Alim
An Arabic name meaning "knowledgeable" or "learned".
Name Census estimates that about 798 living Americans carry the first name Alim. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Alim today is around 20 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Alim births was 2024 (40 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Alim. 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
798
~ 1 in 429,517 Americans
Peak year
2024
40 babies that year
Average age
20
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,038
Tracked since 1970
Popularity
Alim: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Alim from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 243 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Alim remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Alim 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 Alim during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Alims live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania recorded the most babies named Alim, while Virginia, New Jersey, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 15 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Alim
The name Alim is derived from the Arabic word 'alim', which means 'learned' or 'knowledgeable'. It has its origins in the Arabic language and culture, and can be traced back to the 7th century CE, during the time of the Islamic Golden Age.
The name Alim is found in various Islamic texts and historical records. It is mentioned in the Quran, the holy book of Islam, which refers to individuals who possess knowledge and wisdom as 'ulama' (plural of 'alim'). The name has been associated with scholars, philosophers, and religious leaders throughout Islamic history.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Alim can be found in the works of renowned Muslim scholars such as Imam Al-Ghazali (1058-1111 CE), a renowned philosopher, theologian, and jurist. Another notable figure bearing the name Alim was Alim Khan (1668-1719), a ruler of the Mughal Empire in India.
In the 13th century, Alim al-Din Juvaini (1226-1283) was a Persian historian and governor who served under the Mongol Empire. His seminal work, 'Tarikh-e Jahan-Gusha' (The History of the World Conqueror), provides valuable insights into the Mongol conquests and the political landscape of that era.
During the Ottoman Empire, Alim Mustafa Pasha (1514-1586) was a grand vizier and accomplished military commander who played a significant role in the Ottoman expansion into Europe.
In more recent times, Alim Qasimov (1957-present) is a renowned Azerbaijani mugham singer and composer, widely regarded as a living legend in the preservation and promotion of traditional Azerbaijani music.
These are just a few examples of historical figures who have borne the name Alim, a name that has been associated with knowledge, wisdom, and scholarly pursuits throughout the centuries across various cultures and regions influenced by the Arabic language and Islamic traditions.
People
Alim + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Alim 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
Alim: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Alim?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 798 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Alim 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 429,517 US residents.
Is Alim a common name?
We classify Alim 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, 813 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Alim most popular?
The single biggest year for Alim was 2024, when 40 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Alim is about 20 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Alim a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Alim in the SSA data are male. 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.