NameCensus.
Very Rare

Namath

A masculine Arabic name meaning "valuable" or "precious".

Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Namath. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Namath today is around 45 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Namath births was 1978 (5 babies).

This page is the full Name Census profile for Namath. 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 Namath. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.

People living today

5

~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans

Peak year

1978

5 babies that year

Average age

45

years old

1978 SSA rank

#6,471

Tracked since 1978

Popularity

Namath: popularity over time

Babies born per year

01345

Decades

Namath 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 Namath during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.

DecadeMaleFemaleTotal
1970s505

Origin

Meaning and history of Namath

The name Namath is believed to have its origins in the ancient Aramaic language, which was widely spoken in the Middle East during the first millennium BC. It is thought to be derived from the Aramaic word "nammat," which roughly translates to "pleasant" or "gracious."

The earliest recorded use of the name Namath can be traced back to the first century AD, when it appeared in various Aramaic texts and inscriptions found in the regions of modern-day Syria and Iraq. These texts often referred to individuals with the name Namath as respected members of their communities, suggesting that the name carried positive connotations.

During the early centuries of the Christian era, the name Namath gained some prominence within certain Christian communities in the Middle East. Several early Christian saints and martyrs bore this name, including Saint Namath of Edessa, who lived in the 3rd century AD and was renowned for his charitable works and devotion to the faith.

In the 7th century AD, the name Namath appeared in the historical records of the early Islamic period, as a small number of individuals with this name were mentioned in various Arabic texts and chronicles. However, the name remained relatively uncommon in the Islamic world compared to other regions.

Throughout the Middle Ages and the Renaissance period, the name Namath was sparingly used across various cultures and regions, with a few notable individuals bearing this name. One example is Namath ibn Tariq, a 12th-century Arabian scholar and poet who lived in present-day Spain during the time of the Moorish rule.

Another notable figure was Namath of Rheims, a French cleric and theologian who lived in the 13th century and played a significant role in the development of scholastic philosophy. His writings and teachings were widely influential during the High Middle Ages.

In the 16th century, the name Namath resurfaced in the historical records of the Ottoman Empire, where it was occasionally used by individuals of Armenian or Greek descent living within the empire's territories.

Additionally, there are records of a Namath al-Din, a prominent Persian mathematician and astronomer who lived in the late 16th century and made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics.

While the name Namath has remained relatively uncommon throughout history, it has persisted across various cultures and regions, often associated with individuals of scholarly or religious significance. However, due to its ancient origins and infrequent usage, comprehensive historical records on the name's usage are somewhat limited.

People

Namath + last name combinations

How many people share a full name with Namath 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

Namath: questions and answers

How many people in the U.S. are named Namath?

Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Namath 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 Namath a common name?

We classify Namath 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 Namath most popular?

The single biggest year for Namath was 1978, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Namath is about 45 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 Namath in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.

Is Namath a male name?

Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Namath 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 Namath still being used today?

Yes. The SSA still recorded Namath 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 Namath 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 common is the name Namath?

See how many Americans are named Namath on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.

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