Hafsah
Of Arabic origin meaning "young female gazelle" or "newborn lamb".
Name Census estimates that about 629 living Americans carry the first name Hafsah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Hafsah today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Hafsah births was 2024 (43 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Hafsah. 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
629
~ 1 in 544,919 Americans
Peak year
2024
43 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,594
Tracked since 1996
Popularity
Hafsah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Hafsah 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 249 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Hafsah remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Hafsah 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 Hafsah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Hafsahs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. New York, California, Texas recorded the most babies named Hafsah, while New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Illinois recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 23 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Hafsah
The name Hafsah has its origins in the Arabic language. It is a feminine name derived from the Arabic root word "hafsa," which means "young lioness" or "cub of a lioness." This root word is connected to the idea of strength, courage, and fierceness.
Hafsah is a name with significant historical and religious significance within the Islamic tradition. It was the name of one of the wives of the Prophet Muhammad, Hafsah bint Umar ibn al-Khattab. She played a crucial role in preserving and transmitting the teachings of the Quran, as she was entrusted with safeguarding a portion of the revelations received by the Prophet.
The earliest recorded use of the name Hafsah can be traced back to the 7th century CE, during the time of the Prophet Muhammad and his companions. This name gained prominence and became more widely used among Muslim communities around the world.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Hafsah. One of the most famous was Hafsah bint Umar ibn al-Khattab (c. 605-665 CE), the wife of the Prophet Muhammad mentioned earlier. Another prominent figure was Hafsah bint al-Hajj al-Rukuniyah (c. 1135-1184 CE), a renowned scholar and poet from Seville, Spain, during the Almohad period.
In the 12th century, Hafsah bint al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah (c. 1093-1121 CE) was a Fatimid princess and regent of Egypt. She played a significant role in the political affairs of the Fatimid Caliphate during her regency.
Moving forward in time, Hafsah Bint Sirin (1087-1190 CE) was a notable Islamic scholar and mystic from Basra, Iraq. She was known for her expertise in hadith (prophetic traditions) and her pious devotion to religious studies.
Another notable figure was Hafsah al-Rakuniyah (c. 1184-1264 CE), a Sufi mystic and poet from Seville, Spain, who gained recognition for her spiritual writings and teachings.
These are just a few examples of prominent individuals who bore the name Hafsah throughout history, showcasing its long-standing presence and significance within various cultural and religious contexts.
People
Hafsah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Hafsah 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
Hafsah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Hafsah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 629 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Hafsah 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 544,919 US residents.
Is Hafsah a common name?
We classify Hafsah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 86.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 636 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Hafsah most popular?
The single biggest year for Hafsah was 2024, when 43 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Hafsah is about 14 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Hafsah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Hafsah 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.