Himmat
A masculine name of Arabic origin meaning "courage" or "bravery".
Name Census estimates that about 145 living Americans carry the first name Himmat. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Himmat today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Himmat births was 2023 (21 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Himmat. 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
145
~ 1 in 2,363,823 Americans
Peak year
2023
21 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,931
Tracked since 2010
Popularity
Himmat: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Himmat 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 80 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
Himmat 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 Himmat during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Himmats live
Origin
Meaning and history of Himmat
The name Himmat has its origins in the Persian language and culture. It is derived from the Persian word "himmat," which means courage, bravery, or spirit. The name was likely first used during the medieval period in regions that were part of the Persian cultural sphere, including modern-day Iran, Afghanistan, and parts of Central Asia.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Himmat can be found in the works of the renowned Persian poet Ferdowsi, who lived in the late 10th and early 11th centuries. In his epic masterpiece, the Shahnameh, Ferdowsi mentioned a character named Himmat, suggesting that the name was already in use during that time.
In Islamic literature and history, the name Himmat appears in various contexts. For instance, the 12th-century Persian scholar and mystic, Shams-ud-din Muhammad Hafiz-e Shirazi, often referred to as Hafiz, mentioned the concept of "himmat" in his poetic works, emphasizing the importance of courage and determination in one's spiritual journey.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Himmat. One of the earliest was Himmat Khan Khushhal Khan Khattak (1613-1689), a renowned Pashtun warrior-poet from the region of modern-day Pakistan. He was known for his bravery in battles against the Mughal Empire and his literary contributions in the Pashto language.
Another prominent figure was Himmat Ali Khan (1775-1830), a Nawab (ruler) of the princely state of Rampur in British India. He was renowned for his patronage of art, architecture, and education, and his contributions to the development of the region.
In the 19th century, Himmat Singh (1832-1886) was a distinguished military leader and administrator in the Princely State of Patiala, now part of modern-day India. He served as the Prime Minister of Patiala and played a crucial role in modernizing the state's administration and military forces.
More recently, Himmat Singh Gill (1895-1968) was a prominent Indian politician and freedom fighter. He actively participated in the Indian independence movement and served as a member of the Constituent Assembly of India, which drafted the country's constitution.
Himmat Singh Bedhi (1915-1989) was another notable figure from India. He was a distinguished military officer who served in the British Indian Army and later joined the Indian National Army led by Subhas Chandra Bose during World War II.
People
Himmat + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Himmat 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
Himmat: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Himmat?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 145 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Himmat 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 2,363,823 US residents.
Is Himmat a common name?
We classify Himmat as "Very Rare". It ranks above 69.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 146 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Himmat most popular?
The single biggest year for Himmat was 2023, when 21 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Himmat is about 7 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Himmat a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Himmat in the SSA data are male. 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.