Qari
An Arabic masculine name meaning "reader" or "reciter".
Name Census estimates that about 10 living Americans carry the first name Qari. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Qari today is around 5 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Qari births was 2019 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Qari. 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 Qari. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
10
~ 1 in 34,275,434 Americans
Peak year
2019
5 babies that year
Average age
5
years old
2023 SSA rank
#13,672
Tracked since 2019
Popularity
Qari: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Qari from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 5 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Qari 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 Qari during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Qari
The name Qari has its origins in the Arabic language, where it is derived from the word "qara'a," which means "to read" or "to recite." This name is closely associated with the Islamic tradition and is often given to individuals who are scholars or reciters of the Quran.
In the early days of Islam, the term "Qari" was used to refer to those who had dedicated their lives to the study and recitation of the Quran. These individuals played a crucial role in preserving the sacred text and ensuring its accurate transmission from generation to generation. The title "Qari" carried a great deal of respect and honor within the Muslim community.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Qari can be found in the biographical works of Islamic scholars from the 8th and 9th centuries. These works often mentioned renowned Qaris who were revered for their mastery of Quranic recitation and their contributions to the preservation of Islamic knowledge.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Qari. One of the most famous was Qari Abdul Basit (1925-1988), a renowned Pakistani Qari who was widely regarded as one of the greatest reciters of the Quran in the 20th century. His melodious and emotionally captivating recitations earned him international acclaim and inspired millions of Muslims around the world.
Another prominent figure was Qari Muhammad Tayyib (1935-2022), an Indian Qari and Islamic scholar who dedicated his life to teaching and preserving the art of Quranic recitation. He was widely recognized for his expertise in the various styles and modes of recitation and played a significant role in training new generations of Qaris.
In the realm of Islamic scholarship, Qari Ismail Bukhari (1193-1246) was a prominent figure. He was a renowned Hanafi scholar and author of several influential works on Islamic jurisprudence, including the famous "Ashi'at al-Lamaat" and "Muheet al-Burhani."
The name Qari has also been associated with individuals who have made significant contributions to the field of Islamic calligraphy. One such example is Qari Muhammad Hussain Mirza (1917-2002), a Pakistani calligrapher who was widely acclaimed for his mastery of the Naskh and Nastaliq scripts. His works adorned numerous mosques and Islamic institutions around the world.
Another notable figure was Qari Abdul Haq (1915-1988), a Pakistani Qari and Islamic scholar who played a pivotal role in the establishment of the International Islamic University in Islamabad. He was renowned for his expertise in Quranic recitation and his efforts to promote Islamic education in Pakistan.
The name Qari continues to hold great significance within the Islamic tradition, serving as a reminder of the importance of preserving and transmitting the sacred knowledge of the Quran. Throughout history, individuals bearing this name have made invaluable contributions to the fields of Islamic scholarship, recitation, and calligraphy, leaving a lasting impact on the Muslim world.
People
Qari + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Qari as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with Q
Other first names starting with Q with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Qari: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Qari?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Qari 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 Qari a common name?
We classify Qari 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 Qari most popular?
The single biggest year for Qari was 2019, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Qari 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 Qari in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Qari a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Qari 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 Qari still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Qari 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 Qari 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 share the name Qari?
Want to know how many people share the name Qari? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.