Naheem
An Arabic name meaning "dream" or "sweet dream".
Name Census estimates that about 479 living Americans carry the first name Naheem. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Naheem today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Naheem births was 2009 (24 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Naheem. 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
479
~ 1 in 715,562 Americans
Peak year
2009
24 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,573
Tracked since 1982
Popularity
Naheem: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Naheem 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 155 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Naheem remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Naheem 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 Naheem during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Naheems live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania recorded the most babies named Naheem, while Pennsylvania, Michigan, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 7 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Naheem
The given name Naheem is believed to have originated from the Arabic language. It is derived from the Arabic word "naim," which means "pleasant" or "delightful." The name has been in use for centuries within Arabic-speaking communities and regions where Islamic culture has had a significant influence.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Naheem can be found in ancient Islamic texts and manuscripts dating back to the 8th century. During this time, the name was often given to male children as a way to express the hope for a pleasant and delightful life for the child.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Naheem. One of the earliest recorded examples is Naheem ibn Zayd al-Qurashi, a 9th-century Islamic scholar and jurist from Medina. He was renowned for his expertise in Islamic jurisprudence and contributed significantly to the development of Islamic legal thought.
In the 11th century, Naheem al-Farabi was a renowned philosopher, scientist, and mathematician from Central Asia. He made significant contributions to the fields of logic, metaphysics, and political philosophy, and his works had a lasting impact on the intellectual traditions of the Islamic world.
Another prominent figure was Naheem al-Ghazali, a 12th-century Persian philosopher, theologian, and mystic. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential thinkers in the history of Islamic thought and played a crucial role in reconciling Islamic theology with Greek philosophy.
During the 14th century, Naheem al-Muqaddasi was a renowned Islamic geographer and traveler. His work, "The Best Divisions for Knowledge of the Regions," is considered one of the most important works on medieval Islamic geography and provides valuable insights into the cultural and social landscape of the time.
In the 16th century, Naheem al-Jazari was a renowned engineer and inventor from present-day Turkey. He is best known for his significant contributions to the field of mechanical engineering, particularly his innovative designs for water clocks and other intricate mechanical devices.
These are just a few examples of the notable individuals who have borne the name Naheem throughout history, each contributing significantly to their respective fields and leaving a lasting legacy within the cultural and intellectual traditions of the Islamic world.
People
Naheem + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Naheem 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
Naheem: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Naheem?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 479 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Naheem 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 715,562 US residents.
Is Naheem a common name?
We classify Naheem as "Very Rare". It ranks above 84.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 485 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Naheem most popular?
The single biggest year for Naheem was 2009, when 24 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Naheem is about 17 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Naheem a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Naheem 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.