NameCensus.

UK name, mostly girls

Ziyah

An Arabic name meaning "splendor" or "light" for a girl.

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 boys' name in the UK, with 17 boys.

Ziyah is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for Ziyah popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2771, with 9 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2021, with 10 births.

This profile covers 58 England and Wales registrations across 9 recorded years from 2016 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 90% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 58 living people in the UK are called Ziyah. 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

  • Ziyah ranked #2771 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 9 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2021, when 10 girls were registered as Ziyah.
  • Ziyah is also recorded for boys, but the girls side is the larger UK variant in these records.
  • About 58 living people in the UK are estimated to have Ziyah as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
  • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 77.3% of Ziyah registrations are for girls.

Latest rank (E&W)

#2771

2024

Births in 2024

9

Latest year

Peak year

2021

10 births

Estimated living

58

2026

Gender

Boy and girl registrations for Ziyah

In England and Wales birth records, Ziyah has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 22.7% of registrations are for boys and 77.3% 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.

23% boys
77% girls
Boys17 (22.7%)Girls58 (77.3%)

Ziyah registered for boys

  • Ranked #5,119 in 2024
  • 3 boys registered in 2024
  • Peak: 2020 (5 births)

Ziyah registered for girls

  • Ranked #2,771 in 2024
  • 9 girls registered in 2024
  • Peak: 2021 (10 births)

Meaning

What does Ziyah mean?

The given name Ziyah has its origins in the Arabic language and is derived from the root word "zi'a" which means "light" or "radiance." This name was particularly prevalent in the Middle East and parts of North Africa during the medieval period, when the Arabic language and Islamic culture flourished.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ziyah can be found in the works of renowned Arab scholars and poets from the 9th and 10th centuries. It was often used as a symbolic name, representing the idea of enlightenment, wisdom, and spiritual guidance.

In the 11th century, Ziyah al-Baghdadi was a prominent mathematician and astronomer from Baghdad, known for his contributions to the development of trigonometry and the study of celestial bodies. His work influenced the scientific community during the Islamic Golden Age.

During the 12th century, Ziyah al-Din al-Naqshbandi was a renowned Sufi mystic and the founder of the Naqshbandi order, one of the most influential Sufi orders in the Islamic world. His teachings focused on the purification of the heart and the attainment of spiritual enlightenment.

In the 13th century, Ziyah al-Din Barani was a prominent historian and scholar from the Delhi Sultanate in India. His works provide valuable insights into the history and culture of the region during that period.

Another notable figure with the name Ziyah was Ziyah al-Mawsili, a talented musician and composer who lived in the 9th century during the Abbasid Caliphate in Baghdad. He was renowned for his mastery of the oud, a traditional Arabic stringed instrument, and his contributions to the development of Arabic music theory.

While the name Ziyah has its roots in the Arabic language and Islamic culture, it has also been adopted and used in various other cultures and regions throughout history, often retaining its symbolic meaning of light and radiance.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Ziyah over time

The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Ziyah in England and Wales, from 2016 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 Ziyah, the clearest high point is 2021. The latest England and Wales figure is 9 births in 2024, compared with 10 at the peak.

Babies born per year

BoysGirls
0371013201620202024

Decades

Ziyah by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Ziyah 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 #2951 40 5
2010s #4513 18 4

Related

Names similar to Ziyah

FAQ

Ziyah: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Ziyah was ranked #2771 for girls in England and Wales, with 9 births registered.

When was Ziyah most popular?

The peak year on record was 2021, with 10 babies registered as Ziyah in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Ziyah?

An Arabic name meaning "splendor" or "light" for a girl.

How many people are called Ziyah in the UK?

A total of 58 babies have been registered as Ziyah across the 9 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.