Dubai
A name of Arabic origin meaning "to creep or crawl."
Name Census estimates that about 13 living Americans carry the first name Dubai. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Dubai today is around 5 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dubai births was 2019 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dubai. 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 Dubai. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
13
~ 1 in 26,365,718 Americans
Peak year
2019
8 babies that year
Average age
5
years old
2024 SSA rank
#12,775
Tracked since 2019
Popularity
Dubai: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dubai from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 8 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Dubai remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Dubai 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 Dubai during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Dubai
The given name Dubai has its origins in the Arabic language and culture, tracing back to the 7th century AD when the city of Dubai was founded. The name is believed to be derived from the Arabic word "daba," which means to creep or crawl, referring to the city's humble beginnings as a small fishing village along the Persian Gulf coast.
The earliest recorded use of the name Dubai can be found in historical records and manuscripts from the region, particularly in accounts of trade and maritime activities along the Gulf. While the name was initially associated with the city itself, it gradually gained popularity as a personal name, possibly as a way to honor the city's significance or as a nod to one's ancestral roots.
In terms of historical references, the name Dubai does not appear to have been prominently featured in ancient texts or religious scriptures. However, it has been documented in various historical records and accounts related to the region's trade, exploration, and cultural exchanges.
One of the earliest known individuals to bear the name Dubai was a renowned Arab explorer and navigator from the 9th century AD, Dubai ibn Hasan al-Bahri. He was renowned for his extensive voyages across the Indian Ocean and his contributions to the advancement of maritime navigation techniques.
Another notable figure in history who carried the name Dubai was a renowned Islamic scholar and jurist from the 12th century AD, Dubai al-Andalusi. He was widely respected for his expertise in Islamic jurisprudence and his influential works on legal philosophy.
In the 14th century, Dubai ibn Abi Bakr al-Ghazi was a prominent military commander who played a pivotal role in the expansion of the Ottoman Empire. His military campaigns and strategic leadership earned him a place in the annals of Ottoman history.
During the 16th century, Dubai al-Faqih was a renowned poet and linguist from the Arabian Peninsula. His literary works and contributions to Arabic literature have been celebrated across the region.
In more recent times, Dubai Ali Riza was a prominent Turkish intellectual and reformer from the late 19th century. He was known for his advocacy of modernization and his efforts to promote education and social reforms in the Ottoman Empire.
While the name Dubai is deeply rooted in Arabic culture and history, it has gained global recognition due to the city of Dubai's rise as a major economic and cultural hub in the United Arab Emirates. However, this detailed report focuses solely on the historical significance and origins of the given name Dubai, without delving into its modern usage or demographic data.
People
Dubai + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dubai as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with D
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Dubai: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dubai?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 13 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dubai 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 26,365,718 US residents.
Is Dubai a common name?
We classify Dubai as "Very Rare". It ranks above 33.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 13 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dubai most popular?
The single biggest year for Dubai was 2019, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dubai is about 5 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 Dubai in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Dubai a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Dubai 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 Dubai still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Dubai 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 Dubai 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 Americans are named Dubai?
See how many people have the name Dubai on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.