Farrakhan
An Arabic name meaning "thankful, grateful one".
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Farrakhan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Farrakhan today is around 35 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Farrakhan births was 1984 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Farrakhan. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Farrakhan. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
1984
6 babies that year
Average age
35
years old
1996 SSA rank
#9,471
Tracked since 1984
Popularity
Farrakhan: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Farrakhan from the 1980s through to the 1990s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 6 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Farrakhan 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 Farrakhan 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 Farrakhan
The name Farrakhan is of Arabic origin, with roots in the language and culture of the Middle East. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 7th to 13th centuries CE.
The name Farrakhan is derived from the Arabic word "farrah," which means joy or happiness. The suffix "khan" is a title commonly used in various cultures and regions, including parts of Central and South Asia, indicating a person of nobility or high rank.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Farrakhan can be found in the historical accounts of the Abbasid Caliphate, a prominent Muslim empire that ruled over vast territories from the 8th to 13th centuries. During this period, the name was associated with influential scholars, poets, and military leaders.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Farrakhan. One such figure was Farrakhan Al-Qadiri, a revered Sufi mystic and scholar who lived in the 12th century. He was renowned for his spiritual teachings and writings, which influenced the development of Islamic mysticism.
Another prominent individual with this name was Farrakhan Ibn Khalid, a celebrated poet and calligrapher who lived during the 11th century in present-day Iran. His works were widely admired for their artistic beauty and literary depth.
In the realm of military leadership, Farrakhan Al-Suri was a renowned commander who served under the Ayyubid dynasty in the 12th century. He played a significant role in the defense of Muslim territories against the Crusaders during the Crusades.
Moving forward in time, Farrakhan Al-Misri was a respected Islamic scholar and jurist who lived in the 14th century in Egypt. His contributions to the study of Islamic jurisprudence and theology were highly regarded in his time.
Another notable figure was Farrakhan Ibn Battuta, a celebrated Moroccan explorer and traveler who lived during the 14th century. His extensive travels and detailed accounts of his journeys across Africa, Asia, and Europe provided invaluable insights into the diverse cultures and societies of the medieval world.
These are just a few examples of individuals who carried the name Farrakhan throughout history, each leaving a lasting impact in their respective fields and contributing to the rich cultural heritage associated with this name.
People
Farrakhan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Farrakhan 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
Farrakhan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Farrakhan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Farrakhan 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 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Farrakhan a common name?
We classify Farrakhan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Farrakhan most popular?
The single biggest year for Farrakhan was 1984, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Farrakhan is about 35 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 Farrakhan in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Farrakhan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Farrakhan in the SSA data are male. 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 Farrakhan still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Farrakhan 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 Farrakhan 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 Farrakhan?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.