Jihad
An Arabic name meaning striving or struggling for a noble cause.
Name Census estimates that about 1,993 living Americans carry the first name Jihad. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Jihad today is around 27 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jihad births was 2000 (96 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jihad. 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
2.0K
~ 1 in 171,979 Americans
Peak year
2000
96 babies that year
Average age
27
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,617
Tracked since 1969
Gender
Gender distribution for Jihad
Out of the 2,040 babies given the name Jihad since 1880, 99.8% were registered as male. The name sits firmly on the male side of the spectrum, with only a handful of female registrations across the entire dataset.
Jihad as a male name
- Ranked #4,617 in 2024
- 22 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2000 (96 births)
Jihad as a female name
- Ranked #14,445 in 1993
- 5 female births in 1993
- Peak: 1993 (5 births)
Popularity
Jihad: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jihad from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 685 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jihad 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 Jihad during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Jihads live
The SSA's state-level files cover 11 states and territories. New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York recorded the most babies named Jihad, while Georgia, District of Columbia, Ohio recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 85 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Jihad
The name Jihad has its origins in the Arabic language and culture. It is derived from the Arabic root word "jahada," which means "to strive" or "to struggle." The name gained prominence during the early Islamic period, around the 7th century AD.
One of the earliest known references to the name Jihad can be found in the Quran, the central religious text of Islam. The term "jihad" is mentioned multiple times in the Quran, often referring to the spiritual and moral struggle against one's own desires and temptations, as well as the struggle to defend and spread the faith.
In the historical context, the name Jihad was given to individuals who were known for their efforts and sacrifices in defending and promoting the Islamic faith. One of the earliest recorded examples of the name is Jihad ibn Qays, a companion of the Prophet Muhammad who lived in the 7th century AD.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Jihad. One such person was Jihad al-Binbashi, an 18th-century Ottoman military leader who led Ottoman forces against the Russian Empire during the Russo-Turkish War of 1768-1774. Another notable figure was Jihad al-Khazen, a 19th-century Lebanese writer and intellectual who played a significant role in the Arab literary renaissance.
In the 20th century, one of the most prominent individuals with the name Jihad was Jihad Mu'adh, a Palestinian writer and poet who was born in 1932 and died in 2002. His works focused on themes of resistance and struggle against occupation.
Another notable figure was Jihad al-Husseini, a Syrian military officer who served as the Chief of Staff of the Syrian Armed Forces during the 1970s and 1980s. He played a significant role in the Syrian intervention in the Lebanese Civil War.
While the name Jihad has a rich historical and cultural significance, it is important to note that its meaning and interpretation have been subject to debate and controversy in modern times, particularly in the context of extremist ideologies and terrorism.
People
Jihad + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jihad 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
Jihad: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jihad?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,993 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jihad 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 171,979 US residents.
Is Jihad a common name?
We classify Jihad as "Rare". It ranks above 93.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,040 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jihad most popular?
The single biggest year for Jihad was 2000, when 96 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jihad is about 27 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Jihad a male name?
Yes, 99.8% of people registered as Jihad 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.