Meerab
A feminine name of Sanskrit origin meaning "prosperous" or "flourishing".
Name Census estimates that about 182 living Americans carry the first name Meerab. It is a predominantly female name (94.0% of registrations). The average person named Meerab today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Meerab births was 2015 (24 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Meerab. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Meerab with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
182
~ 1 in 1,883,266 Americans
Peak year
2015
24 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2021 SSA rank
#7,441
Tracked since 2007
Gender
Gender distribution for Meerab
Meerab leans heavily female at 94.0% of total registrations, but 11 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Meerab as a male name
- Ranked #13,409 in 2021
- 5 male births in 2021
- Peak: 2015 (6 births)
Meerab as a female name
- Ranked #7,441 in 2024
- 15 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2015 (18 births)
Popularity
Meerab: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Meerab from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 118 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Meerab remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Meerab 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 Meerab during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Meerabs live
Origin
Meaning and history of Meerab
The name Meerab has its origins in the Persian language, tracing back to ancient Persia, now known as Iran. It is derived from the Old Persian word "mihr," which means "love" or "friendship." The name carries a connotation of kindness, affection, and warmth.
In ancient Persian mythology, Mithra, the god of light and truth, was associated with the concept of "mihr." This divine connection suggests that the name Meerab may have been bestowed upon individuals with the hope of imbuing them with qualities of radiance, honesty, and goodwill.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Meerab can be found in Persian literature and historical records dating back to the 7th century AD. During the Islamic Golden Age, which spanned from the 8th to the 13th centuries, several scholars and intellectuals bore the name Meerab.
One of the most notable individuals with this name was Meerab Ispahani, a renowned Persian poet who lived in the 12th century. His works, characterized by their lyrical beauty and profound insights, have left a lasting impact on Persian literary tradition.
In the 14th century, Meerab al-Din Mahmud, a Persian mathematician and astronomer, made significant contributions to the fields of mathematics and celestial mechanics. His treatises on trigonometry and astronomical observations were highly regarded during his time.
Another prominent figure was Meerab Khan, a 17th-century military commander and governor in the Mughal Empire. He was celebrated for his strategic prowess and played a crucial role in expanding the empire's territories.
During the 19th century, Meerab Ali Khan, a Persian-Indian nobleman and politician, served as the Nawab of Bengal. His reign was marked by efforts to modernize the region and promote education.
Throughout history, the name Meerab has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, poets, warriors, and leaders. While its precise origins are rooted in ancient Persia, the name has transcended cultural boundaries and gained recognition across different regions and eras.
People
Meerab + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Meerab as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Meerab: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Meerab?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 182 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Meerab 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 1,883,266 US residents.
Is Meerab a common name?
We classify Meerab as "Very Rare". It ranks above 72.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 183 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Meerab most popular?
The single biggest year for Meerab was 2015, when 24 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Meerab is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Meerab in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Meerab a female name?
Yes, 94.0% of people registered as Meerab 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.
Is Meerab still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Meerab in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Meerab can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Meerab?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.