Jahira
A feminine Arabic name meaning "shining" or "brilliant".
Name Census estimates that about 365 living Americans carry the first name Jahira. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Jahira today is around 23 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jahira births was 2003 (21 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jahira. 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
365
~ 1 in 939,053 Americans
Peak year
2003
21 babies that year
Average age
23
years old
2022 SSA rank
#11,615
Tracked since 1978
Popularity
Jahira: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jahira from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 143 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jahira 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 Jahira during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Jahiras live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. New York, Florida, California recorded the most babies named Jahira, while New Jersey, California, Florida recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 8 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Jahira
The given name Jahira has its roots in Arabic culture, with the earliest known usage dating back to the 7th century CE. It is derived from the Arabic word "jahir," meaning "famous" or "renowned." The name carries connotations of honor, distinction, and admiration within the Arabic-speaking world.
In the Islamic tradition, the name Jahira is not found in religious scriptures or ancient texts. However, it gained popularity as a personal name during the Golden Age of Islam, a period marked by significant cultural, scientific, and intellectual achievements in the Middle East and North Africa.
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name Jahira was Jahira al-Hamdaniya, a prominent female poet who lived in the 9th century CE in present-day Iraq. Her poetry, which celebrated love and nature, earned her widespread acclaim during her lifetime.
Another notable figure bearing the name Jahira was Jahira bint Maslamah, a 7th-century Muslim scholar and jurist from Medina. She was renowned for her expertise in Islamic jurisprudence and her contributions to the propagation of religious knowledge.
During the Umayyad Caliphate, which ruled from 661 to 750 CE, the name Jahira gained further prominence. Jahira bint Yazid (born circa 680 CE), the daughter of the Umayyad caliph Yazid II, was a respected patron of arts and literature, and her court attracted many renowned poets and scholars.
In the 12th century, Jahira al-Andalusiya, a renowned Andalusian poet and scholar, gained recognition for her poetic works and her contributions to the intellectual circles of Islamic Spain.
Another noteworthy bearer of the name was Jahira al-Hamdaniya (born 1163 CE), a skilled calligrapher and illuminator from Baghdad. Her exquisite calligraphic works adorned numerous manuscripts and artistic pieces, showcasing the intricate art form that flourished during the Islamic Golden Age.
While the name Jahira has its roots in the Arabic-speaking world, it has transcended cultural boundaries and has been adopted by various communities across different regions. Its enduring popularity can be attributed to its unique sound, historical significance, and the positive connotations it carries.
People
Jahira + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jahira 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
Jahira: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jahira?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 365 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jahira 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 939,053 US residents.
Is Jahira a common name?
We classify Jahira as "Very Rare". It ranks above 81.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 373 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jahira most popular?
The single biggest year for Jahira was 2003, when 21 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jahira is about 23 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Jahira a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jahira 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.
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.