Hussain
A masculine Arabic name meaning "of fine or beautiful nature".
Name Census estimates that about 1,964 living Americans carry the first name Hussain. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Hussain today is around 16 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Hussain births was 2024 (101 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Hussain. 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
- • Hussain is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 16 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
2.0K
~ 1 in 174,519 Americans
Peak year
2024
101 babies that year
Average age
16
years old
2024 SSA rank
#1,662
Tracked since 1978
Popularity
Hussain: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Hussain from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 781 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Hussain remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Hussain 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 Hussain during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Hussains live
The SSA's state-level files cover 13 states and territories. New York, Michigan, Texas recorded the most babies named Hussain, while Missouri, Georgia, Pennsylvania recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 67 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Hussain
The name Hussain finds its origins in the Arabic language and the Islamic faith. It is derived from the Arabic word "Husn," which means beauty, fortification, or strength. The name is closely associated with Hussain ibn Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad and one of the most revered figures in Islam.
Hussain ibn Ali was born in 626 CE in Medina, present-day Saudi Arabia. He was the son of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the fourth caliph of Islam, and Fatimah, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad. Hussain played a significant role in the early history of Islam and is remembered for his courage, devotion, and martyrdom.
The tragedy of Karbala, which occurred in 680 CE, is a pivotal event in Islamic history and is closely linked to the name Hussain. On the plains of Karbala, in present-day Iraq, Hussain and his small band of followers stood against the larger army of the Umayyad Caliph Yazid I. Despite being outnumbered, Hussain refused to pledge allegiance to Yazid, whom he considered an unjust ruler. Hussain and his companions were brutally massacred, and his martyrdom became a symbol of resistance against oppression and injustice in the Islamic world.
Throughout history, the name Hussain has been carried by numerous prominent figures, including Hussain ibn Ali himself, who is revered by both Sunni and Shia Muslims. Other notable individuals with the name include:
1. Hussain al-Hallaj (858-922 CE), a famous Sufi mystic and poet from Iran, known for his proclamation of unity with God, which led to his execution.
2. Hussain ibn Ali al-Tusi (995-1067 CE), a renowned Iranian philosopher, mathematician, and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of optics.
3. Hussain Shah (1539-1599 CE), the second Sultan of the Bengal Sultanate, who ruled from 1494 to 1519 CE and is known for his patronage of art and architecture.
4. Hussain Dost Muhammad (1900-1949), an Afghan politician and military commander who played a crucial role in the Afghan struggle for independence from British rule.
5. Hussain Muhiddin Al-Kashifi (1440-1505 CE), a Persian poet and writer best known for his work Anwar-i Suhayli, a renowned collection of fables and moral stories.
The name Hussain continues to be widely used in various cultures and regions, particularly in the Middle East, South Asia, and among Muslim communities worldwide. Its rich history and association with the revered figure of Hussain ibn Ali make it a name of great significance in the Islamic tradition.
People
Hussain + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Hussain 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
Hussain: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Hussain?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,964 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Hussain 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 174,519 US residents.
Is Hussain a common name?
We classify Hussain as "Rare". It ranks above 93.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,989 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Hussain most popular?
The single biggest year for Hussain was 2024, when 101 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Hussain is about 16 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Hussain a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Hussain 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.