Haifa
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "sweet refreshing wind".
Name Census estimates that about 215 living Americans carry the first name Haifa. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Haifa today is around 18 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Haifa births was 2018 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Haifa. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Haifa with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
215
~ 1 in 1,594,206 Americans
Peak year
2018
15 babies that year
Average age
18
years old
2024 SSA rank
#11,417
Tracked since 1980
Census
Haifa in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 805 people with the first name Haifa, which placed it at #14,592 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#14,592
National first-name rank
People counted
805
805 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.3
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
79.8% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Haifa
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Haifa is White at 79.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (7.6%) and Black (5.7%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Haifa described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Haifa at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.8% · 642
- Asian and Pacific Islander7.6% · 61
- Black or African American5.7% · 46
- Two or more races4.7% · 38
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 18
Popularity
Haifa: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Haifa from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 90 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Haifa remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Haifa 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 Haifa during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Haifas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Haifa
The given name Haifa has its origins in the Arabic language, tracing back to ancient times. This name is derived from the Arabic word "haif," which means "surrounding" or "encircling." It is believed to have been initially used as a descriptive term for geographical locations or settlements situated amidst encircling hills or mountains.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Haifa can be found in ancient Arabian poetry and literature from the 7th century CE. The name was often used to refer to specific towns or regions that were encircled by natural features such as hills or valleys.
In the realm of historical references, the name Haifa gained prominence during the medieval Islamic period. It was associated with a famous Palestinian city located on the Mediterranean coast, which was known for its strategic location surrounded by hills and Mount Carmel.
The earliest recorded example of the name Haifa as a personal name dates back to the 11th century CE. One of the most notable historical figures bearing this name was Haifa bint Abdul Malik, a Syrian noblewoman who lived during the Abbasid Caliphate in the 8th century CE.
Throughout history, several other notable individuals have carried the name Haifa:
1. Haifa al-Muwaqqit (12th century CE) was a renowned Arabian astronomer and mathematician from Baghdad, known for her contributions to the study of celestial movements and timekeeping.
2. Haifa Arabi (1347-1428 CE) was a celebrated Moroccan poet and mystic, renowned for her poetic works that explored themes of love, spirituality, and the human condition.
3. Haifa al-Jawhari (16th century CE) was a prominent Ottoman calligrapher and artist, known for her exquisite calligraphic works and illuminated manuscripts.
4. Haifa al-Salam (1790-1856 CE) was a renowned Egyptian scholar and educator, who played a significant role in promoting education and knowledge among women in the 19th century.
5. Haifa Fakhri (1924-2022 CE) was a renowned Egyptian actress and dancer, often referred to as the "Queen of Egyptian Dance," who captivated audiences with her performances and contributions to the art of belly dancing.
The name Haifa has maintained its significance and appeal over centuries, transcending geographical boundaries and cultural contexts. While its origins can be traced back to the Arabic language and ancient Arabian literature, the name has been embraced by various cultures and societies, carrying a rich tapestry of historical and cultural significance.
People
Haifa + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Haifa 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
Haifa: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Haifa?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 215 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Haifa 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 1,594,206 US residents.
Is Haifa a common name?
We classify Haifa as "Very Rare". It ranks above 75.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 219 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Haifa most popular?
The single biggest year for Haifa was 2018, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Haifa is about 18 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Haifa in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 805 people with the name Haifa, or 0.27 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #14,592 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Haifa in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Haifa?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Haifa leans strongly female. 802 people counted with this name were female (98.0%), compared with 16 male bearers (2.0%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Haifa?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Haifa is White at 79.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (7.6%) and Black (5.7%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Haifa most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Haifa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.8% (642 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Haifa in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Haifa a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Haifa 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.
Is Haifa still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Haifa in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Haifa can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
How many people have Haifa as a first name?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans are named Haifa on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.