Bushra
Good tidings, a feminine name of Arabic origin.
Name Census estimates that about 973 living Americans carry the first name Bushra. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Bushra today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Bushra births was 2014 (49 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Bushra. 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
973
~ 1 in 352,266 Americans
Peak year
2014
49 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,042
Tracked since 1983
Popularity
Bushra: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Bushra 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 346 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Bushra remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Bushra 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 Bushra during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Bushras live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. Minnesota, New York, California recorded the most babies named Bushra, while New Jersey, Ohio, Texas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 43 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Bushra
The name Bushra has its origins in the Arabic language. It is derived from the root word "bashar," which means "to announce good news" or "to give glad tidings." The name is believed to have been in use since the early days of Islam, around the 7th century AD.
The name Bushra is mentioned in the Quran, the holy book of Islam. In Chapter 10, Verse 64, it states: "For them are glad tidings (bushra) in the life of the present world." This verse refers to the rewards and blessings that believers will receive in this life and the hereafter.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Bushra is found in the hadiths, the record of the teachings and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad. The wife of one of the Prophet's companions, Abu Musa al-Ash'ari, was named Bushra.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Bushra. One of the most famous was Bushra bint Safwan (born around 610 AD), a companion of the Prophet Muhammad and one of the first women to embrace Islam.
Another noteworthy figure was Bushra al-Mustadiya (died in 1262 AD), a Sufi mystic and poet from Damascus, Syria. She is known for her spiritual writings and her influence on the Sufi movement in the region.
In the 19th century, Bushra Khayyat (1826-1890) was a renowned Syrian calligrapher and artist. She is celebrated for her mastery of the Arabic script and her contributions to the preservation of Islamic artistic traditions.
More recently, Bushra Ansari (born in 1956) is a renowned Pakistani comedian, actress, and playwright. She is widely recognized for her work in both television and theater, and has received numerous awards for her contributions to the entertainment industry.
Bushra al-Hallaq (born in 1969) is a Syrian writer and activist. She is known for her advocacy for women's rights and her efforts to promote peace and democracy in her home country.
The name Bushra has been popular among Muslims worldwide, particularly in the Middle East and South Asia. It is a name that carries a positive and uplifting meaning, representing the joy and good news that is associated with the Islamic faith.
People
Bushra + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Bushra 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
Bushra: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Bushra?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 973 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Bushra 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 352,266 US residents.
Is Bushra a common name?
We classify Bushra as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 989 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Bushra most popular?
The single biggest year for Bushra was 2014, when 49 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Bushra is about 17 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Bushra a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Bushra 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.