Arafa
- Gender
- Girl
- Say it
- AH-ra-fa
- Origin
- Arabic
Arafa is a girls' name of Arabic origin. Too few babies were given it in the latest year to rank.
What does Arafa mean?
Arabic: spelling of Arafah; from the plain of Arafat near Mecca
Named after the plain of Arafat near Mecca, where pilgrims stand in prayer on the Day of Arafah during the Hajj.
Meaning borrowed from Arafah.
Is Arafa a girl's or a boy's name?
Arafa is a girls' name.
How popular is Arafa in the UK?
No girls in the UK were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 2022, with 6 girls.
Arafa in the UK, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | #4,907 |
| 2023 | 0 | – |
| 2022 | 6 | #3,728 |
| 2021 | 0 | – |
| 2020 | 0 | – |
| 2019 | 3 | #5,804 |
| 2018 | 0 | – |
| 2017 | 0 | – |
| 2016 | 0 | – |
| 2015 | 0 | – |
| 2014 | 3 | #5,920 |
| 2013 | 0 | – |
| 2012 | 0 | – |
| 2011 | 3 | #6,007 |
| 2010 | 0 | – |
| 2009 | 0 | – |
| 2008 | 0 | – |
| 2007 | 0 | – |
| 2006 | 0 | – |
| 2005 | 3 | #4,976 |
Names like Arafa
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Abeeha, Safa, Amira, Hafsa, Hiba, Aaliyah, Ayah, Halima, Rahma, Khadija, Nusaybah, Safiya
Names related to Arafa
More Arabic names
Muhammad, Layla, Mohammed, Lyla, Mohammad, Zara, Amir, Fatima, Ali, Yahya, Zayn, Aisha, Omar, Zahra, Hamza, Kairo
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland) and Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Arafa: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/arafa, updated 20 October 2026.