Habibah
A feminine Arabic name meaning "beloved" or "loved one".
Name Census estimates that about 43 living Americans carry the first name Habibah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Habibah today is around 24 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Habibah births was 2004 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Habibah. 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 Habibah. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
43
~ 1 in 7,971,031 Americans
Peak year
2004
7 babies that year
Average age
24
years old
2019 SSA rank
#12,922
Tracked since 1974
Popularity
Habibah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Habibah from the 1970s through to the 2010s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 19 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Habibah remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Habibah 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 Habibah 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 Habibah
The name Habibah has its origins in the Arabic language and culture. It is derived from the Arabic word "habib," which means "beloved" or "dear one." The name is commonly associated with Islam and is found in various Islamic texts and traditions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Habibah can be traced back to the 7th century CE. It was the name of Habibah bint Abi Sufyan, who was one of the wives of the Prophet Muhammad. Her marriage to the Prophet played a significant role in strengthening the ties between the Quraysh tribe and the early Muslim community.
In Islamic literature, the name Habibah is often used as a term of endearment and affection. It is mentioned in several hadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad) and is considered a virtuous name for Muslim women.
Throughout history, there have been several notable women who bore the name Habibah. One such figure was Habibah Sultan Begum (1590-1619), a Mughal princess and the daughter of Emperor Jahangir. She was known for her patronage of the arts and her contributions to the cultural landscape of the Mughal Empire.
Another prominent Habibah was Habibah of Zanzibar (1845-1890), a princess and the daughter of Sultan Sayyid Said of Oman and Zanzibar. She played a significant role in the political affairs of Zanzibar and was known for her intelligence and leadership.
In more recent times, Habibah Abdul Qadir (1914-2008) was an Egyptian writer and intellectual who made significant contributions to the Arabic literary world. Her works explored themes of feminism, social justice, and the role of women in society.
Habibah Baobaid (born 1951) is a Moroccan-French author and activist who has written extensively on issues related to women's rights, immigration, and cultural identity. Her works have been widely translated and have gained international recognition.
These are just a few examples of the historical and cultural significance of the name Habibah. It has been a name of importance and distinction throughout various regions and time periods, carrying with it a meaning of love, affection, and endearment.
People
Habibah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Habibah as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with H
Other first names starting with H with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Habibah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Habibah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 43 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Habibah 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 7,971,031 US residents.
Is Habibah a common name?
We classify Habibah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 52.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 44 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Habibah most popular?
The single biggest year for Habibah was 2004, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Habibah is about 24 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Habibah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Habibah 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.