Ruqayya is a distinctive choice, ranked #811 in 2024. Your child is likely to be the only Ruqayya in their class.
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UK Rank 2024
#811
About the Name Ruqayya
2024 marks Ruqayya's peak year in UK records so far, sitting at UK #811. The name has climbed 876 places in the last five years — a significant surge by any measure. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996.
Ruqayya is distinctive enough that your child will likely be the only one in both their class and their school — standing out on every register.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Ruqayya
Unlikely. With around 46 UK babies named Ruqayya per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Ruqayya in her class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Ruqayya is currently rising in popularity in the UK, up 876 places over the last five years to #811 in 2024. If this trend continues, it will become more common in classrooms over the next decade.
Ruqayya is a distinctive choice sitting outside the mainstream UK top names. Parents choosing less common names often find their children appreciate the individuality as they grow up, rarely needing to add an initial to distinguish themselves.
Notable people named Ruqayya include: Ruqayya — Ruqayya (Arabic: رقيّة) is an Arabic female given name meaning "to rise”, or ”she who rises high”.; Ruqayya bint Husayn — Ruqayya bint al-Ḥusayn (Arabic: رُقَيَّة بِنْت ٱلْحُسَيْن) is said to have been a daughter of Husayn ibn Ali, the third imam in Twelver Shia.; Ruqayya bint Ali — Ruqayya bint ʿAlī (Arabic: رُقَيَّة بِنْت عَلِيّ) was a daughter of the first Imam, Ali ibn Abi Talib..
Ruqayya does not appear in the US top 1,000 baby names, making it a distinctively British choice — your child is unlikely to encounter American Ruqayyas in the wild.
46
UK babies named Ruqayya (2024)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.0
In a school of 600
↑ 876 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Ruqayya
Likely around 1 other Ruqayya in the class
UK Popularity (1996–2024)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
No US data available for this name
✨ Similar names to Ruqayya
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Ruqayya bint Muhammad (Arabic: رقية بنت محمد, romanized: Ruqayya bint Muḥammad; c. 603–March 624) was the second eldest daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and Khadija.
Ruqayya (Arabic: رقيّة) is an Arabic female given name meaning "to rise”, or ”she who rises high”. Like most Arabic names, it has multiple transliterations: Ruqayyah, Ruqiya, Ruqaya, Ruqaiya, Rukayya, Rukaiya, Rukiya, Rakiya, Rakia, etc..
Ruqayya bint al-Ḥusayn (Arabic: رُقَيَّة بِنْت ٱلْحُسَيْن) is said to have been a daughter of Husayn ibn Ali, the third imam in Twelver Shia. Husayn and a small group of his supporters were massacred in the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE on the order of the Umayyad caliph Yazid (r.
Ruqayya bint ʿAlī (Arabic: رُقَيَّة بِنْت عَلِيّ) was a daughter of the first Imam, Ali ibn Abi Talib. She is considered an Alid saint, her mother is Al-Sahba bint Rabi'a.