Banu
- Gender
- Girl
- Say it
- BAH-noo
- Origin
- Persian
- UK rank, 2025
- #4,935 for girls
Banu is a girls' name of Persian origin, meaning “lady, princess”. In 2025 it ranked 4,935th for girls in the UK (4 babies).
What does Banu mean?
Persian: also used in Turkish
“lady, princess”
Persian word for lady; Mumtaz Mahal, for whom the Taj Mahal was built, was born Arjumand Banu Begum.
Is Banu a girl's or a boy's name?
Banu is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 4 girls in the UK. Too few boys were given it to be listed.
How popular is Banu in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- 4,935th among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 4 about 1 in 70,000 girls
- Five-year trend
- Rising fast up 433% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 4 girls in the UK were named Banu, making it the 4,935th most popular name for girls. Its busiest year was 2016, with 5 girls.
Among girls in 2025, it was 4,866th in England and Wales.
Banu in the UK, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4 | #4,935 |
| 2024 | 5 | #4,253 |
| 2023 | 4 | #4,915 |
| 2022 | 4 | #4,870 |
| 2021 | 0 | – |
| 2020 | 0 | – |
| 2019 | 0 | – |
| 2018 | 0 | – |
| 2017 | 3 | #5,998 |
| 2016 | 5 | #4,290 |
| 2015 | 1 | #7,629 |
| 2014 | 0 | – |
| 2013 | 4 | #4,953 |
| 2012 | 0 | – |
| 2011 | 0 | – |
| 2010 | 0 | – |
| 2009 | 0 | – |
| 2008 | 4 | #4,742 |
Names like Banu
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Raya, Ayah, Maya, Ayat, Safa, Ayra, Ayla, Rehmat, Hawa, Irha, Yusra, Amal
Names related to Banu
More Persian names
Jasper, Esther, Jasmine, Casper, Cyrus, Yasmin, Darius, Zorawar, Kiyan, Rumi, Yasmine, Kasper, Mahnoor, Dario, Arian, Arman
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, “Banu: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/banu, updated 20 October 2026.