Zainab

femaleStatistical record

What official birth registration shows about Zainab: which national registrars published it, in which years, and how its recorded position changed.

No researched meaning, origin or pronunciation yet — what that means.

Zainab: Recorded since 1957, it reached #125 in 2008, and it stood at #273 in 2025.

5registrars recorded it
113times a registrar ranked it
69years from first to last
#125highest recorded position
17groupings it qualifies for

Region

Rising

among girls in England and Wales · 1996–2024

View as table

England and Wales · Girls rank by year
Year	Rank
1996	#252
1997	#251
1998	#222
1999	#231
2000	#208
2001	#184
2002	#165
2003	#186
2004	#173
2005	#175
2006	#160
2007	#146
2008	#125
2009	#133
2010	#128
2011	#141
2012	#129
2013	#129
2014	#131
2015	#142
2016	#137
2017	#142
2018	#143
2019	#146
2020	#133
2021	#170
2022	#163
2023	#156
2024	#138

VerifiedSource: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales.Confidence: high.

See all England and Wales names · Source: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales

What the data shows

RisingEngland and Wales · Girls

Recorded in official data among girls in Norway in 55 of the 68 years from 1957 to 2024.

In 2024: #138 among girls in England and Wales, #275 among girls in Scotland, #441 among girls in Republic of Ireland, #445 among girls in Norway.

Official data from 5 national registrars across 5 regions, 1957–2025 · Office for National Statistics. Data sources

Popularity journey

First recorded1957
First recorded at #469 among girls in Norway in 1957 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #125 among girls in England and Wales, in 2008 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #273 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls

Zainab appears in 3 of the published lists Namewise holds. The longest record is Norway · Girls, which has ranked it in 55 years beginning in 1957, and has registered 493 births with the name.

Zainab across 3 official records

Each registrar publishes its own list, so these figures are read down a row, never across one. A position in one country is not comparable with a position in another, and Namewise never combines them into a single ranking. The birth counts do not compare across rows either, for a different reason: England and Wales registers roughly thirty times as many births a year as Northern Ireland, so a larger total says which registrar recorded it as much as how widely the name was given.

Zainab's first, highest and most recent recorded position in each official list, with the number of births each registrar registered with the name and its largest single year
Published list	First recorded	Highest	Most recent	Years recorded	Births registered	Most in one year
Norway · Girls	#469 (1957)	#250 (2023)	#445 (2024)	55 of 68	493 (1957–2024)	19 (2017)
England and Wales · Girls	#252 (1996)	#125 (2008)	#138 (2024)	29 of 29	9,407 (1996–2024)	444 (2010)
Republic of Ireland · Girls	#528 (1999)	#273 (2025)	#273 (2025)	27 of 27	213 (1999–2025)	16 (2018)

Zainab by decade in Norway · Girls

Births registered with the name in each decade of this one list, with the number of years the list covers in that decade. Bars are scaled on births a year, which is the figure that compares between decades — a decade the list only partly covers has a smaller total without being a quieter decade. Figures belong to this registrar alone and do not carry to another.

Births registered with Zainab in Norway · Girls, by decade, with years covered and the average per year
Decade	Births registered	Years covered	A year
1950s	4	1 of 10	4
1960s	25	5 of 10	5
1970s	29	5 of 10	6
1980s	71	9 of 10	8
1990s	85	10 of 10	9
2000s	98	10 of 10	10
2010sbusiest	136	10 of 10	14
2020s	45	5 of 10	9

Across Norway · Girls, the 2010s were its busiest decade, averaging 14 births a year.

See the names Norwayhas recorded the most births with →

Zainab appears in

Groupings this name qualifies for under their own stated rules, from the same official statistics shown above.

Popularity data

Official popularity data is available for 5 regions, from 1957 to 2025. Highest recorded position: #125 in England and Wales in 2008.

Zainab's recorded popularity observations by year, region and administrative category, including rank, registered births, source confidence and when each region's data was last reviewed.
Year	Region	Category	Rank	Births registered	Confidence	Status
2024	England and Wales	female	#138	360	High	Verified
2023	England and Wales	female	#156	324	High	Verified
2022	England and Wales	female	#163	306	High	Verified
2021	England and Wales	female	#170	307	High	Verified
2020	England and Wales	female	#133	380	High	Verified
2019	England and Wales	female	#146	348	High	Verified
2018	England and Wales	female	#143	360	High	Verified
2017	England and Wales	female	#142	376	High	Verified
2016	England and Wales	female	#137	410	High	Verified
2015	England and Wales	female	#142	392	High	Verified
2014	England and Wales	female	#131	413	High	Verified
2013	England and Wales	female	#129	420	High	Verified
2012	England and Wales	female	#129	434	High	Verified
2011	England and Wales	female	#141	395	High	Verified
2010	England and Wales	female	#128	444	High	Verified
2009	England and Wales	female	#133	415	High	Verified
2008	England and Wales	female	#125	415	High	Verified
2007	England and Wales	female	#146	372	High	Verified
2006	England and Wales	female	#160	331	High	Verified
2005	England and Wales	female	#175	294	High	Verified
2004	England and Wales	female	#173	285	High	Verified
2003	England and Wales	female	#186	252	High	Verified
2002	England and Wales	female	#165	267	High	Verified
2001	England and Wales	female	#184	229	High	Verified
2000	England and Wales	female	#208	204	High	Verified
1999	England and Wales	female	#231	178	High	Verified
1998	England and Wales	female	#222	188	High	Verified
1997	England and Wales	female	#251	154	High	Verified
1996	England and Wales	female	#252	154	High	Verified
2021	Northern Ireland	female	#446	3	High	Verified
2024	Norway	female	#445	6	High	Verified
2023	Norway	female	#250	17	High	Verified
2022	Norway	female	#300	13	High	Verified
2021	Norway	female	#459	5	High	Verified
2020	Norway	female	#515	4	High	Verified
2019	Norway	female	#428	7	High	Verified
2018	Norway	female	#382	10	High	Verified
2017	Norway	female	#271	19	High	Verified
2016	Norway	female	#323	15	High	Verified
2015	Norway	female	#303	16	High	Verified
2014	Norway	female	#369	12	High	Verified
2013	Norway	female	#341	14	High	Verified
2012	Norway	female	#372	12	High	Verified
2011	Norway	female	#354	13	High	Verified
2010	Norway	female	#284	18	High	Verified
2009	Norway	female	#379	12	High	Verified
2008	Norway	female	#412	10	High	Verified
2007	Norway	female	#365	12	High	Verified
2006	Norway	female	#464	8	High	Verified
2005	Norway	female	#414	9	High	Verified
2004	Norway	female	#505	6	High	Verified
2003	Norway	female	#371	10	High	Verified
2002	Norway	female	#535	6	High	Verified
2001	Norway	female	#323	13	High	Verified
2000	Norway	female	#343	12	High	Verified
1999	Norway	female	#484	7	High	Verified
1998	Norway	female	#590	5	High	Verified
1997	Norway	female	#386	10	High	Verified
1996	Norway	female	#323	13	High	Verified
1995	Norway	female	#400	10	High	Verified
1994	Norway	female	#423	9	High	Verified
1993	Norway	female	#379	11	High	Verified
1992	Norway	female	#455	9	High	Verified
1991	Norway	female	#580	6	High	Verified
1990	Norway	female	#632	5	High	Verified
1989	Norway	female	#647	5	High	Verified
1988	Norway	female	#434	10	High	Verified
1987	Norway	female	#416	11	High	Verified
1986	Norway	female	#426	10	High	Verified
1985	Norway	female	#503	8	High	Verified
1984	Norway	female	#534	7	High	Verified
1983	Norway	female	#615	5	High	Verified
1981	Norway	female	#423	9	High	Verified
1980	Norway	female	#550	6	High	Verified
1979	Norway	female	#607	5	High	Verified
1977	Norway	female	#583	5	High	Verified
1974	Norway	female	#411	9	High	Verified
1972	Norway	female	#631	4	High	Verified
1970	Norway	female	#512	6	High	Verified
1967	Norway	female	#437	7	High	Verified
1966	Norway	female	#497	5	High	Verified
1965	Norway	female	#527	5	High	Verified
1962	Norway	female	#528	4	High	Verified
1961	Norway	female	#512	4	High	Verified
1957	Norway	female	#469	4	High	Verified
2025	Republic of Ireland	female	#273	15	High	Verified
2024	Republic of Ireland	female	#441	8	High	Verified
2023	Republic of Ireland	female	#495	7	High	Verified
2022	Republic of Ireland	female	#420	9	High	Verified
2021	Republic of Ireland	female	#517	7	High	Verified
2020	Republic of Ireland	female	#410	9	High	Verified
2019	Republic of Ireland	female	#551	6	High	Verified
2018	Republic of Ireland	female	#280	16	High	Verified
2017	Republic of Ireland	female	#396	10	High	Verified
2016	Republic of Ireland	female	#661	5	High	Verified
2015	Republic of Ireland	female	#431	10	High	Verified
2014	Republic of Ireland	female	#404	11	High	Verified
2013	Republic of Ireland	female	#587	6	High	Verified
2012	Republic of Ireland	female	#677	5	High	Verified
2011	Republic of Ireland	female	#510	8	High	Verified
2010	Republic of Ireland	female	#422	11	High	Verified
2009	Republic of Ireland	female	#488	8	High	Verified
2008	Republic of Ireland	female	#750	4	High	Verified
2007	Republic of Ireland	female	#468	8	High	Verified
2006	Republic of Ireland	female	#502	6	High	Verified
2005	Republic of Ireland	female	#461	6	High	Verified
2004	Republic of Ireland	female	#414	7	High	Verified
2003	Republic of Ireland	female	#403	7	High	Verified
2002	Republic of Ireland	female	#312	10	High	Verified
2001	Republic of Ireland	female	#400	6	High	Verified
2000	Republic of Ireland	female	#413	5	High	Verified
1999	Republic of Ireland	female	#528	3	High	Verified
2024	Scotland	female	#275	13	High	Verified

England and Wales hub — collected by Office for National Statistics
Northern Ireland hub — collected by NISRA
Norway hub — collected by Statistics Norway (SSB)
Republic of Ireland hub — collected by CSO Ireland
Scotland hub — collected by National Records of Scotland

See methodology and data sources for how popularity data is collected and what "confidence" means.

What the record shows

Recorded by 5 registrars between 1957 and 2025, ranked in 56 years of that period.

Its highest recorded position is #125, first reached in 2008.

Its largest count from any one registrar is 444 births, registered in England and Wales in 2010.

Its record falls into 9 separate stretches, with a longest absence of 3 years.

A second registrar first ranked it in 1996, and 67 years separate the first registrar to record it from the last.

Every figure here is counted from the seven official registrars Namewise holds. A position is only ever a place within the list that published it, and a record that thins or stops is a fact about what registrars printed — never about how many children received the name.

Where to go next

Records with a comparable body of evidence, so the catalogue can be read outward from this one. Each group states the rule it was selected by.

Next in the catalogue

The records either side of this one alphabetically.

Zain-Ul-Abideen · #1821, 17y
Zaina · #416, 30y
Zainah · #1815, 25y
Zaine · #781, 29y

A comparable record

Records held by the same 5 registrars, over a similar number of ranked years, whose highest position is closest to this one. A similar body of evidence — never a claim that the names themselves are alike.

Leila · #132, 61y
Nelly · #132, 61y
Dominik · #103, 51y
Viktoria · #103, 58y

Also first recorded in the 1950s

Records whose earliest ranking in Namewise's registrar data also falls between 1950 and 1959.

Alvin · #126, 50y
Ken · #126, 66y
Marina · #122, 73y
Vegar · #129, 59y

Zainab was ranked #125 in England and Wales · Girls in 2008. These are the names immediately either side of it on that published list — a fact about the registrar's own output, not a similarity judgement.

Zainab and the names beside it

Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale, in the same year, by the same registrar — so these are positions that genuinely passed each other, not a similarity judgement. Drawn from the 2,573 names with a recorded popularity standing (common, familiar, uncommon), so a name outside that set could have passed Zainab without appearing here.

Zainab moved ahead of

Cassandra Compare
In 2024 they stood at #441 and #441 in Republic of Ireland · Girls; by 2025 that had become #273 and #885.
Jenny Compare
In 2016 they stood at #661 and #448 in Republic of Ireland · Girls; by 2017 that had become #396 and #873.
Carmel Compare
In 2014 they stood at #677 and #612 in Republic of Ireland · Girls; by 2015 that had become #431 and #896.
Elaine Compare
In 2014 they stood at #587 and #491 in Republic of Ireland · Girls; by 2015 that had become #431 and #896.

Moved ahead of Zainab

Fiadh Compare
In 2007 they stood at #468 and #505 in Republic of Ireland · Girls; by 2008 that had become #750 and #341.
Éala Compare
In 2018 they stood at #280 and #411 in Republic of Ireland · Girls; by 2019 that had become #551 and #180.
Sophie Compare
In 1988 they stood at #434 and #542 in Norway · Girls; by 1989 that had become #647 and #297.
Hedda Compare
In 1976 they stood at #411 and #495 in Norway · Girls; by 1977 that had become #583 and #235.

Moved the opposite way to Zainab

Berit Compare
Between 1957 and 2023 in Norway · Girls, Zainab went from #469 to #250 while Berit went from #10 to #494.
Gro Compare
Between 1957 and 2023 in Norway · Girls, Zainab went from #469 to #250 while Gro went from #22 to #465.
Janne Compare
Between 1957 and 2023 in Norway · Girls, Zainab went from #469 to #250 while Janne went from #74 to #469.
Laila Compare
Between 1957 and 2023 in Norway · Girls, Zainab went from #469 to #250 while Laila went from #45 to #354.

Moved the same way as Zainab

Katherine Compare
Between 1972 and 2001 in Norway · Girls, Zainab went from #631 to #323 and Katherine from #606 to #334.
Ada Compare
Between 1996 and 2024 in England and Wales · Girls, Zainab went from #252 to #138 and Ada from #2683 to #40.
Alma Compare
Between 1996 and 2024 in England and Wales · Girls, Zainab went from #252 to #138 and Alma from #2096 to #234.
Alyssa Compare
Between 1996 and 2024 in England and Wales · Girls, Zainab went from #252 to #138 and Alyssa from #783 to #285.

What's not yet available

Meaning
Origin
Pronunciation
Nicknames and spelling variants

Absence from this list does not mean the name isn't genuinely meaningful or widely used — only that Namewise hasn't sourced and reviewed that content yet. Absence from a specific year or geography above does not prove zero use there either; official statistics only publish names above a minimum threshold.

Official popularity data is available for 5 regions, from 1957 to 2025. Highest recorded position: #125 in England and Wales in 2008. Source data last verified 2026-07-21.

Zainab

Zainab at a glance

What the data shows

Popularity journey

Zainab across 3 official records

Zainab by decade in Norway · Girls

Zainab appears in

Popularity data

What the record shows

Where to go next

Next in the catalogue

A comparable record

Also first recorded in the 1950s

Names published alongside Zainab

Zainab and the names beside it

Zainab moved ahead of

Moved ahead of Zainab

Moved the opposite way to Zainab

Moved the same way as Zainab

Zainab at a glance

Zainab across 3 official records

Zainab by decade in Norway · Girls

Zainab appears in

What the record shows

Where to go next

Next in the catalogue

A comparable record

Also first recorded in the 1950s

Names published alongside Zainab

Zainab and the names beside it

Zainab moved ahead of

Moved ahead of Zainab

Moved the opposite way to Zainab

Moved the same way as Zainab