Hamida
An Arabic feminine name meaning "praiseworthy" or "one who praises."
Name Census estimates that about 89 living Americans carry the first name Hamida. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Hamida today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Hamida births was 2014 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Hamida. 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 Hamida. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
89
~ 1 in 3,851,172 Americans
Peak year
2014
10 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2024 SSA rank
#16,101
Tracked since 2000
Popularity
Hamida: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Hamida from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 42 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Hamida remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Hamida 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 Hamida 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 Hamida
The name Hamida has its origins in the Arabic language and is derived from the root word "hamd," which means "praise" or "to praise." It is a feminine name that has been in use for centuries among Arabic-speaking cultures, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hamida can be found in historical records from the 7th century, during the early years of the Islamic Golden Age. At that time, the name was often given to girls born into affluent or noble families, as it carried connotations of gratitude and reverence.
In Islamic tradition, the name Hamida is sometimes associated with the concept of praising and glorifying God. This association may stem from the fact that the root word "hamd" is frequently used in religious contexts, such as in the opening lines of the Quran, where it is used to express gratitude and praise to the Almighty.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Hamida. One of the earliest recorded examples is Hamida bint al-Husayn (born around 637 CE), who was a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad and revered for her piety and knowledge of Islamic jurisprudence.
Another prominent figure named Hamida was Hamida al-Zawba'i (born in the late 9th century CE), a renowned poet and scholar from Baghdad who gained recognition for her mastery of Arabic literature and her contributions to the development of the Arabic language.
In the 13th century, Hamida Banu Begum (born around 1245 CE) was a powerful and influential woman in the Delhi Sultanate, known for her patronage of the arts and her support for the construction of impressive architectural marvels, including the iconic Qutub Minar in Delhi.
During the Ottoman Empire, Hamida Sultan (born in 1585 CE) was a prominent figure as the mother of Sultan Ahmed I. She played a significant role in the political affairs of the empire and was influential in shaping the cultural and artistic landscape of the time.
In more recent history, Hamida Habibullah (1916-2008) was a prominent Afghan politician and diplomat who served as the first female member of the Afghan parliament and played a crucial role in advocating for women's rights and education in her country.
Overall, the name Hamida has a rich history rooted in Arabic culture and tradition, with connotations of praise, gratitude, and reverence. It has been borne by notable figures throughout the centuries, each leaving their mark on the cultural, political, and intellectual landscapes of their respective eras.
People
Hamida + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Hamida 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
Hamida: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Hamida?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 89 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Hamida 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 3,851,172 US residents.
Is Hamida a common name?
We classify Hamida as "Very Rare". It ranks above 62.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 90 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Hamida most popular?
The single biggest year for Hamida was 2014, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Hamida is about 12 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Hamida a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Hamida 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.