Nafee
A masculine Arabic name meaning "beneficial" or "useful".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Nafee. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Nafee today is around 32 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nafee births was 1993 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nafee. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Nafee. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1993
5 babies that year
Average age
32
years old
1993 SSA rank
#9,706
Tracked since 1993
Popularity
Nafee: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Nafee 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 Nafee during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Nafee
The name Nafee has its origins in the Arabic language and can be traced back to the early centuries of Islam. It is derived from the Arabic word "nafi," which means "beneficial" or "useful." The name is believed to have gained popularity among the Arab population as a way to express the hope that the child bearing the name would grow up to be a person of great value and benefit to society.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nafee can be found in the writings of the renowned Islamic scholar and historian, Ibn Khaldun, who lived in the 14th century. In his work, he mentions a man named Nafee ibn Abdul Aziz, who was a prominent figure in the Islamic world during that time period.
Throughout history, the name Nafee has been associated with various notable individuals. One such person was Nafee ibn al-Harith, a companion of the Prophet Muhammad who lived in the 7th century. He was known for his bravery and devotion to the Islamic faith.
Another individual of historical significance was Nafee ibn al-Azraq, who lived in the 8th century and was a prominent leader of the Kharijite sect of Islam. He played a significant role in the political and religious conflicts that took place during that era.
In the 10th century, Nafee ibn Mahmoud al-Husseini was a celebrated poet and scholar from the city of Baghdad. His works were widely admired and studied throughout the Islamic world.
During the 12th century, Nafee ibn Ali al-Andalusi was a renowned mathematician and astronomer from the region of present-day Spain. His contributions to the field of mathematics and his astronomical observations were highly regarded by his contemporaries.
The name Nafee has also been borne by individuals in more recent times, such as Nafee Ahmad Khan, an influential political figure in Pakistan during the 20th century, who played a significant role in the country's independence movement.
While these are just a few examples, the name Nafee has been carried by numerous individuals throughout history, each leaving their mark in various fields and making valuable contributions to their respective societies.
People
Nafee + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nafee 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
Nafee: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nafee?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nafee 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Nafee a common name?
We classify Nafee as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nafee most popular?
The single biggest year for Nafee was 1993, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nafee is about 32 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 Nafee in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Nafee a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nafee 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.
Is Nafee still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Nafee 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 Nafee 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 people share the name Nafee?
Want to know how many people share the name Nafee? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.