Amirah
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "princess" or "female ruler".
Name Census estimates that about 10,130 living Americans carry the first name Amirah. It sits at #464 in the overall ranking, outside the top 50 but still well-represented. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Amirah today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Amirah births was 2024 (675 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Amirah. 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
- • Amirah is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 14 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
10K
~ 1 in 33,836 Americans
Peak year
2024
675 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2024 SSA rank
#464
Tracked since 1976
Popularity
Amirah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Amirah 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 3,976 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Amirah remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Amirah 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 Amirah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Amirahs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 38 states and territories. New York, California, Pennsylvania recorded the most babies named Amirah, while Rhode Island, New Mexico, Delaware recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 227 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Amirah
The name Amirah is of Arabic origin and is derived from the word "amir," which means "prince" or "commander." It is a feminine variation of the masculine name Amir, and its root can be traced back to ancient Semitic languages.
The name Amirah first gained popularity in the Middle East during the Islamic Golden Age, a time of significant cultural, scientific, and intellectual achievements in the region. It was often associated with nobility and leadership, as the title "amir" was given to rulers and military commanders.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Amirah can be found in classical Arabic literature, such as the poetry of the renowned 7th-century poet Al-Khansa. In her poems, she referred to her daughter as Amirah, which suggests that the name was in use during that era.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Amirah. One example is Amirah Bint Tuwayl, a 9th-century Arabian poet and scholar known for her contributions to literature and education. Another is Amirah al-Sayf, a 13th-century Syrian princess and patron of the arts, who played a significant role in the cultural life of Damascus.
In the 19th century, Amirah Isma'il Pasha was an Egyptian princess and philanthropist who established several schools and hospitals in Cairo. She was influential in promoting education and healthcare initiatives during her lifetime.
Amirah Mahmoud was a 20th-century Egyptian writer and activist who advocated for women's rights and social reform. Her works, including novels and essays, explored themes of gender equality and societal change.
Another notable figure is Amirah Safiya, an Iraqi novelist and academic who has written extensively on issues related to women's empowerment and cultural identity in the Middle East.
The name Amirah continues to be popular in Arabic-speaking countries and among Muslim communities around the world, often chosen for its connotations of strength, leadership, and nobility.
People
Amirah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Amirah 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
Amirah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Amirah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10,130 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Amirah 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 33,836 US residents.
Is Amirah a common name?
We classify Amirah as "Uncommon". It ranks above 97.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10,253 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Amirah most popular?
The single biggest year for Amirah was 2024, when 675 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Amirah is about 14 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Amirah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Amirah 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.