Ayaat
A feminine Arabic name meaning "verses" or "signs from God".
Name Census estimates that about 277 living Americans carry the first name Ayaat. It is a predominantly female name (97.1% of registrations). The average person named Ayaat today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ayaat births was 2021 (31 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ayaat. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Ayaat with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
277
~ 1 in 1,237,380 Americans
Peak year
2021
31 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2021 SSA rank
#7,264
Tracked since 2002
Gender
Gender distribution for Ayaat
Ayaat leans heavily female at 97.1% of total registrations, but 8 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Ayaat as a male name
- Ranked #8,918 in 2021
- 8 male births in 2021
- Peak: 2021 (8 births)
Ayaat as a female name
- Ranked #7,264 in 2024
- 15 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2017 (24 births)
Popularity
Ayaat: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ayaat from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 151 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Ayaat remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ayaat 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 Ayaat during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Ayaats live
Origin
Meaning and history of Ayaat
Ayaat is an Arabic name derived from the word "ayat," which translates to "signs" or "verses" from the Quran, the holy book of Islam. The name finds its roots in the Middle Eastern region, particularly in countries with significant Arab populations.
The name Ayaat is believed to have emerged during the early Islamic era, when the Quran was first compiled and disseminated. It reflects the reverence and significance attributed to the verses of the Quran, which are considered divine revelations from God.
While there are no direct mentions of the name Ayaat in ancient texts or religious scriptures, its etymology is closely tied to the concept of "ayat" in the Quran. The plural form, "ayaat," refers to the signs or miracles that serve as evidence of God's existence and power.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Ayaat can be found in the historical records of the Abbasid Caliphate, which ruled over vast territories in the Middle East and North Africa from the 8th to the 13th century. During this period, the name was occasionally given to individuals, though it was not as widespread as it is today.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Ayaat. One such figure was Ayaat al-Kurdi (1908-1988), a renowned Syrian poet and writer who made significant contributions to modern Arabic literature. Her works explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Ayaat al-Ahmar (1959-2016), a Yemeni politician and activist who played a crucial role in the Yemeni Revolution of 2011. She was a vocal advocate for women's rights and democratic reforms in Yemen.
In the field of art, Ayaat Al-Qarmazi (born 1966) is a renowned Bahraini artist known for her intricate and colorful paintings that blend traditional Islamic motifs with contemporary styles.
Ayaat Hosseini (born 1982) is an Afghan-American author and filmmaker whose works have shed light on the experiences of women and refugees from war-torn regions. Her debut novel, "The Patience Stone," received critical acclaim and was adapted into a film.
Ayaat Akhtar (born 1970) is a Pakistani-American playwright, novelist, and screenwriter. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2013 for his play "Disgraced," which explores the complexities of identity, race, and religion in contemporary America.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the name Ayaat throughout history, reflecting its deep roots in the Arabic language and Islamic culture.
People
Ayaat + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ayaat 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
Ayaat: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ayaat?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 277 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ayaat 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 1,237,380 US residents.
Is Ayaat a common name?
We classify Ayaat as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 279 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ayaat most popular?
The single biggest year for Ayaat was 2021, when 31 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ayaat is about 9 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 Ayaat in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ayaat a female name?
Yes, 97.1% of people registered as Ayaat 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 Ayaat still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ayaat 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 Ayaat 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 people are called Ayaat?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.