Hibo
A feminine name of Somali origin meaning "gift" or "blessing".
Name Census estimates that about 89 living Americans carry the first name Hibo. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Hibo today is around 15 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Hibo births was 2016 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Hibo. 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 Hibo. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
89
~ 1 in 3,851,172 Americans
Peak year
2016
9 babies that year
Average age
15
years old
2021 SSA rank
#16,142
Tracked since 1998
Popularity
Hibo: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Hibo 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 47 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Hibo 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 Hibo 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 Hibo
The name Hibo is believed to have originated from the Somali language, which is a part of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family. The name is thought to have been in use among the Somali people, who are predominantly located in the Horn of Africa region, including Somalia, Djibouti, and parts of Ethiopia and Kenya.
The name Hibo is derived from the Somali word "hibow," which means "to give." This suggests that the name may have been given to children with the intention of expressing a wish for them to be generous or philanthropic individuals.
While there are no definitive records of the name's appearance in ancient texts or religious scriptures, its linguistic roots in the Somali language indicate a long-standing history and cultural significance among the Somali people.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Hibo can be found in the works of Somali novelist and playwright Faarax Maxamed Nuur, who was born in 1924 and is considered a pioneer of Somali literature. His writings often featured characters with traditional Somali names, including Hibo.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Hibo. One such person was Hibo Wardere (1913-1997), a Somali warrior and anti-colonial resistance fighter who played a significant role in the struggle against Italian colonization in the early 20th century.
Another notable figure was Hibo Nuura (1957-2013), a Somali-British writer and activist who advocated for women's rights and social justice. Her work explored issues of identity, displacement, and the experiences of Somali diaspora communities.
Hibo Salad (born 1976) is a Somali-American model and activist who has worked to raise awareness about human rights issues, particularly in Somalia. She has been recognized for her efforts to empower women and promote education in her home country.
Hibo Elmi (born 1989) is a Somali-British actress and writer known for her roles in television shows such as "Our Girl" and "The Honorable Woman." She has been praised for her portrayal of complex and nuanced characters, often exploring themes of identity and cultural representation.
Hibo Abdullahi (born 1991) is a Somali-Canadian activist and social entrepreneur who co-founded the non-profit organization "Hot Sundae," which aims to empower and educate young women in Somalia through various initiatives, including literacy programs and entrepreneurship training.
People
Hibo + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Hibo 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
Hibo: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Hibo?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 89 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Hibo 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 Hibo a common name?
We classify Hibo 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 Hibo most popular?
The single biggest year for Hibo was 2016, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Hibo is about 15 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Hibo a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Hibo 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.