Fariah
An Arabic feminine name meaning "beautiful, delightful".
Name Census estimates that about 17 living Americans carry the first name Fariah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Fariah today is around 20 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Fariah births was 2001 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Fariah. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Fariah with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Fariah. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
17
~ 1 in 20,162,020 Americans
Peak year
2001
6 babies that year
Average age
20
years old
2016 SSA rank
#17,103
Tracked since 2001
Popularity
Fariah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Fariah from the 2000s through to the 2010s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 12 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Fariah remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Fariah 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 Fariah 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 Fariah
The name Fariah is believed to have its origins in the Persian language, where it is derived from the word "farr," which means "glory" or "radiance." This name has been used in various cultures and regions throughout history, particularly in the Middle East and Central Asia.
In ancient Persian mythology, "farr" was a divine glory or aura that was bestowed upon kings and heroes. It was a symbol of divine favor and was believed to grant them power, strength, and legitimacy to rule. As such, the name Fariah may have been used to honor individuals who were considered to possess this divine radiance or were seen as embodiments of glory.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Fariah can be traced back to the Islamic Golden Age, which spanned from the 8th to the 13th century. During this time, the name was commonly used among Persian and Arabic-speaking communities, and it may have held religious or spiritual significance within these cultures.
One notable historical figure who bore the name Fariah was Fariah Al-Qurashi, a renowned Islamic scholar and poet who lived in the 9th century. She was widely celebrated for her knowledge of the Quran and her contributions to Arabic literature. Another early figure was Fariah Al-Khatun, a Persian princess and poet who lived in the 12th century and was known for her beautiful verses and patronage of the arts.
In the 13th century, Fariah Al-Samarra'i was a prominent Islamic jurist and theologian from modern-day Iraq. He was highly respected for his expertise in Islamic law and his teachings on various aspects of Islamic jurisprudence.
During the Mughal Empire in India, which ruled from the 16th to the 19th century, the name Fariah was also used among the nobility and upper classes. One notable figure from this era was Fariah Begum, a Mughal princess and the daughter of Emperor Akbar, who lived in the late 16th century.
In more recent history, Fariah Al-Jaziri was a Syrian writer and activist who lived in the early 20th century. She was known for her advocacy of women's rights and her efforts to promote education and social reform in the Middle East.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Fariah, but there are undoubtedly many more whose stories and legacies have been lost to time. Regardless, the name Fariah remains a beautiful and significant name with a rich cultural heritage and a connection to concepts of divine glory and radiance.
People
Fariah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Fariah 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
Fariah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Fariah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 17 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Fariah 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 20,162,020 US residents.
Is Fariah a common name?
We classify Fariah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 37.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 17 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Fariah most popular?
The single biggest year for Fariah was 2001, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Fariah is about 20 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 Fariah in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Fariah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Fariah 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.
Is Fariah still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Fariah 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 Fariah 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 people share the name Fariah?
Find out how many Americans are named Fariah on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.