Seyed
An Arabic masculine name meaning "lord" or "master".
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the first name Seyed. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Seyed today is around 38 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Seyed births was 1982 (12 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Seyed. 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
117
~ 1 in 2,929,524 Americans
Peak year
1982
12 babies that year
Average age
38
years old
2001 SSA rank
#9,068
Tracked since 1979
Popularity
Seyed: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Seyed from the 1970s through to the 2000s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 68 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Seyed 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 Seyed 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 Seyed
The given name Seyed has its origins in the Persian language and culture. It is derived from the Arabic word "sayyid," which means "lord" or "master." The name gained prominence in the Middle East and parts of Central Asia during the medieval period.
In the early days of Islam, the title "Sayyid" was bestowed upon the descendants of the Prophet Muhammad, particularly those from the lineage of his grandson Husayn ibn Ali. This honorific title later evolved into a name used by Muslims, especially among the Shia community.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Seyed was Seyed Ali al-Ridha, also known as Imam Ali al-Ridha, who lived from 765 to 818 CE. He was the eighth Imam in Shia Islam and is revered for his profound knowledge and wisdom.
Another notable figure was Seyed Hossein Nasr, an Iranian philosopher and scholar born in 1933. He is widely regarded as a leading figure in the field of Islamic studies and has written extensively on topics such as Islamic philosophy, science, and spirituality.
Seyed Jamal al-Din al-Afghani, born in 1838, was a prominent Islamic philosopher and political activist who played a significant role in the late 19th century Islamic revival movement. He advocated for Muslim unity and resistance against Western imperialism.
Seyed Qutb, born in 1906, was an influential Egyptian author, literary critic, and a leading member of the Muslim Brotherhood. His writings, particularly his work "Milestones," had a profound impact on the development of Islamic revivalist thought and modern Islamist movements.
Seyed Mohammad Khatami, born in 1943, is an Iranian scholar, philosopher, and former President of Iran. He served as the fifth President from 1997 to 2005 and was known for his efforts to promote civil society, democracy, and dialogue among civilizations.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have carried the name Seyed throughout history, reflecting its deep roots in the Islamic tradition and its association with scholarship, philosophy, and leadership.
People
Seyed + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Seyed 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
Seyed: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Seyed?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 117 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Seyed 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 2,929,524 US residents.
Is Seyed a common name?
We classify Seyed as "Very Rare". It ranks above 66.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 122 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Seyed most popular?
The single biggest year for Seyed was 1982, when 12 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Seyed is about 38 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Seyed a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Seyed 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.