Jihan
An Arabic feminine name meaning "a spiritual journey" or "striving for excellence".
Name Census estimates that about 692 living Americans carry the first name Jihan. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 84.1% of registrations being female. The average person named Jihan today is around 29 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jihan births was 1982 (59 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jihan. 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
692
~ 1 in 495,310 Americans
Peak year
1982
59 babies that year
Average age
29
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,445
Tracked since 1976
Gender
Gender distribution for Jihan
Jihan leans heavily female at 84.1% of total registrations, but 114 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Jihan as a male name
- Ranked #7,445 in 2024
- 11 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2008 (12 births)
Jihan as a female name
- Ranked #11,531 in 2024
- 8 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1982 (59 births)
Popularity
Jihan: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jihan from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 299 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jihan 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 Jihan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Jihans live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. New York, California, Florida recorded the most babies named Jihan, while Minnesota, Illinois, Pennsylvania recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 15 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Jihan
The name Jihan is of Arabic origin and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Arabic word "jihan," which means "universe" or "world." The name is closely associated with the Islamic faith and culture.
In Arabic literature, the name Jihan is mentioned in several poems and stories, often used to describe a beautiful and accomplished woman. One of the earliest recorded uses of the name can be found in the 11th-century poetry of the Persian poet and scholar, Abu'l-Ala Al-Ma'arri.
Throughout history, there have been several notable figures who bore the name Jihan. One of the most famous was Jihan Antar, a Syrian singer and actress who lived from 1942 to 2018. She was renowned for her contributions to Arabic music and her roles in numerous films and television shows.
Another prominent figure was Jihan Sadat, the wife of former Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. Born in 1933, she was actively involved in various social and humanitarian causes, advocating for women's rights and promoting peace in the Middle East.
In the world of literature, Jihan al-Sadat was an Egyptian writer and feminist activist who lived from 1935 to 2010. She wrote several books and essays on women's issues and was a vocal advocate for gender equality in the Arab world.
Jihan Sultan, an Egyptian-American fashion designer born in 1976, is also known for her successful clothing line, which combines traditional Arabic styles with modern elements.
Lastly, Jihan Noureddin was a Lebanese journalist and human rights activist who lived from 1958 to 2009. She was a prominent voice for democracy and freedom of expression in the Middle East and worked tirelessly to promote human rights and social justice.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Jihan, a name that carries a rich cultural heritage and symbolizes the vastness of the universe.
People
Jihan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jihan 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
Jihan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jihan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 692 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jihan 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 495,310 US residents.
Is Jihan a common name?
We classify Jihan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 87.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 719 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jihan most popular?
The single biggest year for Jihan was 1982, when 59 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jihan is about 29 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Jihan a female name?
Yes, 84.1% of people registered as Jihan 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.