Munira
A feminine Arabic name meaning "luminous" or "enlightened one".
Name Census estimates that about 691 living Americans carry the first name Munira. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Munira today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Munira births was 2019 (43 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Munira. 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
691
~ 1 in 496,027 Americans
Peak year
2019
43 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,251
Tracked since 1981
Popularity
Munira: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Munira from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 278 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Munira remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Munira 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 Munira during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Muniras live
Origin
Meaning and history of Munira
The name Munira has its roots in the Arabic language and is believed to have originated in the Middle East. It is derived from the Arabic word "nur," which means "light" or "illumination." The name is often associated with beauty, radiance, and enlightenment.
Munira was a popular name among Muslim communities in the medieval period, particularly in regions where Arabic influence was strong, such as the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of Europe. The name can be found in various historical texts and records from that era, including poetry and literature.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Munira comes from the 8th century, when a renowned Arab poet named Munira bint Al-Mutalammis lived. She was highly regarded for her literary talents and is considered one of the most influential female poets of the Abbasid era.
Another notable figure with the name Munira was Munira Al-Qubaysiyya, a 9th-century Arab singer and musician from Baghdad. She was renowned for her exceptional vocal talents and was a celebrated performer in the court of the Abbasid Caliphs.
In the 10th century, Munira bint al-Mu'tazz, a member of the Abbasid royal family, was known for her literary and poetic skills. She was highly educated and played an influential role in the cultural and intellectual life of the Abbasid court.
During the 12th century, Munira bint Al-Hasan Al-Nabulusi was a renowned scholar and poet from Damascus. She was highly respected for her knowledge of Islamic jurisprudence and literature and contributed significantly to the intellectual and cultural landscape of the region.
In the 19th century, Munira Thabit was a prominent Syrian writer and feminist activist. She was a pioneer in advocating for women's rights and education in the Arab world and played a significant role in the intellectual and social movements of her time.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Munira. The name has continued to be popular in various parts of the world, particularly in regions with significant Arab or Islamic cultural influence.
People
Munira + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Munira 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
Munira: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Munira?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 691 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Munira 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 496,027 US residents.
Is Munira a common name?
We classify Munira 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, 699 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Munira most popular?
The single biggest year for Munira was 2019, when 43 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Munira is about 14 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Munira a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Munira 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.