UK name, mostly boys
Ziah
Of Arabic origin, meaning "light, brilliance" or "luminous, shining".
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.
Also recorded as a girls' name in the UK, with 57 girls.
Ziah is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Ziah popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2088, with 11 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2022, with 21 births.
This profile covers 129 England and Wales registrations across 15 recorded years from 2009 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 52% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 128 living people in the UK are called Ziah. 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
- • Ziah ranked #2088 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 11 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2022, when 21 boys were registered as Ziah.
- • Ziah is also recorded for girls, but the boys side is the larger UK variant in these records.
- • About 128 living people in the UK are estimated to have Ziah as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 69.4% of Ziah registrations are for boys.
Latest rank (E&W)
#2088
2024
Births in 2024
11
Latest year
Peak year
2022
21 births
Estimated living
128
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Ziah
In England and Wales birth records, Ziah has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 69.4% of registrations are for boys and 30.6% are for girls.
These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.
Ziah registered for boys
- Ranked #2,088 in 2024
- 11 boys registered in 2024
- Peak: 2022 (21 births)
Ziah registered for girls
- Ranked #3,318 in 2024
- 7 girls registered in 2024
- Peak: 2020 (8 births)
Meaning
What does Ziah mean?
The name Ziah has its origins in the Persian language and culture, dating back to ancient times. It is derived from the Persian word "ziya," which means "light" or "radiance." The name is believed to have been popular among the Persian nobility and aristocracy, symbolizing the desire for their children to be a source of enlightenment and illumination.
In early Persian literature, the name Ziah can be found in various poetic works and historical accounts, often associated with individuals of great wisdom and knowledge. One notable reference is found in the epic poem "Shahnameh" by the celebrated Persian poet Ferdowsi, where a character named Ziah is mentioned as a wise and learned scholar.
The earliest recorded examples of individuals bearing the name Ziah can be traced back to the 7th century CE during the Sassanid Empire in Persia. One of the most famous historical figures with this name was Ziah al-Din al-Razi, a Persian polymath and philosopher who lived from 865 to 925 CE. He made significant contributions to various fields, including medicine, physics, and philosophy.
Another notable individual named Ziah was Ziah al-Din Barani, a prominent Muslim historian and scholar from the Delhi Sultanate in the 14th century. He authored several historical works, including the "Tarikh-i-Firuz Shahi," which chronicled the reign of Sultan Firuz Shah Tughluq.
In the realm of literature, Ziah al-Din Nakhshabi was a renowned Persian poet and mystic who lived during the 13th century. His poetic works, imbued with Sufi themes and spiritual insights, have been widely celebrated in the Persian literary tradition.
The name Ziah also found its way into the Islamic world, with individuals such as Ziah al-Din Yusuf, a 13th-century scholar and judge from Andalusia (modern-day Spain), and Ziah al-Din Muhammad, a 14th-century Persian astronomer and mathematician, bearing this name.
Throughout history, the name Ziah has been associated with individuals of great intellect, wisdom, and spiritual enlightenment, reflecting its roots in the Persian language and the cultural significance of light and radiance.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Ziah over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Ziah in England and Wales, from 2001 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 Ziah, the clearest high point is 2022. The latest England and Wales figure is 11 births in 2024, compared with 21 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ziah by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Ziah 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 | #1884 | 67 | 5 |
| 2010s | #3001 | 58 | 9 |
| 2000s | #3744 | 4 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Ziah
- Zachary 29,362
- Zak 9,988
- Zain 7,620
- Zac 7,272
- Zack 7,101
- Zakariya 5,447
- Zach 4,754
- Zayn 4,326
- Zachariah 3,234
- Zion 3,141
- Zane 2,818
- Zayd 2,609
FAQ
Ziah: questions and answers
How popular is the name Ziah in the UK right now?
In 2024, Ziah was ranked #2088 for boys in England and Wales, with 11 births registered.
When was Ziah most popular?
The peak year on record was 2022, with 21 babies registered as Ziah in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Ziah?
Of Arabic origin, meaning "light, brilliance" or "luminous, shining".
How many people are called Ziah in the UK?
A total of 129 babies have been registered as Ziah across the 15 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.