Aftin
A feminine Persian name meaning "sun" or "sunlight".
Name Census estimates that about 58 living Americans carry the first name Aftin. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Aftin today is around 40 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Aftin births was 1982 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Aftin. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Aftin. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
58
~ 1 in 5,909,558 Americans
Peak year
1982
15 babies that year
Average age
40
years old
2010 SSA rank
#17,075
Tracked since 1981
Popularity
Aftin: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Aftin from the 1980s through to the 2010s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 56 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Aftin 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 Aftin during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Aftin
The given name Aftin has its origins in the ancient Persian language, tracing back to the 6th century BCE. It is derived from the old Persian word "aftab," which means "sun" or "sunlight." This name was particularly popular among the nobility and ruling classes of the Persian Empire, as the sun was revered as a powerful symbol of strength, vitality, and divine authority.
During the Achaemenid Empire, which ruled over a vast territory spanning from modern-day Iran to parts of Central Asia and the Middle East, the name Aftin was often bestowed upon princes and noblemen. One of the earliest recorded instances of this name can be found in the cuneiform inscriptions of Darius the Great, where one of his generals was referred to as "Aftin, son of Vistaspa."
As the Persian influence spread across the region, the name Aftin also found its way into the neighboring cultures and languages. In ancient Sanskrit texts, there are references to a wise sage named Aftin, who was renowned for his knowledge of astrology and the movement of celestial bodies.
During the Sassanid era, which lasted from the 3rd to the 7th century CE, the name Aftin continued to be favored among the Persian aristocracy. One notable figure bearing this name was Aftin, the daughter of King Khosrow II, who was celebrated for her beauty and intellect.
In the medieval period, the name Aftin appeared in various Persian literary works, including the epic poems of Ferdowsi and Nizami Ganjavi. One of the most famous bearers of this name was Aftin, a renowned 12th-century Persian poet and philosopher, whose works explored themes of love, mysticism, and the human condition.
Throughout history, the name Aftin has been carried by several notable individuals, including:
1. Aftin al-Khorasani (c. 950 CE - 1025 CE), a Persian mathematician and astronomer known for his contributions to the fields of algebra and trigonometry.
2. Aftin ibn Abi Bakr (1057 CE - 1121 CE), a renowned Persian physician and scholar who wrote extensively on medical topics and served as a court physician to several rulers.
3. Aftin Mirza (1501 CE - 1561 CE), a Persian prince and military commander who played a significant role in the wars between the Safavid and Ottoman empires.
4. Aftin Beg (1611 CE - 1671 CE), a Persian calligrapher and artist renowned for his mastery of the Nasta'liq script and his beautiful illuminated manuscripts.
5. Aftin Khan (1782 CE - 1848 CE), a Persian nobleman and diplomat who served as the ambassador of the Qajar dynasty to several European courts.
While the name Aftin has its roots in ancient Persian culture, it has also been adopted and adapted by various other cultures and languages over the centuries, reflecting the rich tapestry of cultural exchange and influence across different regions and civilizations.
People
Aftin + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Aftin 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
Aftin: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Aftin?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 58 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Aftin 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 5,909,558 US residents.
Is Aftin a common name?
We classify Aftin as "Very Rare". It ranks above 56.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 61 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Aftin most popular?
The single biggest year for Aftin was 1982, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Aftin is about 40 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Aftin in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Aftin a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Aftin 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.
Is Aftin still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Aftin in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Aftin can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Aftin?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.