Houd
A masculine Arabic name derived from the word hawd meaning "basin".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Houd. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Houd today is around 3 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Houd births was 2023 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Houd. 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 Houd with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Houd. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2023
5 babies that year
Average age
3
years old
2023 SSA rank
#12,928
Tracked since 2023
Popularity
Houd: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Houd 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 Houd during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Houd
The name Houd is believed to have originated from the ancient Sumerian language, which was spoken in the southern regions of Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) around 3500-3000 BCE. The name is derived from the Sumerian word "hud," which means "to rejoice" or "to be joyful." This suggests that the name Houd may have been given to individuals as a symbol of happiness and celebration.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Houd can be found in the Epic of Gilgamesh, a Mesopotamian epic poem dating back to around 2100 BCE. In this ancient text, Houd is mentioned as the name of a minor character, possibly a servant or a soldier in the court of King Gilgamesh.
Throughout history, the name Houd has been found in various ancient civilizations, including the Babylonians, Assyrians, and Persians. In the 6th century BCE, a Persian nobleman named Houd is mentioned in the Achaemenid inscriptions, which were carved into the rock at Naqsh-e Rustam, an archaeological site in modern-day Iran.
In the medieval period, the name Houd gained popularity among the Arab world, likely due to the influence of Islamic culture and the spread of the Arabic language. One notable figure bearing this name was Houd ibn Yahya al-Thaqafi, a renowned Arab poet who lived in the 8th century CE and was known for his mastery of the Arabic language and his contributions to literature.
During the Renaissance era, the name Houd made its way to Europe, where it was often spelled as "Houd" or "Hude." In the 16th century, a Dutch artist named Houd Gerritsz was renowned for his intricate woodcuts and engravings, many of which depicted religious and mythological scenes.
Another significant figure named Houd was Houd ibn Muhammad al-Sanusi, a Moroccan religious leader and scholar who lived in the 19th century. He founded the Sanusiyya Sufi order, which played a crucial role in the resistance against European colonialism in North Africa.
It is worth noting that while the name Houd has been present throughout various cultures and time periods, it has remained relatively uncommon compared to other names. However, its rich history and connections to ancient civilizations, literature, and religious movements make it a unique and intriguing name with deep cultural significance.
People
Houd + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Houd 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
Houd: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Houd?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Houd 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Houd a common name?
We classify Houd as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Houd most popular?
The single biggest year for Houd was 2023, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Houd is about 3 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 Houd in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Houd a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Houd 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.
Is Houd still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Houd 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 Houd 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 Americans are named Houd?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.