Hidayah
A feminine Arabic name meaning guidance or spiritual direction.
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the first name Hidayah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Hidayah today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Hidayah births was 2024 (26 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Hidayah. 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 Hidayah with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
131
~ 1 in 2,616,445 Americans
Peak year
2024
26 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,057
Tracked since 2012
Popularity
Hidayah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Hidayah from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 69 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Hidayah 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 Hidayah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Hidayahs live
Origin
Meaning and history of Hidayah
The name Hidayah is derived from the Arabic language and can be traced back to the 7th century. It is derived from the word "hidayah," which means "guidance" or "direction" in Arabic. This name has its roots in the Islamic faith and is often associated with spiritual enlightenment and finding the right path in life.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Hidayah can be found in the Quran, the holy book of Islam. The word "hidayah" is mentioned several times in the Quran, emphasizing the importance of seeking guidance from Allah and following the righteous path.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Hidayah. One of the most famous was Hidayah al-Baghdadi, a renowned Islamic scholar and jurist who lived in the 11th century. He was born in Baghdad (present-day Iraq) and was known for his contributions to the field of Islamic jurisprudence.
Another notable figure with the name Hidayah was Hidayah bint Ismail, a 13th-century Sufi mystic and poet from Persia (present-day Iran). Her poetry was widely celebrated for its spiritual depth and insight, and she is considered one of the most influential female Sufi poets of her time.
In the 15th century, there was Hidayah al-Sindi, a prominent Islamic scholar and teacher from Sindh (present-day Pakistan). He was known for his expertise in the fields of hadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad) and Islamic law, and his teachings were highly respected throughout the region.
Moving forward to the 19th century, there was Hidayah Khanum, a notable Persian princess and poet. She was born in 1828 and was highly regarded for her literary talents, as well as her patronage of the arts and culture.
Lastly, in the 20th century, there was Hidayah Amin, an Egyptian feminist and activist who played a significant role in the women's rights movement in Egypt. She was born in 1905 and dedicated her life to advocating for gender equality, education, and social reform.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Hidayah, showcasing its rich cultural and religious significance.
People
Hidayah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Hidayah 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
Hidayah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Hidayah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 131 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Hidayah 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 2,616,445 US residents.
Is Hidayah a common name?
We classify Hidayah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 68.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 132 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Hidayah most popular?
The single biggest year for Hidayah was 2024, when 26 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Hidayah is about 7 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
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 Hidayah in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Hidayah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Hidayah 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 Hidayah still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Hidayah 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 Hidayah 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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Hidayah?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.