Irfaan
Irfaan is an Arabic name meaning "wise" or "knowledgeable".
Name Census estimates that about 19 living Americans carry the first name Irfaan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Irfaan today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Irfaan births was 2017 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Irfaan. 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 Irfaan with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Irfaan. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
19
~ 1 in 18,039,702 Americans
Peak year
2017
7 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2018 SSA rank
#10,071
Tracked since 2001
Popularity
Irfaan: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Irfaan from the 2000s through to the 2010s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 14 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
Irfaan 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 Irfaan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Irfaan
The name Irfaan has its roots in the Arabic language and is derived from the word 'irfan,' which means 'knowledge' or 'wisdom.' This name is prevalent in various Islamic cultures and regions where Arabic is spoken or has had a significant influence.
The earliest recorded usage of the name Irfaan can be traced back to the medieval period in the Middle East and North Africa. During this time, the name was often associated with scholars, philosophers, and individuals who pursued knowledge and intellectual pursuits.
One of the earliest notable individuals to bear the name Irfaan was Irfaan al-Mawsili, a renowned Arabic musician and composer who lived in the 8th century CE. He is credited with contributing significantly to the development of Arabic music theory and composition during the Abbasid Caliphate.
In the 11th century, Irfaan al-Sabah was a prominent Ismaili missionary and philosopher who played a crucial role in spreading Ismaili teachings throughout parts of modern-day Iran and Central Asia. His writings and teachings had a lasting impact on the intellectual and spiritual traditions of the region.
Another notable figure with the name Irfaan was Irfaan al-Saffar, a 12th-century Sufi scholar and mystic from present-day Iran. He was known for his contributions to the fields of Sufism and Islamic philosophy, and his works were widely studied and discussed among scholars of his time.
In the 13th century, Irfaan al-Hamdani was a renowned Arabic poet and writer from Yemen. His poetic works were celebrated for their eloquence and mastery of the Arabic language, and he is considered one of the most influential poets of the Ayyubid period.
During the 14th century, Irfaan al-Dimashqi was a notable Syrian scholar and historian who authored several works on the history and geography of the region. His writings provided valuable insights into the social, cultural, and political landscapes of the time.
These are just a few examples of the many individuals throughout history who have borne the name Irfaan. The name's connection to knowledge, wisdom, and intellectual pursuits has made it a popular choice among scholars, philosophers, and those seeking to honor the pursuit of knowledge.
People
Irfaan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Irfaan 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
Irfaan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Irfaan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 19 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Irfaan 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 18,039,702 US residents.
Is Irfaan a common name?
We classify Irfaan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 39.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 19 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Irfaan most popular?
The single biggest year for Irfaan was 2017, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Irfaan is about 13 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 Irfaan in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Irfaan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Irfaan 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 Irfaan still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Irfaan 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 Irfaan 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 common is the name Irfaan?
See how many Americans are named Irfaan on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.