Fatuma
A feminine Arabic name meaning "a weaner of infants".
Name Census estimates that about 571 living Americans carry the first name Fatuma. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Fatuma today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Fatuma births was 2013 (36 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Fatuma. 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
571
~ 1 in 600,270 Americans
Peak year
2013
36 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,048
Tracked since 1991
Popularity
Fatuma: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Fatuma from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 266 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Fatuma remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Fatuma 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 Fatuma during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Fatumas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. Minnesota, Kentucky, New York recorded the most babies named Fatuma, while Texas, Ohio, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 12 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Fatuma
The name Fatuma has its origins in the Arabic language and Islamic culture. It is a feminine form of the name Fatih, derived from the Arabic root word "fataha," which means "to open" or "to conquer." The name is believed to have emerged in the 7th century during the era of the Islamic conquests and the spread of the religion across the Arabian Peninsula and beyond.
Fatuma is also closely linked to the name Fatimah, which was the name of one of the daughters of the Prophet Muhammad. Fatimah, who lived from 605 to 632 CE, was revered for her piety, intelligence, and devotion to her faith. Her name is often used as a source of inspiration and a symbol of virtue within the Islamic tradition.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Fatuma can be found in the Quran, the central religious text of Islam. In Surah 28, verse 76, the name is mentioned in the context of a parable about wealth and humility.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the name Fatuma. One such person was Fatuma Massaquoi, a Liberian educator and activist who lived from 1912 to 1978. She played a significant role in promoting women's education and empowerment in her country.
Another prominent figure was Fatuma Zahra, an 18th-century Sudanese poet and scholar. She was renowned for her contributions to Arabic literature and her expertise in various fields, including theology, law, and linguistics.
In the 19th century, Fatuma bint Said bin Sultan Al-Said was the daughter of the Sultan of Oman and Zanzibar. She played a crucial role in the political and social affairs of the region during her lifetime, which spanned from 1823 to 1878.
Fatuma Mernissi, a Moroccan sociologist and writer, was also a notable figure who lived from 1940 to 2015. She was a pioneering feminist scholar and an influential voice in the study of gender and Islam.
Lastly, Fatuma Diarra, a Malian singer and songwriter, has made significant contributions to the world of music. Born in 1950, she has been celebrated for her captivating voice and her efforts in preserving the traditional music of Mali.
People
Fatuma + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Fatuma 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
Fatuma: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Fatuma?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 571 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Fatuma 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 600,270 US residents.
Is Fatuma a common name?
We classify Fatuma as "Very Rare". It ranks above 85.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 577 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Fatuma most popular?
The single biggest year for Fatuma was 2013, when 36 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Fatuma is about 13 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Fatuma a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Fatuma 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.