Jafer
A masculine Arabic name meaning "stream" or "small river".
Name Census estimates that about 10 living Americans carry the first name Jafer. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Jafer today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jafer births was 2011 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jafer. 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 Jafer with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Jafer. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
10
~ 1 in 34,275,434 Americans
Peak year
2011
5 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2023 SSA rank
#12,983
Tracked since 2011
Popularity
Jafer: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jafer from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 5 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
Jafer 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 Jafer 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 Jafer
The name Jafer is believed to have originated from the Arabic language. It is a variant spelling of the name Jafar, which has its roots in the Arabic word "jafr" meaning "stream" or "rivulet." The name may have been given to individuals living near a stream or body of water.
The name Jafer gained prominence in the 7th century CE during the early Islamic period. One of the most notable historical figures with this name was Jafar ibn Abi Talib, a cousin and companion of the Prophet Muhammad. He is revered in Islamic tradition for his bravery and devotion to the faith.
In the 8th century CE, Jafer al-Sadiq, a prominent Islamic scholar and theologian, carried this name. He was the sixth Imam in Shia Islam and is credited with establishing the foundations of Shia jurisprudence.
Another significant historical figure with the name Jafer was Jafer ibn Yahya al-Barmaki, a prominent member of the Barmakid family during the Abbasid Caliphate in the late 8th century CE. He served as a vizier and played a crucial role in the administration of the caliphate.
In the 12th century CE, Jafer al-Idrisi, a renowned Arab geographer and cartographer, made significant contributions to the field of mapmaking. His work, known as the Tabula Rogeriana, was a highly detailed map of the world at that time.
During the Ottoman Empire, Jafer Pasha, a notable military commander and statesman in the 16th century CE, held the position of Grand Vizier and played a pivotal role in the empire's expansion and administration.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Jafer. The name's Arabic origins and its association with prominent figures in Islamic history and literature have contributed to its enduring significance and use across various cultures and regions.
People
Jafer + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jafer 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
Jafer: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jafer?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jafer 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 34,275,434 US residents.
Is Jafer a common name?
We classify Jafer as "Very Rare". It ranks above 28.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jafer most popular?
The single biggest year for Jafer was 2011, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jafer is about 9 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 Jafer in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Jafer a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jafer 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 Jafer still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Jafer 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 Jafer 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 Jafer?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.