Allateef
The All-Compassionate and Gentle, one of the attributes of God in Islam.
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Allateef. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Allateef today is around 45 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Allateef births was 1978 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Allateef. 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 Allateef. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1978
5 babies that year
Average age
45
years old
1978 SSA rank
#5,804
Tracked since 1978
Popularity
Allateef: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Allateef 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 Allateef during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Allateef
The name Allateef is of Arabic origin and has its roots in the Arabic language. It is derived from the word "Latif," which means "kind," "gentle," or "subtle." The prefix "Al" is the Arabic definite article, equivalent to "the" in English.
Allateef is one of the names or attributes of God in Islam, specifically referring to the divine quality of being kind, gentle, and subtle. It is mentioned in the Quran, the central religious text of Islam, and is often used as a name for Muslim children.
The earliest recorded use of the name Allateef can be traced back to the 7th century CE, during the time of the Prophet Muhammad and the early Islamic era. It was a name bestowed upon individuals who were believed to possess the qualities of kindness and gentleness.
Throughout history, the name Allateef has been borne by several notable individuals. One such person was Al-Latif al-Baghdadi (1162-1231 CE), a renowned Islamic philosopher and theologian from Baghdad. He was known for his contributions to the field of Islamic philosophy and his works on the reconciliation of reason and revelation.
Another prominent figure with the name Allateef was Allateef Hussain Faizee (1916-1987), a Pakistani writer, poet, and journalist. He was widely acclaimed for his literary works and his contributions to the Urdu language and literature.
In the 20th century, Allateef Bhanji (1922-2006) was a prominent Indian businessman and philanthropist. He was the founder of the Allateef Group, a diversified business conglomerate, and was known for his philanthropic efforts in the fields of education and healthcare.
Allateef Hosseini (born 1981) is a contemporary Afghan-American novelist and physician. He is best known for his critically acclaimed novels, including "The Kite Runner" and "A Thousand Splendid Suns," which explore the complexities of Afghan culture and society.
Another notable individual with the name Allateef is Allateef Al-Garoot (born 1975), a Bahraini footballer who played as a defender for the Bahraini national team and various clubs in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
The name Allateef continues to be widely used in the Arab and Muslim world, as well as among communities with strong cultural ties to the region. It carries a significant meaning and is often chosen for its association with kindness, gentleness, and subtlety.
People
Allateef + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Allateef 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
Allateef: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Allateef?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Allateef 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Allateef a common name?
We classify Allateef as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Allateef most popular?
The single biggest year for Allateef was 1978, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Allateef is about 45 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 Allateef in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Allateef a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Allateef 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.
Is Allateef still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Allateef 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 Allateef 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 common is the name Allateef?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.