Fathima
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "the bright one" or "the shining one".
Name Census estimates that about 237 living Americans carry the first name Fathima. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Fathima today is around 18 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Fathima births was 2006 (17 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Fathima. 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
237
~ 1 in 1,446,221 Americans
Peak year
2006
17 babies that year
Average age
18
years old
2023 SSA rank
#13,984
Tracked since 1989
Popularity
Fathima: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Fathima from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 107 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Fathima 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 Fathima during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Fathimas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Fathima
The name Fathima has its origins in the Arabic language and is believed to have emerged during the 7th century. It is derived from the root word "fatama," which means "to wean" or "to separate." This name is closely associated with the Islamic faith and is revered as the name of one of the most significant figures in Islamic history.
The name Fathima is primarily connected to Fatima al-Zahra, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad and his first wife, Khadijah. She is regarded as one of the four perfect women in Islam and is highly respected by Muslims worldwide. Fatima al-Zahra was born in Mecca around 615 CE and passed away in Medina in 632 CE.
Historically, the name Fathima has been mentioned in various Islamic texts and traditions, including the Quran and the hadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad). These texts highlight the virtues and exemplary character of Fatima al-Zahra, making her a role model for Muslim women throughout the ages.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Fathima can be found in the writings of Islamic scholars and historians from the 7th and 8th centuries, who documented the life and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad and his family.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Fathima. One such individual was Fathima Bint Mubarak Al-Lawatiya (c. 1192 - 1288 CE), a renowned Sufi scholar and poet from present-day Tunisia. Another notable Fathima was Fathima al-Fihri (c. 800 - 880 CE), who founded the University of Al-Qarawiyyin in Fez, Morocco, which is considered the oldest continuously operating university in the world.
In the Indian subcontinent, the name Fathima gained popularity after the arrival of Islam. One of the most famous historical figures with this name was Fathima Begum (1541 - 1604), who was the daughter of the Mughal Emperor Humayun and the wife of Prince Hussain Mirza.
Another notable figure was Fathima Shirin (1631 - 1668), a Persian princess and the chief consort of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. Her tomb, known as the Shahi Begum Mosque, is a renowned architectural marvel located in Aurangabad, India.
The name Fathima has also been carried by various other historical personalities, including scholars, poets, and rulers, across different regions and time periods, reflecting its widespread acceptance and significance within the Islamic tradition.
People
Fathima + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Fathima 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
Fathima: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Fathima?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 237 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Fathima 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 1,446,221 US residents.
Is Fathima a common name?
We classify Fathima as "Very Rare". It ranks above 76.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 240 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Fathima most popular?
The single biggest year for Fathima was 2006, when 17 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Fathima is about 18 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Fathima a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Fathima 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.