Jafar
A masculine Arabic name meaning "river stream" or "rivulet".
Name Census estimates that about 646 living Americans carry the first name Jafar. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Jafar today is around 22 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jafar births was 1994 (33 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jafar. 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
646
~ 1 in 530,579 Americans
Peak year
1994
33 babies that year
Average age
22
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,610
Tracked since 1975
Popularity
Jafar: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jafar 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 174 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Jafar remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jafar 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 Jafar during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Jafars live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. New York, Michigan, New Jersey recorded the most babies named Jafar, while New Jersey, Michigan, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 8 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Jafar
The name Jafar has its origins in the Arabic language and culture. It is derived from the Arabic word "jafr," which means "river bank" or "stream." The name likely emerged in the Middle East during the early Islamic era, around the 7th century CE.
In Islamic tradition, the name Jafar is associated with Ja'far ibn Abi Talib, a cousin of the Prophet Muhammad and one of the earliest converts to Islam. Ja'far ibn Abi Talib played a significant role in the early history of Islam and is revered by Muslims as a companion of the Prophet and a member of his household.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Jafar can be found in the Qur'an, the holy book of Islam, where it is mentioned in reference to Ja'far ibn Abi Talib. The name also appears in various hadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad) and historical accounts of the early Islamic period.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Jafar. One of the most famous was Jafar al-Sadiq (702-765 CE), a prominent Islamic scholar and theologian who played a crucial role in the development of Shia Islamic jurisprudence. He was a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad and is revered as the sixth Imam by Shia Muslims.
Another historical figure with the name Jafar was Jafar al-Barmaki (767-803 CE), a prominent vizier (minister) during the Abbasid Caliphate. He was known for his wisdom, knowledge, and patronage of scholars and artists.
In the literary realm, Jafar ibn Tawq (d. 815 CE) was a renowned Arabic poet and literary figure during the Abbasid era. His poetry and literary works were highly influential in the development of Arabic literature.
Jafar Khan (1691-1759) was a prominent military commander and governor during the Mughal Empire in India. He played a significant role in the expansion and consolidation of Mughal power in the region.
Jafar Pasha al-Askari (1825-1891) was an Ottoman statesman and military leader who served as the Prime Minister of the Ottoman Empire from 1876 to 1877. He was known for his efforts to modernize the Ottoman military and implement reforms.
People
Jafar + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jafar as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with J
Other first names starting with J with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Jafar: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jafar?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 646 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jafar 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 530,579 US residents.
Is Jafar a common name?
We classify Jafar as "Very Rare". It ranks above 86.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 659 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jafar most popular?
The single biggest year for Jafar was 1994, when 33 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jafar is about 22 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Jafar a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jafar 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.