Bige
A Turkish feminine name meaning "noble lady".
Name Census estimates that about 14 living Americans carry the first name Bige. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Bige today is around 81 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Bige births was 1929 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Bige. 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
- • The typical person named Bige is about 81 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Biges were born before 1955.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Bige. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
14
~ 1 in 24,482,453 Americans
Peak year
1929
7 babies that year
Average age
81
years old
1956 SSA rank
#3,999
Tracked since 1917
Popularity
Bige: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Bige from the 1910s through to the 1950s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 22 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1920s peak, Bige remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Bige 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 Bige during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Biges live
Origin
Meaning and history of Bige
The given name Bige has its origins in the Turkish language and culture. It is derived from the Turkish word "bey," which means "chief" or "lord." The name likely emerged during the Ottoman Empire period in the 13th to 20th centuries, when Turkish culture and language were prominent in the region.
Bige is believed to have been a title or honorific used to address respected individuals or those of high social standing. Over time, it transitioned into a personal name, carrying the connotation of leadership and authority.
In ancient Turkish literature and historical records, the name Bige is occasionally mentioned in reference to prominent figures or characters. However, specific instances are difficult to pinpoint due to the scarcity of surviving records from that era.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Bige can be found in the 16th century. Bige Mehmed Pasha was an Ottoman statesman and military commander who served as the Grand Vizier under Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent from 1543 to 1545.
Another notable figure bearing the name Bige was Bige Bey, a 17th-century Turkish poet and scholar from the Ottoman era. He was renowned for his contributions to literature and his mastery of the Turkish language.
In the 19th century, Bige Haseki Sultan was a consort of Sultan Abdülmecid I of the Ottoman Empire. She held a prominent position in the imperial harem and was known for her influence and beauty.
Bige Önal, born in 1920, was a Turkish actress and singer who achieved fame in the mid-20th century. She appeared in numerous films and stage productions, captivating audiences with her talent and charisma.
Bige Turan, born in 1931, is a renowned Turkish writer and journalist. She has authored numerous books and articles, making significant contributions to Turkish literature and cultural discourse.
It is important to note that while the name Bige has historical roots and has been used by notable figures throughout history, its popularity and usage have varied over time and across different regions influenced by Turkish culture.
People
Bige + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Bige 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
Bige: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Bige?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 14 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Bige 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 24,482,453 US residents.
Is Bige a common name?
We classify Bige as "Very Rare". It ranks above 34% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 57 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Bige most popular?
The single biggest year for Bige was 1929, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Bige is about 81 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Bige a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Bige 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.
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.