Inaara
A feminine Arabic name meaning "rays of light" or "illumination".
Name Census estimates that about 113 living Americans carry the first name Inaara. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Inaara today is around 16 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Inaara births was 1998 (28 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Inaara. 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 Inaara with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
113
~ 1 in 3,033,224 Americans
Peak year
1998
28 babies that year
Average age
16
years old
2024 SSA rank
#9,142
Tracked since 1998
Popularity
Inaara: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Inaara from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 48 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
Inaara 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 Inaara during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Inaaras live
Origin
Meaning and history of Inaara
The name Inaara is believed to have its origins in the Arabic language. It is a variation of the name Inara, which is derived from the Arabic word "anwar," meaning "light" or "radiance." The name Inaara is thought to have emerged in the Middle Eastern region, particularly in the Arabian Peninsula, during the Islamic Golden Age, which spanned from the 8th to the 13th centuries.
While the name Inaara does not appear to have any direct references in ancient texts or religious scriptures, its root word, "anwar," is mentioned in the Quran, the holy book of Islam. The concept of light and radiance holds significant symbolic meaning in Islamic teachings, representing knowledge, guidance, and spiritual enlightenment.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Inaara can be traced back to the 12th century, when it was used by a renowned Arabic poet and scholar from Andalusia (modern-day Spain). Inaara bint al-Mutamid was a talented writer and literary figure who lived during the reign of the Almoravid Dynasty.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Inaara. One such person was Inaara al-Baghdadi, a renowned female mathematician and astronomer who lived in the 12th century in Baghdad. She made significant contributions to the fields of mathematics and astronomy, and her works were widely studied and referenced by scholars of her time.
Another prominent figure was Inaara al-Andalusiyya, a 13th-century Andalusian writer and poet. Her poetry was celebrated for its intricate imagery and profound insights into the human experience. She was part of the literary and intellectual renaissance that flourished in Andalusia during the Islamic rule.
In the realm of art and culture, Inaara al-Qawwali was a renowned 15th-century singer and musician from India. She was a master of the Qawwali musical tradition, a form of Sufi devotional music popular in the Indian subcontinent. Her mesmerizing performances and vocal prowess earned her widespread acclaim.
Inaara al-Mansuriyya was a 16th-century Ottoman princess and patron of the arts. She commissioned the construction of several architectural marvels, including mosques, madrasas (Islamic schools), and public fountains, in various cities across the Ottoman Empire, leaving an indelible mark on the region's cultural landscape.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have carried the name Inaara throughout history, each leaving their unique imprint on various fields, from literature and poetry to mathematics, astronomy, and the arts.
People
Inaara + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Inaara as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with I
Other first names starting with I with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Inaara: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Inaara?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 113 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Inaara 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 3,033,224 US residents.
Is Inaara a common name?
We classify Inaara as "Very Rare". It ranks above 66.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 115 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Inaara most popular?
The single biggest year for Inaara was 1998, when 28 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Inaara is about 16 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 Inaara in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Inaara a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Inaara 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 Inaara still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Inaara 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 Inaara 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 share the name Inaara?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.