Johari
A feminine Arabic name meaning "precious jewel" or "pearl".
Name Census estimates that about 670 living Americans carry the first name Johari. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 58.5% of registrations being female. The average person named Johari today is around 19 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Johari births was 2024 (43 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Johari. 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
670
~ 1 in 511,574 Americans
Peak year
2024
43 babies that year
Average age
19
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,628
Tracked since 1971
Gender
Gender distribution for Johari
Johari is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 685 total registrations, 284 (41.5%) were male and 401 (58.5%) were female.
Johari as a male name
- Ranked #3,628 in 2024
- 31 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (31 births)
Johari as a female name
- Ranked #8,648 in 2024
- 12 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2022 (23 births)
Popularity
Johari: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Johari from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 182 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
Johari 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 Johari 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 Johari
The name Johari has its origins in the Swahili language, which is spoken primarily in East Africa. The word "johari" in Swahili means "jewel" or "precious stone," suggesting that the name carries connotations of value and rarity.
In the Swahili culture, names often reflect traits or attributes that parents hope their children will possess or embody. The name Johari may have been bestowed upon children with the intention of conveying their preciousness and worth.
While the exact origin of the name is uncertain, some sources trace its roots to the Arabic word "jawhar," which also means "jewel" or "essence." This Arabic connection is unsurprising, given the influence of Arabic language and culture on the Swahili coastal regions of East Africa due to historical trade and cultural exchanges.
One of the earliest documented uses of the name Johari can be found in the writings of the renowned Swahili poet and philosopher, Shaaban Robert, who lived from 1909 to 1962. In his works, he mentions a character named Johari, suggesting that the name was in use during the early to mid-20th century in East Africa.
Notable individuals who have borne the name Johari include Johari Abdul-Malik (1935-2005), an American Muslim leader and civil rights activist, and Johari Amini (born 1961), an Iranian-American film director and screenwriter.
In the realm of literature, Johari is the name of a character in the novel "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini, published in 2003. The character, a young girl in the story, serves as a representation of innocence and resilience in the face of adversity.
Another noteworthy figure named Johari is Johari Nur (born 1980), a Malaysian singer and songwriter who has gained popularity for her contributions to the contemporary Malay music scene.
Johari was also the name of a respected Islamic scholar from the 9th century, known as Johari al-Muqaddasi, who wrote extensively on various aspects of Islamic jurisprudence and theology.
While the name Johari may have originated in the Swahili language and culture, its meaning and significance have transcended geographic boundaries, resonating with individuals from diverse backgrounds who appreciate its symbolism of preciousness and value.
People
Johari + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Johari 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
Johari: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Johari?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 670 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Johari 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 511,574 US residents.
Is Johari a common name?
We classify Johari as "Very Rare". It ranks above 87.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 685 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Johari most popular?
The single biggest year for Johari was 2024, when 43 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Johari is about 19 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Johari a female name?
Yes, 58.5% of people registered as Johari 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.