Nazai
An Arabic name meaning "pure" or "righteous".
Name Census estimates that about 91 living Americans carry the first name Nazai. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Nazai today is around 2 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nazai births was 2024 (87 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nazai. 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 Nazai with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Nazai. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
91
~ 1 in 3,766,531 Americans
Peak year
2024
87 babies that year
Average age
2
years old
2024 SSA rank
#1,853
Tracked since 2023
Popularity
Nazai: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Nazai 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 Nazai during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 92 | 0 | 92 |
Geography
Where Nazais live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. Florida, California, New York recorded the most babies named Nazai, while Texas, Indiana, Pennsylvania recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 8 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Nazai
The given name Nazai is believed to have originated from the Sanskrit language, which was the classical language of ancient India. It is thought to have emerged during the Vedic period, which spanned from approximately 1500 BCE to 500 BCE. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word "naz," which means "to lead" or "to guide," and the suffix "-ai," which denotes a feminine form.
Nazai was a relatively uncommon name in ancient India, and there are no records of it appearing in significant historical texts or religious scriptures from that era. However, some scholars suggest that it may have been used as a name for women in certain regions of the Indian subcontinent during the Vedic period.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Nazai can be found in the "Lichchhavi Inscriptions," a collection of ancient inscriptions from the Lichchhavi period in Nepal, dating back to around the 5th century CE. One of the inscriptions mentions a woman named Nazai, who is believed to have been a member of the Lichchhavi nobility.
Throughout history, there are a few notable individuals who bore the name Nazai. One of the earliest known figures was Nazai Begum, a prominent Mughal noblewoman who lived in the 16th century. She was the wife of the Mughal Emperor Humayun and served as the regent for her son, Akbar the Great, during his early years as the emperor.
Another historical figure with the name Nazai was Nazai Khanum, a Persian poet who lived in the 17th century. She was renowned for her contributions to the Persian literary tradition and is considered one of the most accomplished female poets of her time.
In the 19th century, Nazai Sohrab was a notable Afghan politician and diplomat. He served as the ambassador of Afghanistan to the Russian Empire and played a significant role in the region's political affairs during the Anglo-Afghan Wars.
Nazai Amari was an influential Afghan writer and activist who lived in the 20th century. She was a prominent figure in the women's rights movement in Afghanistan and was known for her literary works that addressed social and political issues.
Nazai Nematullah was an Afghan military officer and politician who served as the Minister of Defense and the Prime Minister of Afghanistan in the 1960s and 1970s. He played a crucial role in the country's political landscape during that period.
People
Nazai + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nazai 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
Nazai: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nazai?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 91 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nazai 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 3,766,531 US residents.
Is Nazai a common name?
We classify Nazai as "Very Rare". It ranks above 63.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 92 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nazai most popular?
The single biggest year for Nazai was 2024, when 87 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nazai is about 2 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 Nazai in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Nazai a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nazai 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 Nazai still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Nazai 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 Nazai 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 have Nazai as a first name?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the name Nazai on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.