Nadirah
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "rare, precious, valuable."
Name Census estimates that about 834 living Americans carry the first name Nadirah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Nadirah today is around 31 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nadirah births was 1991 (33 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nadirah. 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
834
~ 1 in 410,976 Americans
Peak year
1991
33 babies that year
Average age
31
years old
2024 SSA rank
#11,798
Tracked since 1976
Popularity
Nadirah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nadirah from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 268 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nadirah 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 Nadirah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Nadirahs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York recorded the most babies named Nadirah, while Maryland, New York, New Jersey recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 99 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Nadirah
The name Nadirah finds its roots in the Arabic language and culture, originating in the Middle East. It is derived from the Arabic word "nadir," which means "rare" or "precious." The name is believed to have been in use since ancient times, although its exact origins are uncertain.
One of the earliest known references to the name Nadirah can be found in Islamic literature and poetry from the 7th century AD. The name is mentioned in a few verses of the Quran, the holy book of Islam, which suggests its significance and usage during that era.
Throughout history, the name Nadirah has been borne by several notable figures. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this name was Nadirah bint Al-Mundhir, a 7th-century Arab poet and warrior from the Ghassanid dynasty. She was known for her bravery and skill in battle, as well as her poetic talents.
Another prominent figure with the name Nadirah was Nadirah Al-Hamdaniyah, a 10th-century Arab mathematician and astronomer. She made significant contributions to the fields of mathematics and astronomy, and her works were widely studied and referenced by scholars of her time.
In the 12th century, Nadirah bint Al-Husayn was a renowned Islamic scholar and teacher from Baghdad. She was highly respected for her knowledge of Islamic jurisprudence and her ability to interpret religious texts.
Nadirah Al-Baghdadiyah, a 13th-century Arab poet and calligrapher, was also a notable figure who bore this name. Her poetry was widely admired, and she was considered a master of the art of calligraphy.
In more recent history, Nadirah Thalith was an Indonesian poet and writer who lived in the 20th century. She was known for her powerful and emotional poetry that explored themes of love, loss, and the human experience.
While the name Nadirah has its roots in the Arabic language and culture, it has been adopted and used in various regions and communities around the world. Its meaning and significance, however, have remained consistent, reflecting its association with rarity, preciousness, and beauty.
People
Nadirah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nadirah 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
Nadirah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nadirah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 834 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nadirah 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 410,976 US residents.
Is Nadirah a common name?
We classify Nadirah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 867 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nadirah most popular?
The single biggest year for Nadirah was 1991, when 33 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nadirah is about 31 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Nadirah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nadirah 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.