Safina
A feminine Arabic name meaning "ship" or "vessel".
Name Census estimates that about 355 living Americans carry the first name Safina. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Safina today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Safina births was 2024 (33 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Safina. 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.
People living today
355
~ 1 in 965,505 Americans
Peak year
2024
33 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,350
Tracked since 2000
Popularity
Safina: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Safina 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 169 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Safina remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Safina 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 Safina during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Safinas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. New York, California, Pennsylvania recorded the most babies named Safina, while Pennsylvania, California, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 34 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Safina
The name Safina has its origins in the Arabic language. It is derived from the word "safina," which means "ship" or "vessel." This name gained popularity in the Islamic world during the medieval period, particularly in regions with strong maritime traditions and coastal settlements.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Safina can be traced back to the 9th century. It appears in various Arabic literary works and historical documents from that era. The name was often bestowed upon individuals who had a connection to the sea, either through their profession or their place of residence.
In Islamic history, the name Safina holds significance due to its association with the story of Noah's Ark. According to the Quran, Noah built a safina (ark) to save himself, his family, and pairs of animals from the great flood. This biblical reference may have contributed to the name's popularity among Muslim communities.
Throughout the centuries, several notable figures have borne the name Safina. One of the earliest known individuals was Safina bint Huyayy, a 7th-century female warrior and poet from the Arabian Peninsula. She played a significant role in the Battle of Khaybar during the early Islamic conquests.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Safina al-Andalusiyya (1165-1238), a famous Andalusian poet and literary figure from the city of Granada. Her works were highly regarded during the golden age of Islamic civilization in Spain.
In the 14th century, Safina al-Bahr was a renowned female navigator and explorer from the Malay Archipelago. She is credited with establishing trade routes and expanding maritime knowledge in the region.
During the Ottoman Empire, Safina Hanim (1550-1618) was a prominent figure in the imperial court. She was the chief consort of Sultan Murad III and played an influential role in the empire's affairs.
In more recent times, Safina Nabi (1924-2004) was a celebrated Pakistani writer and poet. Her works explored themes of love, spirituality, and social issues, earning her numerous accolades and recognitions.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the name Safina throughout history. The name's connection to the sea, ships, and maritime traditions, as well as its religious significance, have contributed to its enduring presence across various cultures and time periods.
People
Safina + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Safina 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
Safina: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Safina?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 355 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Safina 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 965,505 US residents.
Is Safina a common name?
We classify Safina as "Very Rare". It ranks above 81% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 358 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Safina most popular?
The single biggest year for Safina was 2024, when 33 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Safina is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Safina a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Safina 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.
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.