Bijan
An Iranian masculine name of Persian origin meaning "a champion".
Name Census estimates that about 991 living Americans carry the first name Bijan. It is a predominantly male name (97.2% of registrations). The average person named Bijan today is around 31 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Bijan births was 1991 (71 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Bijan. 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
991
~ 1 in 345,867 Americans
Peak year
1991
71 babies that year
Average age
31
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,808
Tracked since 1968
Gender
Gender distribution for Bijan
Bijan leans heavily male at 97.2% of total registrations, but 29 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Bijan as a male name
- Ranked #7,808 in 2024
- 10 male births in 2024
- Peak: 1991 (65 births)
Bijan as a female name
- Ranked #13,794 in 1996
- 5 female births in 1996
- Peak: 1990 (8 births)
Popularity
Bijan: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Bijan from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 482 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Bijan 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 Bijan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Bijans live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. California, New York, Florida recorded the most babies named Bijan, while Texas, Florida, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 92 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Bijan
The name Bijan has its origins in the Persian language and culture. It is derived from the ancient Iranian word "Vījan," which means "free from sorrow" or "one who is without sorrow." The name can be traced back to the 11th century, when it was mentioned in the epic Persian poem, Shahnameh, written by the renowned poet Ferdowsi.
Bijan was the name of a legendary hero in the Shahnameh, known for his bravery and valor. He was the son of Girav, a renowned warrior, and played a pivotal role in the story's events. The tale of Bijan and his love for the beautiful Princess Manizhe is considered one of the most romantic narratives in Persian literature.
Throughout history, the name Bijan has been associated with various notable figures. One of the earliest recorded instances was Bijan Ghazi, a Persian military commander who lived in the 11th century. He was known for his military campaigns against the Byzantine Empire and his contribution to the expansion of the Seljuk Empire.
In the 13th century, Bijan Nasavi was a renowned Persian poet and mystic. He was a contemporary of the famous poet Rumi and is celebrated for his spiritual poetry and devotional works.
During the 16th century, Bijan Khatun was a prominent female poet and calligrapher from the Safavid Empire. Her works were highly regarded, and she is considered one of the most influential women in Persian literary history.
In more recent times, Bijan Mofid (1933-2014) was an Iranian poet, writer, and literary critic. He was renowned for his contributions to contemporary Persian literature and his promotion of modern literary movements.
Another notable figure was Bijan Samimi (1941-2020), an Iranian actor and filmmaker who had a prolific career spanning over five decades. He was widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the Iranian cinema industry.
These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Bijan, reflecting its rich cultural heritage and significance within the Persian tradition.
People
Bijan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Bijan 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
Bijan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Bijan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 991 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Bijan 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 345,867 US residents.
Is Bijan a common name?
We classify Bijan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 90.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,019 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Bijan most popular?
The single biggest year for Bijan was 1991, when 71 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Bijan is about 31 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Bijan a male name?
Yes, 97.2% of people registered as Bijan 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.