NameCensus.
Very Rare

Afnan

Arabic origin meaning "branches", "twigs", or "young shoots".

Name Census estimates that about 796 living Americans carry the first name Afnan. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 77.6% of registrations being female. The average person named Afnan today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Afnan births was 2024 (57 babies).

This page is the full Name Census profile for Afnan. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.

People living today

796

~ 1 in 430,596 Americans

Peak year

2024

57 babies that year

Average age

14

years old

2024 SSA rank

#3,439

Tracked since 1985

Gender

Gender distribution for Afnan

Afnan is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 805 total registrations, 180 (22.4%) were male and 625 (77.6%) were female.

22% male
78% female
Male180 (22.4%)Female625 (77.6%)

Afnan as a male name

  • Ranked #6,825 in 2024
  • 12 male births in 2024
  • Peak: 2018 (18 births)

Afnan as a female name

  • Ranked #3,439 in 2024
  • 45 female births in 2024
  • Peak: 2024 (45 births)

Popularity

Afnan: popularity over time

The SSA tracks Afnan from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 303 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Afnan remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.

Babies born per year

MaleFemale
01429435719851990199520002005201020152020

Decades

Afnan by decade

The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Afnan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.

DecadeMaleFemaleTotal
1980s01212
1990s07979
2000s49141190
2010s80223303
2020s51170221

Geography

Where Afnans live

The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. Minnesota, New York, Ohio recorded the most babies named Afnan, while Ohio, New York, Minnesota recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 28 registrations each.

Origin

Meaning and history of Afnan

The name Afnan has its roots in the Arabic language and culture. It is derived from the Arabic word "afnan," which means "branches" or "twigs." The name is believed to have originated in the Middle East, particularly in the areas where Arabic is spoken, such as the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, and the Levant.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name Afnan can be found in classical Arabic literature, where it was used as a metaphor to describe the beauty and elegance of a person's character or appearance. The name was often associated with qualities such as growth, resilience, and the ability to thrive in challenging environments, much like the branches of a tree.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Afnan. One of the earliest recorded examples is Afnan al-Baghdadi, a renowned Islamic scholar and jurist who lived in Baghdad during the 11th century. He was known for his expertise in Islamic jurisprudence and his contributions to the field of Sharia law.

Another notable figure with the name Afnan was Afnan al-Dimashqi, a Syrian poet and writer who lived in the 17th century. He was celebrated for his mastery of the Arabic language and his poetic compositions, which explored themes of love, nature, and the human experience.

In the 19th century, Afnan al-Kabir was a prominent intellectual and reformer from Lebanon. He was a strong advocate for education and played a crucial role in establishing modern schools and universities in the region. His efforts paved the way for the advancement of knowledge and intellectual discourse in the Arab world.

In more recent times, Afnan Al-Qasem was a Palestinian poet and activist who lived from 1926 to 2005. She was known for her powerful poetry that reflected the struggles and aspirations of the Palestinian people, and her works have been widely celebrated and translated into multiple languages.

Another notable figure with the name Afnan was Afnan Ullah Khan, a Pakistani cricketer who played for the national team in the 1970s and 1980s. He was a talented all-rounder and played a significant role in Pakistan's cricketing achievements during that era.

These are just a few examples of the many individuals throughout history who have borne the name Afnan. The name continues to be used across various cultures and regions, carrying with it a rich heritage and symbolic meaning rooted in the Arabic language and tradition.

People

Afnan + last name combinations

How many people share a full name with Afnan as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.

Related

Other names starting with A

Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.

FAQ

Afnan: questions and answers

How many people in the U.S. are named Afnan?

Name Census puts the figure at roughly 796 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Afnan going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 430,596 US residents.

Is Afnan a common name?

We classify Afnan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 805 babies have been registered with this name.

When was Afnan most popular?

The single biggest year for Afnan was 2024, when 57 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Afnan is about 14 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.

Is Afnan a female name?

Yes, 77.6% of people registered as Afnan in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.

Where does this data come from?

First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.

N
Name Census
namecensus.com

There are 796 people

with the first name

Afnan

Look up any American name

Share this result