Rayyan vs Sheikh
Rayyan and Sheikhcompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Rayyan was ranked #226 and Sheikh #747 among boys in England and Wales.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Rayyan was ranked #5891 and Sheikh #2000 among girls in England and Wales.
Rayyan and Sheikh over time
Rayyan and Sheikh appear together in 2 published lists, across 51 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Sheikh reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Rayyan in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Rayyan held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Sheikh in 6.
Highest recorded here: Rayyan #197 in 2013, Sheikh #443 in 2004.
The order changed in 2005: Rayyan moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #452 and #443; by 2005 that had become #442 and #766.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Rayyan #226, Sheikh #747.
England and Wales · Girls22 shared years, 2001–2024
Rayyan held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Sheikh in 21.
Highest recorded here: Rayyan #2203 in 2014, Sheikh #1083 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Rayyan #5891, Sheikh #2000.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Rayyan | Sheikh |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | Used for both boys and girls |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | GB-ENW |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #468 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #747 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 40/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Rayyan and Sheikh both have 1 syllable.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW.
How each name got here
Rayyan
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #2863 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #197 among boys in England and Wales, in 2013 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #468 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Sheikh
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #2350 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #443 among boys in England and Wales, in 2004 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2000 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls