Latifa
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "kind", "gentle", or "pleasant".
Name Census estimates that about 777 living Americans carry the first name Latifa. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Latifa today is around 33 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Latifa births was 1990 (44 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Latifa. 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
777
~ 1 in 441,125 Americans
Peak year
1990
44 babies that year
Average age
33
years old
2024 SSA rank
#8,700
Tracked since 1963
Popularity
Latifa: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Latifa from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 207 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
Latifa 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 Latifa during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Latifas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey recorded the most babies named Latifa, while Georgia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 56 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Latifa
The name Latifa has its origins in the Arabic language and culture. It is a feminine name derived from the Arabic word "latif," meaning "delicate," "fine," or "subtle." This name has been in use among Arabic-speaking populations for centuries.
In Islamic tradition, Latifa is considered one of the 99 names or attributes of Allah, referring to His quality of being subtle and kind. The name is mentioned in religious texts and scriptures, such as the Quran and Hadith.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Latifa can be found in historical records from the 7th century CE. During the Umayyad Caliphate, there was a notable woman named Latifa bint Abd al-Rahman, who was a poet and scholar.
Throughout history, several notable women have borne the name Latifa. One of the most famous was Latifa al-Zayyat (1923-1996), an Egyptian writer, feminist, and activist known for her contributions to Arabic literature and women's rights movements.
Another prominent figure was Latifa al-Aroussia (1900-1976), a Moroccan singer and performer who played a significant role in preserving and promoting Moroccan musical heritage.
In the field of education, Latifa al-Ghudayer (1918-2010) was a Saudi Arabian educator and advocate for women's education. She established the first private girls' school in Jeddah and contributed to the advancement of female education in Saudi Arabia.
The name Latifa has also been carried by influential figures in politics and government. Latifa Akharbach (born 1943) is a Moroccan politician and women's rights activist who served as the Secretary of State for Family, Solidarity, and Social Action in Morocco.
Furthermore, Latifa Ibn Ziaten (born 1960) is a French activist and advocate for tolerance and peace. She founded an organization dedicated to promoting mutual understanding and combating extremism after her son, a French soldier, was tragically killed by a terrorist.
People
Latifa + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Latifa as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with L
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Latifa: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Latifa?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 777 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Latifa 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 441,125 US residents.
Is Latifa a common name?
We classify Latifa as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 817 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Latifa most popular?
The single biggest year for Latifa was 1990, when 44 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Latifa is about 33 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Latifa a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Latifa 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.