Fatiha
An Arabic name meaning "the opening" or "the beginning".
Name Census estimates that about 276 living Americans carry the first name Fatiha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Fatiha today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Fatiha births was 2022 (37 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Fatiha. 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
276
~ 1 in 1,241,864 Americans
Peak year
2022
37 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,680
Tracked since 1983
Popularity
Fatiha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Fatiha from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 147 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
Fatiha 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 Fatiha during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Fatihas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Fatiha
The name Fatiha has its origins in the Arabic language and Islamic culture. It is derived from the Arabic word "fatihah," which means "the opener" or "the beginning." This name holds significant religious and cultural importance in the Islamic tradition.
Fatiha is the name of the first chapter or sura of the Quran, the holy book of Islam. The Surat Al-Fatiha, also known as the "Opening," is a fundamental part of Muslim daily prayers and is recited multiple times during each prayer session. This sura is considered a quintessential summary of the entire Quran and holds a revered place in Islamic teachings.
The earliest recorded use of the name Fatiha dates back to the 7th century CE, during the time of the Prophet Muhammad and the formation of the Islamic faith. Historical records indicate that some of the companions of the Prophet, both men and women, were given names related to the Surat Al-Fatiha, reflecting the significance of this chapter in the lives of early Muslims.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Fatiha. One such person was Fatiha al-Fihriya (born around 800 CE), a wealthy woman from Qayrawan, modern-day Tunisia, who founded the renowned Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque and University in Fez, Morocco, in 859 CE. This institution is considered one of the oldest continuously operating universities in the world.
Another prominent figure was Fatiha al-Nafzawiyyah (born around 1180 CE), a renowned Sufi mystic and poet from Tunisia. Her poetry and spiritual writings were widely celebrated and influential during her time.
In the 14th century, Fatiha bint al-Abbas (born around 1330 CE) was a prominent Islamic scholar and jurist from Damascus, Syria. She was known for her expertise in Islamic jurisprudence and her contributions to the field of Sharia law.
In more recent history, Fatiha El-Ghorri (1935-2019) was a Moroccan writer and journalist who played a significant role in promoting women's rights and literary movements in her country.
Fatiha Boudchar (born 1959) is a contemporary Algerian novelist and filmmaker known for her works exploring themes of identity, gender, and societal issues in the Arab world.
The name Fatiha continues to be popular in various parts of the Muslim world, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa, as it carries a deep religious and cultural significance within the Islamic tradition.
People
Fatiha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Fatiha 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
Fatiha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Fatiha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 276 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Fatiha 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 1,241,864 US residents.
Is Fatiha a common name?
We classify Fatiha as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 278 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Fatiha most popular?
The single biggest year for Fatiha was 2022, when 37 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Fatiha is about 8 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Fatiha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Fatiha 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.