Safir
A name of Arabic origin meaning "ambassador" or "interpreter".
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the first name Safir. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Safir today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Safir births was 2014 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Safir. 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
125
~ 1 in 2,742,035 Americans
Peak year
2014
10 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#10,683
Tracked since 2005
Popularity
Safir: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Safir 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 67 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Safir remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Safir 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 Safir 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 Safir
The name Safir is believed to have its origins in the Arabic language, where it is derived from the word "safeer," which means "ambassador" or "envoy." This name has been in use for centuries, particularly in regions where Arabic culture and language have had a significant influence.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Safir can be found in historical texts from the medieval Islamic world. During this period, the role of ambassadors and envoys was crucial in facilitating diplomatic relations and negotiations between different kingdoms and empires. It is possible that the name Safir was given to individuals who held such positions or were involved in diplomatic affairs.
In some Islamic traditions, the name Safir is also associated with the concept of unveiling or revealing the truth. This could be a reference to the role of an ambassador as a messenger who conveys important information and facilitates understanding between different parties.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Safir. One of the earliest recorded examples is Safir al-Din al-Urmawi, a renowned 13th-century Persian philosopher, musician, and writer who made significant contributions to the field of music theory.
Another prominent figure was Safir Khan, a 16th-century Mughal military commander and governor who served under the reign of Emperor Akbar. He played a crucial role in the expansion and consolidation of the Mughal Empire in the Indian subcontinent.
In the 19th century, Safir al-Iskandarani was a prominent Egyptian scholar and writer who authored several works on Arabic literature and Islamic history.
Safir al-Nawawi, born in 1854, was a renowned Syrian scholar and reformist who advocated for modernization and educational reforms in the Ottoman Empire.
More recently, Safir Issa El Mubaraki was a 20th-century Palestinian diplomat who served as the ambassador of Palestine to several countries, including Egypt and Lebanon.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the name Safir throughout history, highlighting its enduring presence and significance across various cultures and regions influenced by the Arabic language and Islamic traditions.
People
Safir + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Safir 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
Safir: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Safir?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 125 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Safir 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 2,742,035 US residents.
Is Safir a common name?
We classify Safir as "Very Rare". It ranks above 67.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 126 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Safir most popular?
The single biggest year for Safir was 2014, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Safir is about 10 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 Safir in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Safir a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Safir 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 Safir still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Safir 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 Safir 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 have Safir as a first name?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the name Safir on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.