Fajr
An Arabic name meaning "dawn" or "daybreak".
Name Census estimates that about 274 living Americans carry the first name Fajr. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Fajr today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Fajr births was 2016 (27 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Fajr. 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
274
~ 1 in 1,250,928 Americans
Peak year
2016
27 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2024 SSA rank
#11,391
Tracked since 1972
Popularity
Fajr: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Fajr from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 127 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Fajr remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Fajr 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 Fajr during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Fajrs live
Origin
Meaning and history of Fajr
The name Fajr has its origins in Arabic, where it means "dawn" or "daybreak." This name traces its roots back to the early days of Islam, as it is mentioned in the Quran, the central religious text of the Islamic faith.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Fajr can be found in the works of renowned Islamic scholars and poets from the 8th and 9th centuries CE. These scholars often used the name metaphorically to symbolize the start of a new era or the arrival of enlightenment.
In the historical context, Fajr al-Adab, meaning "the dawn of literature," was a term used to describe the flourishing of Arabic literature during the Abbasid Caliphate in the 8th and 9th centuries CE. This period saw the rise of many celebrated poets and writers whose works have left an indelible mark on Arabic culture.
The name Fajr has been borne by several notable figures throughout history. One such individual was Fajr al-Dīn Rāzī, a renowned Persian philosopher, and physician who lived in the 12th and 13th centuries CE (1149-1209 CE). His contributions to the fields of medicine and philosophy were significant, and he is considered one of the most influential thinkers of his time.
Another notable bearer of the name was Fajr al-Dīn al-Rāzī, a 13th-century Islamic scholar and theologian from Iran (1209-1278 CE). He was known for his extensive writings on Islamic theology and philosophy, and his works had a profound impact on the intellectual discourse of his era.
In the realm of literature, Fajr Shakir (1935-2022) was an acclaimed Iraqi poet and translator. Her poetic works and translations of literary masterpieces from English to Arabic earned her widespread recognition and numerous accolades, including the prestigious Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation in 2008.
Fajr al-Islam Munji, an Egyptian novelist and short story writer, was another prominent figure born in 1944. Her literary works often explored themes of social justice, women's rights, and the complexities of modern Egyptian society.
Lastly, Fajr Fulus, a Saudi Arabian singer and composer born in 1980, has gained recognition for her contributions to contemporary Arabic music. Her unique blend of traditional and modern styles has garnered her a dedicated following across the Arab world.
People
Fajr + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Fajr 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
Fajr: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Fajr?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 274 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Fajr 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 1,250,928 US residents.
Is Fajr a common name?
We classify Fajr as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 277 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Fajr most popular?
The single biggest year for Fajr was 2016, when 27 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Fajr is about 14 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Fajr a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Fajr 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.