NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Zunairah

A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "beautiful 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.

Zunairah is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Zunairah popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1128, with 30 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2011, with 63 births.

This profile covers 797 England and Wales registrations across 21 recorded years from 2004 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 48% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 793 living people in the UK are called Zunairah. 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

  • Zunairah ranked #1128 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 30 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2011, when 63 girls were registered as Zunairah.
  • About 793 living people in the UK are estimated to have Zunairah as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#1128

2024

Births in 2024

30

Latest year

Peak year

2011

63 births

Estimated living

793

2026

Meaning

What does Zunairah mean?

The name Zunairah has its roots in the Arabic language and Islamic culture. It is believed to have originated in the Middle East region during the medieval period, around the 7th to 13th centuries CE.

Zunairah is derived from the Arabic word "zinah," which means "adornment" or "beauty." The name is often understood to represent grace, elegance, and charm. In some interpretations, it is also associated with the concept of light or radiance.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Zunairah can be found in the writings of renowned Arab scholars and poets from the Islamic Golden Age. While it is not explicitly mentioned in religious scriptures, the name's connection to beauty and light aligns with the values and teachings of Islam.

Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Zunairah. Among them is Zunairah bint Ja'far al-Naqibah (born around 845 CE), a respected female scholar and historian from Baghdad who authored works on Islamic jurisprudence and genealogy. Another prominent figure was Zunairah al-Andalusiyah (born circa 1065 CE), a renowned poet and literary figure from the Andalusian region of Spain during the Moorish era.

In the 12th century, Zunairah bint Ahmad al-Hadrami (1128-1200 CE) was a celebrated mystic and Sufi scholar from Yemen, known for her spiritual teachings and contributions to Islamic philosophy. A century later, Zunairah al-Baghdadiyah (1250-1315 CE) was a prominent calligraphist and artist from Baghdad, renowned for her exquisite calligraphic works and illuminated manuscripts.

In more recent times, Zunairah Khair (1920-1998) was a prominent Egyptian writer and novelist, celebrated for her literary works that explored themes of love, identity, and societal issues in the Arab world.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have carried the name Zunairah throughout history, each leaving their mark in various fields such as scholarship, literature, art, and spirituality.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Zunairah over time

The chart below shows babies named Zunairah registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2004 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 Zunairah, the clearest high point is 2011. The latest England and Wales figure is 30 births in 2024, compared with 63 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Zunairah
016324763200420142024

Decades

Zunairah by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Zunairah 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 #986 179 5
2010s #779 501 10
2000s #1703 117 6

Related

Names similar to Zunairah

FAQ

Zunairah: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Zunairah was ranked #1128 for girls in England and Wales, with 30 births registered.

When was Zunairah most popular?

The peak year on record was 2011, with 63 babies registered as Zunairah in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Zunairah?

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

How many people are called Zunairah in the UK?

A total of 797 babies have been registered as Zunairah across the 21 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.