Rakeb
A masculine Arabic name meaning "knight" or "cavalryman".
Name Census estimates that about 173 living Americans carry the first name Rakeb. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Rakeb today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rakeb births was 2020 (19 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rakeb. 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 Rakeb with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
173
~ 1 in 1,981,239 Americans
Peak year
2020
19 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2024 SSA rank
#17,079
Tracked since 2005
Popularity
Rakeb: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rakeb from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 115 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Rakeb remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rakeb 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 Rakeb 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 Rakeb
The given name Rakeb has its origins deeply rooted in ancient Arabic and Semitic cultures. The name is derived from the Arabic word "rakiba," which translates to "to ride" or "to mount," often associated with horseback riding or traveling by camel. This linguistic connection suggests that the name may have been initially bestowed upon individuals who excelled in horsemanship or were renowned travelers.
Historically, the name Rakeb can be traced back to the 7th century CE, during the early Islamic era. It gained prominence within the Arabian Peninsula and the broader Middle Eastern region. Some scholars believe that the name may have been inspired by the Arabic phrase "rakib al-bahr," which means "sailor" or "seafarer," hinting at a potential maritime connection.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Rakeb can be found in the writings of renowned Islamic scholars and historians from the 8th and 9th centuries. For instance, the historian Al-Tabari mentioned a prominent individual named Rakeb ibn Ziyad, who served as a military commander during the Umayyad Caliphate.
Throughout the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the name Rakeb. One of the most famous was Rakeb al-Khwarizmi (780-850 CE), a renowned Persian mathematician, astronomer, and geographer. His contributions to the development of algebra and the introduction of the Arabic numerals were instrumental in shaping the field of mathematics.
Another significant figure was Rakeb ibn Abi Rakeb (d. 892 CE), a renowned Arab poet from Baghdad during the Abbasid era. His poetic works, which often celebrated the beauty of nature and the virtues of love and friendship, earned him widespread acclaim and enduring recognition in the literary circles of his time.
In the 11th century, Rakeb al-Deen al-Tusi (1021-1092 CE) was a prominent Persian philosopher, theologian, and scientist who made significant contributions to the fields of logic, mathematics, and astronomy. His philosophical treatises and works on the celestial bodies were highly influential and widely studied in the Islamic world.
More recently, Rakeb Bey (1801-1868) was an Ottoman statesman and reformer who played a crucial role in the implementation of the Tanzimat reforms, which aimed to modernize and restructure the Ottoman Empire's administrative and legal systems.
While the name Rakeb may not be as widespread today as it once was, its rich historical and cultural significance continues to resonate. The name serves as a testament to the diverse linguistic heritage and vibrant intellectual traditions that have shaped the Arabic and Islamic world throughout the centuries.
People
Rakeb + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rakeb as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Rakeb: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rakeb?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 173 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rakeb 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 1,981,239 US residents.
Is Rakeb a common name?
We classify Rakeb as "Very Rare". It ranks above 72.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 174 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rakeb most popular?
The single biggest year for Rakeb was 2020, when 19 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rakeb 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 Rakeb in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Rakeb a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rakeb in the SSA data are female. 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 Rakeb still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Rakeb 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 Rakeb 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 named Rakeb?
Find out how many people share the name Rakeb on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.