Naqeeb
A masculine name of Arabic origin meaning "leader" or "commander".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Naqeeb. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Naqeeb today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Naqeeb births was 2015 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Naqeeb. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Naqeeb with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Naqeeb. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2015
5 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2015 SSA rank
#13,445
Tracked since 2015
Popularity
Naqeeb: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Naqeeb 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 Naqeeb during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Naqeeb
The name Naqeeb has its origins in the Arabic language and is derived from the word "Naqib," which means "leader" or "commander." This name has been in use in the Arab world and among Muslim communities for centuries.
The earliest recorded use of the name Naqeeb dates back to the 7th century, during the time of the Islamic Golden Age. It was commonly used to refer to leaders and military commanders in the armies of the early Muslim caliphates.
One of the most notable historical references to the name Naqeeb is found in the "Kitab al-Aghani," a famous anthology of Arabic poetry and songs compiled in the 9th century. The book mentions several individuals with the name Naqeeb who were prominent figures in their time.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Naqeeb. One of the earliest was Naqeeb al-Ashraf (d. 976), a powerful military commander and governor during the Abbasid Caliphate. Another was Naqeeb al-Nuqaba (d. 1014), a distinguished military leader and poet who served under the Fatimid Caliphate in Egypt.
In the 12th century, Naqeeb al-Din al-Husayni (1145-1207) was a prominent Islamic scholar and jurist from Baghdad. He was known for his contributions to the field of Islamic jurisprudence and his expertise in hadith literature.
During the 13th century, Naqeeb al-Dawla (d. 1258) was a powerful military commander who played a crucial role in the Ayyubid dynasty's defense against the Mongol invasions. He is remembered for his valor and leadership in the Battle of Ain Jalut in 1260.
In more recent times, Naqeeb Ali Khan (1905-1976) was a notable Indian politician and diplomat who served as the Governor of West Bengal and the Indian Ambassador to several countries, including Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
While the name Naqeeb has its roots in the Arabic language and Islamic culture, it has transcended cultural boundaries and been adopted by people of various backgrounds around the world, reflecting the rich diversity and cross-cultural exchange that has shaped human history.
People
Naqeeb + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Naqeeb 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
Naqeeb: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Naqeeb?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Naqeeb 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 Naqeeb a common name?
We classify Naqeeb 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 Naqeeb most popular?
The single biggest year for Naqeeb was 2015, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Naqeeb is about 11 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 Naqeeb in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Naqeeb a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Naqeeb 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 Naqeeb still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Naqeeb 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 Naqeeb 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 Americans are named Naqeeb?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.