak year

1996

19 births

Estimated living

259

2026

Meaning

What does Zeinab mean?

The name Zeinab originates from the Arabic language and culture, dating back to the 7th century CE. It is derived from the Arabic word "zayn," meaning "adornment" or "beauty." The name is also associated with the daughter of Prophet Muhammad, Zainab bint Muhammad, who lived from 598 to 629 CE.

Zeinab is a prominent name in Islamic history and is mentioned in various religious texts and historical records. The Quran, the central religious text of Islam, refers to Zainab as a virtuous and pious woman, revered for her devotion and sacrifice. Additionally, Zeinab bint Muhammad played a crucial role in preserving and transmitting the teachings and traditions of the Prophet Muhammad.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Zeinab can be found in the life of Zainab bint Jahsh, a wife of Prophet Muhammad, who lived from 590 to 641 CE. She was known for her intelligence, courage, and unwavering faith, and her name has since become a symbol of strength and resilience in Islamic tradition.

Throughout history, several notable women have borne the name Zeinab. Zainab al-Ghazali (1917-2005) was an Egyptian activist and writer who played a significant role in the Arab nationalist movement and advocated for women's rights in the Islamic world. Zainab Fawwaz (1850-1914) was a renowned Lebanese poet and writer, celebrated for her contributions to Arabic literature.

Another prominent figure was Zainab al-Kurdi (1889-1969), a Syrian writer and educator who actively promoted women's education and social reforms. Zainab Kadri (1942-2005) was a celebrated Indian actress and dancer, known for her performances in Bollywood films and her dedication to preserving classical Indian dance forms.

Zeinab Banani (1921-2017) was an Iranian scholar and academic who made significant contributions to the study of Persian literature and culture. She was a pioneering figure in academia and served as a professor at universities in Iran and the United States.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Zeinab over time

The chart below shows babies named Zeinab registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 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 Zeinab, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 7 births in 2024, compared with 19 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Zeinab
05101419199620102024

Decades

Zeinab by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Zeinab 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 #3295 27 4
2010s #3089 83 10
2000s #2158 98 10
1990s #1615 49 4

Geography

Where Zeinab is most common

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

Zeinab ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #627 in 2001.

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Zeinab in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#627 in 2001

1 years of NRS records, 3 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Zeinab

  • Zeinab Badawi

    journalist; news presenter; radio personality; writer; radio journalist

    Sudanese-British broadcaster (born 1959)

    1959-

Related

Names similar to Zeinab

FAQ

Zeinab: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Zeinab was ranked #3318 for girls in England and Wales, with 7 births registered.

When was Zeinab most popular?

The peak year on record was 1996, with 19 babies registered as Zeinab in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Zeinab?

A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "fragrant flower".

How many people are called Zeinab in the UK?

A total of 257 babies have been registered as Zeinab across the 28 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 3 more in Scotland.

Where is Zeinab most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Zeinab ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #627 in 2001. 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.