Borhan
A masculine name of Arabic origin meaning "proof" or "evidence".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Borhan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Borhan today is around 3 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Borhan births was 2023 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Borhan. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Borhan. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2023
5 babies that year
Average age
3
years old
2023 SSA rank
#12,494
Tracked since 2023
Popularity
Borhan: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Borhan 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 Borhan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Borhan
The name Borhan has its origins in the Persian language, where it is derived from the word "borhan," which means "proof" or "evidence." This name has been in use since ancient times in the Persian-speaking regions of modern-day Iran, Afghanistan, and parts of Central Asia.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Borhan can be found in the works of renowned Persian poets and scholars, such as Ferdowsi's epic poem "Shahnameh" (Book of Kings), written around 1010 AD. In this literary masterpiece, Borhan is mentioned as the name of a wise and knowledgeable character.
The name Borhan also appears in Islamic texts and religious scriptures. In the 12th century, a notable Persian scholar and theologian, Borhan al-Din al-Baydawi, authored a famous commentary on the Quran, known as "Anwar al-Tanzil wa Asrar al-Ta'wil" (The Lights of Revelation and the Secrets of Interpretation).
Throughout history, several prominent figures have borne the name Borhan. One of the earliest was Borhan al-Din al-Sarakhsi (c. 1109-1197), a renowned Islamic jurist and scholar from the city of Sarakhs (now in modern-day Turkmenistan). He is best known for his influential work on Hanafi jurisprudence, "Al-Mabsut."
Another notable figure with the name Borhan was Borhan al-Din al-Zarnuji (c. 1190-1262), a Persian scholar and educator from the city of Zarnuj (now in modern-day Uzbekistan). His treatise on the etiquette of seeking knowledge, "Ta'lim al-Muta'allim" (Instruction of the Student), remains a widely studied text in the Islamic world.
In the 15th century, Borhan al-Din Mahmud al-Khwarazmi (c. 1420-1490) was a renowned Persian mathematician and astronomer from Khwarazm (now in modern-day Uzbekistan). He made significant contributions to the field of astronomy and authored several works, including "Zij-i Sultani" (The Sultan's Astronomical Tables).
The name Borhan also found its way into the realm of literature and poetry. One of the most famous bearers of this name was Borhan al-Din al-Jami (1414-1492), a celebrated Persian poet, scholar, and Sufi mystic from Jam (now in modern-day Afghanistan). His poetic works, such as "Haft Awrang" (Seven Thrones) and "Baharistan" (The Abode of Spring), are considered masterpieces of Persian literature.
In the 19th century, Borhan al-Din al-Halabi (1811-1894) was a prominent Syrian scholar and historian from Aleppo (now in modern-day Syria). He is best known for his comprehensive biographical dictionary, "Kashf al-Zunun 'an Asami al-Kutub wa al-Funun" (Unveiling of the Thoughts on the Names of Books and Sciences), which is considered a significant reference work on Islamic literature and sciences.
People
Borhan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Borhan 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
Borhan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Borhan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Borhan 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Borhan a common name?
We classify Borhan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Borhan most popular?
The single biggest year for Borhan was 2023, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Borhan is about 3 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 Borhan in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Borhan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Borhan 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 Borhan still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Borhan 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 Borhan 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 have the name Borhan?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.