Sana
Of Arabic origin, meaning "lofty" or "brilliant".
Name Census estimates that about 4,595 living Americans carry the first name Sana. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Sana today is around 21 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sana births was 2022 (180 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sana. 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 Sana with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
4.6K
~ 1 in 74,593 Americans
Peak year
2022
180 babies that year
Average age
21
years old
1985 SSA rank
#1,449
Tracked since 1923
Census
Sana in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 8,253 people with the first name Sana, which placed it at #2,805 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#2,805
National first-name rank
People counted
8.3K
8,253 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
2.7
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Asian and Pacific Islander
63.0% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sana
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Sana is Asian/Pacific Islander at 63.0%. The next largest groups are White (25.7%) and Two or More Races (5.0%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Sana described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Sana at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander63.0% · 5,201
- White25.7% · 2,122
- Two or more races5.0% · 415
- Black or African American4.6% · 380
- Hispanic or Latino1.4% · 117
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 18
Gender
Gender distribution for Sana
Out of the 4,727 babies given the name Sana since 1880, 99.9% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Sana as a male name
- Ranked #7,394 in 1985
- 5 male births in 1985
- Peak: 1985 (5 births)
Sana as a female name
- Ranked #1,449 in 2024
- 152 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2022 (180 births)
2020 Census snapshot
In the 2020 Census sex table, Sana leans strongly female. 8,082 people counted with this name were female (97.9%), compared with 175 male bearers (2.1%).
Popularity
Sana: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Sana from the 1920s through to the 2020s, spanning 10 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 1,222 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Sana remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sana 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 Sana during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Sanas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 18 states and territories. California, New York, Texas recorded the most babies named Sana, while Utah, Connecticut, Colorado recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 167 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Sana
The name Sana has its origins in several languages and cultures, with varying meanings and historical significance. It is believed to have derived from the Arabic word "sana," which means "radiance" or "brilliance." In Persian culture, the name Sana is associated with beauty and grace.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Sana can be traced back to the 7th century, when it was mentioned in Arabic poetry and literature. In the famous literary work "Mu'allaqat," composed by pre-Islamic Arab poets, the name Sana is referenced as a symbol of beauty and elegance.
Historically, the name Sana has been popular among Muslim communities, particularly in the Middle East and South Asia. It is often associated with Islamic teachings and virtues, as the word "sana" in Arabic also carries the meaning of "praise" or "glorification."
In ancient Indian texts, such as the Mahabharata and Puranas, the name Sana is mentioned in various contexts, often referring to celestial beings or deities. One notable figure bearing this name is Sana, the daughter of the sage Brighu, who is celebrated for her devotion and spiritual wisdom.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the name Sana. One of the earliest recorded figures is Sana'a, a 7th-century Arab poet and warrior from the Banu Asad tribe, known for her valiant spirit and poetic talents.
Another prominent figure is Sana Fatima, a 17th-century Mughal princess and the daughter of Emperor Shah Jahan, known for her patronage of the arts and her charitable endeavors.
In more recent times, Sana Mir, born in 1986, is a renowned Pakistani cricketer who has represented her country in numerous international tournaments and is considered one of the finest bowlers in women's cricket.
Sana Krasikov, born in 1979, is an award-winning American writer and author of the acclaimed novel "One More Year," which explores themes of immigration, identity, and cultural assimilation.
Sana Saeed, born in 1989, is a Swedish singer and songwriter of Pakistani descent, known for her unique blend of pop and traditional Pakistani music, and her advocacy for cultural diversity.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have carried the name Sana, showcasing its enduring presence across various cultures and time periods.
People
Sana + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sana 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
Sana: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sana?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 4,595 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sana 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 74,593 US residents.
Is Sana a common name?
We classify Sana as "Rare". It ranks above 96.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 4,727 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sana most popular?
The single biggest year for Sana was 2022, when 180 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sana is about 21 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Sana in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 8,253 people with the name Sana, or 2.73 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #2,805 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Sana in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Sana?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Sana leans strongly female. 8,082 people counted with this name were female (97.9%), compared with 175 male bearers (2.1%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Sana?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Sana is Asian/Pacific Islander at 63.0%. The next largest groups are White (25.7%) and Two or More Races (5.0%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Sana most often in the Census?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest reported group for people named Sana in the 2020 Census, accounting for 63.0% (5,201 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Sana in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Sana a female name?
Yes, 99.9% of people registered as Sana 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 Sana still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Sana 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 Sana 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.
How many Americans are named Sana?
See how many Americans are named Sana on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.