Mehran
An Arabic name meaning "bestowing mercy" or "one who bestows abundantly".
Name Census estimates that about 297 living Americans carry the first name Mehran. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Mehran today is around 18 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Mehran births was 2024 (28 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Mehran. 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
297
~ 1 in 1,154,055 Americans
Peak year
2024
28 babies that year
Average age
18
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,940
Tracked since 1974
Popularity
Mehran: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Mehran 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 102 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
Mehran 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 Mehran during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Mehrans live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, New York, Texas recorded the most babies named Mehran, while Texas, New York, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 9 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Mehran
The given name Mehran has its origins in the Persian language, derived from the word "Mehr," which means "sun" or "light." The name is believed to have been in use since ancient times, with its earliest recorded appearance dating back to the pre-Islamic era in Persia (modern-day Iran).
Mehran was a popular name among the nobles and aristocrats of the Sassanid Empire, which ruled over a vast territory spanning from modern-day Iraq to Afghanistan between the 3rd and 7th centuries CE. The name can be found inscribed on various historical artifacts and monuments from this period, attesting to its widespread use.
In the Islamic era, the name Mehran gained further significance due to its association with several prominent figures in the early days of Islam. One notable bearer of the name was Mehran ibn Abi Nasr, a military commander who played a crucial role in the Muslim conquest of Persia in the 7th century CE.
Throughout the centuries, the name Mehran has been carried by numerous individuals of significance. One of the earliest recorded bearers was Mehran, a 9th-century Persian poet and scholar renowned for his contributions to the field of literature and philosophy.
Another notable figure was Mehran Karimi, a 13th-century Persian mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the development of trigonometry and the study of celestial bodies.
In more recent times, Mehran Modiri (1907-1979) was an Iranian political activist and writer who played a prominent role in the struggle for democracy and social justice in Iran during the 20th century.
Mehran Ghassemi (1928-2010) was an Iranian artist and sculptor, renowned for his innovative and avant-garde works that blended traditional Persian motifs with modern artistic styles.
Mehran Karimi Nasseri (born in 1945) gained international fame as the "Terminal Man," having lived in the departure lounge of Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris for nearly two decades due to his stateless status.
These are just a few examples of the many individuals throughout history who have borne the name Mehran, each leaving their mark in various fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of human experience.
People
Mehran + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Mehran 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
Mehran: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Mehran?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 297 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Mehran 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 1,154,055 US residents.
Is Mehran a common name?
We classify Mehran as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 302 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Mehran most popular?
The single biggest year for Mehran was 2024, when 28 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Mehran is about 18 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Mehran a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Mehran 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.