Safan
A name of Arabic origin meaning "wise" or "prudent".
Name Census estimates that about 10 living Americans carry the first name Safan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Safan today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Safan births was 2018 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Safan. 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 Safan. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
10
~ 1 in 34,275,434 Americans
Peak year
2018
5 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2019 SSA rank
#13,765
Tracked since 2018
Popularity
Safan: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Safan 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 Safan 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 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Safan
The given name Safan is believed to have originated from the Arabic language. Its roots can be traced back to the Middle East region, particularly in areas where Arabic was the predominant language spoken during ancient times.
One of the earliest known references to the name Safan can be found in ancient Arabic texts and literature. It is thought to be derived from the Arabic word "safan," which means "a type of palm tree" or "a vessel made from palm leaves." This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with nature or craftsmanship.
In the historical records of the Islamic world, there are mentions of several notable individuals who bore the name Safan. One of the earliest recorded examples is Safan ibn Yahya al-Bahili, a renowned Arabic poet who lived during the 8th century CE. He was known for his contributions to the poetic tradition of the Abbasid era.
Another significant figure in Islamic history was Safan ibn al-Muattal al-Sulami, a companion of the Prophet Muhammad who participated in several significant battles during the early days of Islam. He is revered for his bravery and devotion to the faith.
During the medieval period, the name Safan gained prominence in various parts of the Middle East and North Africa. One notable bearer of the name was Safan ibn Idris al-Andalusi, a renowned scholar and astronomer from Andalusia (modern-day Spain) who lived in the 11th century CE. He made significant contributions to the field of astronomy and wrote several influential works on the subject.
In the realm of literature, Safan ibn Abbas al-Naysaburi was a prominent Persian poet and scholar who lived during the 10th century CE. He is celebrated for his mastery of the Arabic language and his poetic works, which were widely read and appreciated during his time.
Another notable bearer of the name Safan was Safan ibn al-Mukhtar al-Kufi, a respected Islamic scholar and jurist from Kufa (modern-day Iraq) who lived in the 8th century CE. He was revered for his knowledge of Islamic jurisprudence and his contributions to the understanding and interpretation of Islamic law.
While the name Safan has roots in the Arabic language and culture, it has also been adopted and used in various other regions and cultures over time. However, its historical significance and earliest recorded instances can be traced back to the Middle East and the Islamic world, where it has played a prominent role in literature, scholarship, and religious traditions.
People
Safan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Safan as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Safan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Safan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Safan 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 Safan a common name?
We classify Safan 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 Safan most popular?
The single biggest year for Safan was 2018, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Safan is about 7 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Safan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Safan 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.
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.