Farhana
A feminine name of Arabic origin referring to joy or happiness.
Name Census estimates that about 262 living Americans carry the first name Farhana. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Farhana today is around 27 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Farhana births was 1987 (12 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Farhana. 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
262
~ 1 in 1,308,223 Americans
Peak year
1987
12 babies that year
Average age
27
years old
2022 SSA rank
#8,700
Tracked since 1980
Popularity
Farhana: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Farhana 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 84 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
Farhana 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 Farhana during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Farhanas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Farhana
The name Farhana is believed to have its origins in the Persian language, derived from the word "farhaneh," which means "educated" or "knowledgeable." It is a feminine given name that gained popularity in various regions influenced by Persian culture, particularly in parts of the Middle East and South Asia.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Farhana can be traced back to medieval Islamic texts and historical records from the 9th to 12th centuries. During this period, the name was commonly used among the educated classes and intellectual circles, reflecting the value placed on knowledge and learning in Islamic societies.
One notable historical figure who bore the name Farhana was Farhana Bint Ali al-Khayyat, a renowned scholar and poet who lived in Baghdad during the 10th century. She was celebrated for her mastery of Arabic literature and her contributions to the intellectual life of the Abbasid Caliphate.
Another prominent figure was Farhana al-Qazwini, a 12th-century Persian scholar and poet from the city of Qazvin in present-day Iran. She was renowned for her expertise in various fields, including astronomy, mathematics, and literature.
In the Indian subcontinent, the name Farhana gained popularity among Muslim communities, particularly during the Mughal era (16th-18th centuries). One notable example is Farhana Begum, the daughter of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, who lived in the late 17th century and was known for her patronage of the arts and her philanthropic endeavors.
In more recent times, Farhana Qazi, born in 1945, was a pioneering Pakistani lawyer and human rights activist who became the first woman to serve as a judge on the High Court of Pakistan.
Farhana Faruque Urmi, born in 1982, is a Bangladeshi singer and songwriter who has achieved widespread popularity for her contributions to the contemporary music scene in her country.
Throughout its history, the name Farhana has carried connotations of wisdom, education, and intellectual pursuits, reflecting the cultural values and traditions of the regions where it has been most prevalent.
People
Farhana + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Farhana 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
Farhana: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Farhana?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 262 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Farhana 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 1,308,223 US residents.
Is Farhana a common name?
We classify Farhana as "Very Rare". It ranks above 77.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 270 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Farhana most popular?
The single biggest year for Farhana was 1987, when 12 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Farhana is about 27 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Farhana a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Farhana 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.