NameCensus.
Very Rare

Fahima

A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "having understanding" or "intelligent".

Name Census estimates that about 199 living Americans carry the first name Fahima. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Fahima today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Fahima births was 2014 (14 babies).

This page is the full Name Census profile for Fahima. 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

199

~ 1 in 1,722,384 Americans

Peak year

2014

14 babies that year

Average age

14

years old

2024 SSA rank

#11,390

Tracked since 1997

Popularity

Fahima: popularity over time

The SSA tracks Fahima from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 86 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Fahima remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.

Babies born per year

047111420002005201020152020

Decades

Fahima 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 Fahima during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.

DecadeMaleFemaleTotal
1990s01313
2000s07272
2010s08686
2020s03030

Geography

Where Fahimas live

Origin

Meaning and history of Fahima

The name Fahima is believed to have its origins in the Arabic language and culture. It is derived from the Arabic root word "fahm," which means "understanding" or "comprehension." This suggests that the name Fahima may have been given to individuals who were perceived as intelligent or insightful.

The earliest recorded use of the name Fahima can be traced back to the 7th century CE, during the early years of the Islamic era. It was a relatively common name among Arab communities, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa regions.

One of the earliest known historical figures to bear the name Fahima was Fahima bint Amr al-Ansariya, a companion of the Prophet Muhammad who lived in the 7th century CE. She was known for her wisdom and knowledge of Islamic teachings.

Another notable figure from history was Fahima al-Fahhamiyya, a 9th-century Arab poet and scholar from Baghdad. She was renowned for her literary works and her expertise in various fields, including poetry, grammar, and Islamic jurisprudence.

In the 11th century, Fahima al-Waziriyya was a prominent female scholar and poet from Baghdad. She was highly respected for her intellectual contributions and her mastery of Arabic literature and Islamic sciences.

During the 12th century, Fahima bint Ibrahim al-Ansari was a celebrated Sufi mystic and scholar from Egypt. She was known for her spiritual teachings and her significant contributions to the development of Sufism in the region.

In more recent history, Fahima Masri was a Palestinian writer and activist who lived from 1924 to 2008. She was a prominent figure in the Palestinian literary scene and was known for her advocacy for women's rights and social justice.

While the name Fahima has its roots in the Arabic language and culture, it has been adopted and used in various other cultures and regions over time, reflecting its enduring appeal and the diverse backgrounds of those who bear this name.

People

Fahima + last name combinations

How many people share a full name with Fahima 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

Fahima: questions and answers

How many people in the U.S. are named Fahima?

Name Census puts the figure at roughly 199 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Fahima 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 1,722,384 US residents.

Is Fahima a common name?

We classify Fahima as "Very Rare". It ranks above 74.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 201 babies have been registered with this name.

When was Fahima most popular?

The single biggest year for Fahima was 2014, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Fahima is about 14 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.

Is Fahima a female name?

Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Fahima 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.

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with the first name

Fahima

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