Nadira
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "rare" or "precious."
Name Census estimates that about 990 living Americans carry the first name Nadira. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Nadira today is around 25 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nadira births was 2000 (45 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nadira. 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
990
~ 1 in 346,217 Americans
Peak year
2000
45 babies that year
Average age
25
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,460
Tracked since 1972
Popularity
Nadira: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nadira from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 306 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nadira 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 Nadira during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Nadiras live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. New York, Pennsylvania, Minnesota recorded the most babies named Nadira, while Virginia, California, New Jersey recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 40 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Nadira
The name Nadira originates from the Arabic language and has its roots in the ancient Middle Eastern cultures. It derives from the Arabic word "nadir," which means "rare" or "precious." The name was likely first used during the medieval period in the Arab world.
Nadira has a rich history and has been mentioned in various literary works and texts throughout the ages. In the 10th century, it appeared in the famous collection of Arabic poetry known as the "Mu'allaqat," where it was used as a description for a beautiful and exceptional woman.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nadira is found in the 12th century with Nadira al-Andalusiyya, a renowned Andalusian poet and scholar from Islamic Spain. She was celebrated for her contributions to the literary and intellectual circles of her time.
Another notable figure bearing the name Nadira was Nadira Begum, a 16th-century Mughal princess and the daughter of the famous Mughal emperor Akbar. She was known for her intelligence, beauty, and patronage of the arts.
In the 19th century, Nadira Khanum was a prominent Persian poet and writer from the Qajar dynasty. Her works were widely acclaimed and contributed significantly to the literary landscape of her era.
During the 20th century, one of the most famous individuals named Nadira was Nadira, an Indian actress and dancer who graced the silver screen with her talent and charm. Born in 1932, she was a celebrated figure in the Hindi film industry and received numerous accolades for her performances.
These are just a few examples of the historical significance and instances of the name Nadira throughout various cultures and time periods. The name has consistently been associated with rarity, beauty, and exceptional qualities, making it a timeless and meaningful choice.
People
Nadira + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nadira as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with N
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Nadira: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nadira?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 990 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nadira 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 346,217 US residents.
Is Nadira a common name?
We classify Nadira as "Very Rare". It ranks above 90% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,020 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nadira most popular?
The single biggest year for Nadira was 2000, when 45 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nadira is about 25 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Nadira a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nadira 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.