Ashaad
A masculine name of Arabic origin meaning "lion" or "wild beast".
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the first name Ashaad. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Ashaad today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ashaad births was 2019 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ashaad. 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
124
~ 1 in 2,764,148 Americans
Peak year
2019
15 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2024 SSA rank
#9,022
Tracked since 1999
Popularity
Ashaad: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ashaad from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 70 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Ashaad remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ashaad 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 Ashaad 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 Ashaad
The name Ashaad is believed to have originated from the Arabic language, rooted in the cultural and linguistic traditions of the Middle East. Its origins can be traced back to the 7th century CE, during the early Islamic era.
The name Ashaad is derived from the Arabic word "shuhada," which translates to "martyrs" or "witnesses." This linguistic connection suggests a possible religious connotation, as the concept of martyrdom holds significant importance in Islamic teachings.
In Islamic history, the name Ashaad is mentioned in several hadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad) and early Islamic texts. It is recorded that there were companions of the Prophet Muhammad who bore this name, indicating its use during the early days of Islam.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Ashaad was Ashaad bin Yazid al-Jalami, a companion of the Prophet Muhammad who lived in the 7th century CE. He is known for his participation in various battles and his devotion to the Islamic faith.
Another notable figure in Islamic history with the name Ashaad was Ashaad bin Abi Bakr, a scholar and jurist who lived in the 8th century CE. He was renowned for his expertise in Islamic jurisprudence and his contributions to the development of Islamic legal principles.
In the 10th century CE, Ashaad al-Dinawari was a renowned Persian historian and scholar. His works, such as the "Kitab al-Akhbar al-Tiwal" (The Book of Long Narratives), have been influential in preserving the historical accounts of the early Islamic period.
During the 12th century CE, Ashaad al-Maqdisi was a prominent Muslim scholar and philosopher from Jerusalem. He made significant contributions to the fields of theology, logic, and metaphysics, and his works were widely studied in the Islamic world.
In the 14th century CE, Ashaad al-Hafiz was a celebrated Sufi mystic and poet from present-day Iran. His poetic works, imbued with spiritual themes and mystical imagery, have left a lasting impact on Persian literature and Sufi traditions.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Ashaad. While its usage may have evolved over time, the name maintains a rich heritage rooted in the cultural and religious traditions of the Middle East, particularly within the Islamic faith.
People
Ashaad + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ashaad 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
Ashaad: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ashaad?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 124 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ashaad 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 2,764,148 US residents.
Is Ashaad a common name?
We classify Ashaad as "Very Rare". It ranks above 67.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 125 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ashaad most popular?
The single biggest year for Ashaad was 2019, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ashaad is about 12 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 Ashaad in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ashaad a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ashaad 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 Ashaad still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ashaad 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 Ashaad 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 Ashaad?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.