Nebi
A masculine Arabic name meaning "prophet" or "messenger of God".
Name Census estimates that about 10 living Americans carry the first name Nebi. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Nebi today is around 5 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nebi births was 2020 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nebi. 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 Nebi with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Nebi. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
10
~ 1 in 34,275,434 Americans
Peak year
2020
5 babies that year
Average age
5
years old
2022 SSA rank
#13,744
Tracked since 2020
Popularity
Nebi: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Nebi 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 Nebi 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 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Nebi
The name Nebi finds its origins in the Arabic language and culture, with its roots dating back to the 7th century CE. It is derived from the Arabic word "nabi," which translates to "prophet" or "messenger." This name holds significant religious and cultural significance in the Islamic tradition.
Nebi is closely associated with the revered prophets of Islam, particularly the Prophet Muhammad, who is considered the last and most important prophet in Islamic belief. The name may have been bestowed upon individuals as a way to honor and commemorate the teachings and legacy of these prophets.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nebi can be found in the Quran, the holy book of Islam, where it is used to refer to the prophets who were sent by God to guide humanity. The name is mentioned numerous times throughout the text, highlighting its deep-rooted connection to Islamic theology and tradition.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Nebi. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this name was Nebi ibn Wahab (659-719 CE), a renowned Islamic scholar and jurist from Medina, who made significant contributions to the development of Islamic jurisprudence.
Another prominent figure was Nebi al-Misri (1020-1108 CE), an Egyptian scholar and Sufi mystic who played a crucial role in the spread of Sufism, the mystical branch of Islam, in Egypt and the wider region.
In the Ottoman Empire, Nebi Efendi (1572-1659 CE) was a renowned calligrapher and poet who excelled in the art of Ottoman calligraphy and contributed to the development of the art form during the golden age of the empire.
The name Nebi also gained prominence in the Indian subcontinent, with individuals like Nebi Bakhsh Khan (1677-1740 CE), a prominent military commander and statesman who served under the Mughal Empire, and Nebi Khan (1844-1903 CE), a renowned Pashtun poet and scholar from present-day Pakistan.
Another notable figure bearing the name Nebi was Nebi Khuzayma (1897-1967 CE), a Syrian scholar and theologian who played a significant role in the revival of Islamic thought and reform movements in the 20th century.
While these are just a few examples, the name Nebi has been carried by numerous individuals throughout history, each contributing to their respective fields and leaving a lasting impact on their respective societies and cultures.
People
Nebi + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nebi 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
Nebi: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nebi?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nebi 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 34,275,434 US residents.
Is Nebi a common name?
We classify Nebi as "Very Rare". It ranks above 28.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nebi most popular?
The single biggest year for Nebi was 2020, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nebi is about 5 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 Nebi in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Nebi a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nebi 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 Nebi still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Nebi 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 Nebi 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 are called Nebi?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.