Faatimah
A feminine Arabic name meaning "the weaned one".
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the first name Faatimah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Faatimah today is around 25 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Faatimah births was 1991 (12 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Faatimah. 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
133
~ 1 in 2,577,100 Americans
Peak year
1991
12 babies that year
Average age
25
years old
2021 SSA rank
#16,016
Tracked since 1989
Popularity
Faatimah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Faatimah from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 53 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
Faatimah 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 Faatimah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Faatimahs live
Origin
Meaning and history of Faatimah
The given name Faatimah has its origins in the Arabic language and culture. It is derived from the Arabic root word "fatama," which means "to wean" or "to be weaned." The name was prevalent in the Arabian Peninsula during the 7th century CE.
Faatimah is a name deeply rooted in Islamic history and tradition. It is the name of one of the daughters of the Prophet Muhammad, who is revered as a significant figure in Islam. Faatimah bint Muhammad, also known as Fatimah al-Zahra, was born in Mecca around 615 CE and is considered one of the most influential women in Islamic history.
The name Faatimah holds great importance in the Quran, the holy book of Islam. It is mentioned in several verses, often in reference to the Prophet Muhammad's daughter. Additionally, the name appears in various hadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad) and other Islamic literature, highlighting its significance in the Islamic faith.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Faatimah can be found in the biographical accounts and historical records of the early Islamic era. Faatimah bint Muhammad, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad, is widely recognized as the first person to bear this name.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the name Faatimah. Among them are:
1. Fatimah bint al-Hasan (born c. 695 CE), a prominent Islamic scholar and descendant of the Prophet Muhammad.
2. Fatimah al-Fihri (born c. 800 CE), a Muslim woman credited with founding the world's oldest continuously operating university, Al-Qarawiyyin in Fez, Morocco.
3. Fatimah al-Batayhi (born c. 1188 CE), a Syrian poet and writer known for her contributions to Arabic literature.
4. Fatimah Begum (1592-1639 CE), a powerful Mughal empress and the chief wife of Emperor Jahangir in India.
5. Fatimah Mernissi (1940-2015 CE), a Moroccan feminist writer and sociologist who wrote extensively on women's rights and Islam.
The name Faatimah has held significant cultural and religious importance across various regions and eras, particularly in the Arab and Islamic world. Its rich history and connection to influential figures have made it a name revered and cherished by many.
People
Faatimah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Faatimah as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with F
Other first names starting with F with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Faatimah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Faatimah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 133 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Faatimah 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 2,577,100 US residents.
Is Faatimah a common name?
We classify Faatimah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 68.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 136 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Faatimah most popular?
The single biggest year for Faatimah was 1991, when 12 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Faatimah is about 25 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Faatimah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Faatimah 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.