NameCensus.
Very Rare

Bahja

A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "joy" or "happiness".

Name Census estimates that about 161 living Americans carry the first name Bahja. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Bahja today is around 19 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Bahja births was 2017 (13 babies).

This page is the full Name Census profile for Bahja. 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

161

~ 1 in 2,128,909 Americans

Peak year

2017

13 babies that year

Average age

19

years old

2023 SSA rank

#15,541

Tracked since 1989

Popularity

Bahja: popularity over time

The SSA tracks Bahja from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 47 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Bahja remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.

Babies born per year

03710131990199520002005201020152020

Decades

Bahja 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 Bahja during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.

DecadeMaleFemaleTotal
1980s099
1990s03838
2000s04545
2010s04747
2020s02525

Geography

Where Bahjas live

Origin

Meaning and history of Bahja

The name Bahja originated from the Arabic language, with its roots tracing back to the Middle East and the Arabian Peninsula. It derives from the Arabic word "bahja," which means "delight" or "joy." This name has been in use for centuries, reflecting the cultural and linguistic heritage of the region.

Bahja first appeared in historical records and ancient Arabic texts as early as the 7th century AD. During the Islamic Golden Age, which spanned from the 8th to the 13th centuries, the name gained popularity among scholars, poets, and intellectuals who appreciated its beautiful meaning and association with happiness.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Bahja was Bahja ibn Asad, a renowned Arab poet who lived in the 8th century. His works, which celebrated the beauty of nature and the human experience, have been preserved and studied by scholars throughout the ages.

Another notable figure in history was Bahja al-Mulk, a powerful and influential woman who served as the regent of the Seljuk Empire in the 11th century. Her leadership and political acumen were instrumental in maintaining stability during a period of transition, and she is remembered as a skilled diplomat and patron of the arts.

In the 12th century, Bahja al-Din ibn Shaddad, an Arab historian and biographer, chronicled the life and conquests of Saladin, the celebrated Kurdish sultan who led the Muslim forces against the Crusaders. His detailed accounts provide invaluable insights into the events and personalities of that era.

During the 13th century, Bahja al-Mawsili, a renowned musician and composer from Baghdad, made significant contributions to the development of Arabic music. His innovative compositions and mastery of various instruments earned him widespread acclaim and influenced generations of musicians to come.

Bahja has also been a name carried by individuals who have made their mark in more recent times. One such person was Bahja Abdelfattah, an Egyptian feminist and activist who fought tirelessly for women's rights and equality in the early 20th century. Her advocacy and dedication to social justice inspired countless others to join the struggle for gender equality.

Throughout its long history, the name Bahja has been imbued with a sense of joy, delight, and cultural richness. From poets and historians to rulers and activists, individuals bearing this name have left an indelible mark on their respective fields and societies, embodying the spirit of happiness and celebration that the name represents.

People

Bahja + last name combinations

How many people share a full name with Bahja as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.

Related

Other names starting with B

Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.

FAQ

Bahja: questions and answers

How many people in the U.S. are named Bahja?

Name Census puts the figure at roughly 161 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Bahja 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 2,128,909 US residents.

Is Bahja a common name?

We classify Bahja as "Very Rare". It ranks above 71.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 164 babies have been registered with this name.

When was Bahja most popular?

The single biggest year for Bahja was 2017, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Bahja is about 19 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.

Is Bahja a female name?

Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Bahja 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.

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with the first name

Bahja

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