Suhayl
An Arabic name meaning "tiny plant" or "small white flower".
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Suhayl. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Suhayl today is around 4 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Suhayl births was 2021 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Suhayl. 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 Suhayl with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Suhayl. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
2021
6 babies that year
Average age
4
years old
2024 SSA rank
#13,935
Tracked since 2021
Popularity
Suhayl: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Suhayl 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 Suhayl during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 11 | 0 | 11 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Suhayl
The name Suhayl originates from the Arabic language and culture. It is derived from the Arabic word "sahil," which means "easy" or "smooth." The name's roots can be traced back to ancient Arabian civilizations and the rise of Islam in the 7th century.
In Islamic tradition, Suhayl is one of the stars in the celestial sphere. It is also the name of a star in the constellation Scorpius, known as Gamma Scorpii. This star was significant in ancient Arabian astronomy and navigation, as it was used to guide travelers across the vast deserts.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Suhayl is found in the Qur'an, the holy book of Islam. The name is mentioned in the context of praising Allah's creation and the beauty of the night sky. This association with celestial bodies and divine teachings likely contributed to the name's popularity among Muslims.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Suhayl. One of the most famous was Suhayl ibn Amr (584-650 CE), a respected Arab leader and diplomat who played a crucial role in negotiating the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah between the Prophet Muhammad and the Quraysh tribe of Mecca.
Another prominent figure was Suhayl al-Rumi (836-925 CE), a renowned Persian mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the development of trigonometry and the study of celestial bodies.
In the literary realm, Suhayl Idris (1925-2008) was a celebrated Egyptian novelist and playwright known for his works exploring social and political themes in the Arab world.
The name Suhayl also has a rich cultural heritage in Spain, where it was introduced during the Moorish rule in the 8th to 15th centuries. One of the most notable Spanish figures with this name was Suhayl al-Ruayni (1034-1094), a prominent Islamic scholar and poet from Seville.
Finally, Suhayl Zahri (1936-2016) was a highly respected Pakistani linguist and scholar who made significant contributions to the study and preservation of the Sindhi language and literature.
Through these examples, it is evident that the name Suhayl has held a significant place in various cultures and time periods, often associated with scholarship, astronomy, and literary achievements.
People
Suhayl + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Suhayl 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
Suhayl: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Suhayl?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Suhayl 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 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Suhayl a common name?
We classify Suhayl as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Suhayl most popular?
The single biggest year for Suhayl was 2021, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Suhayl is about 4 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 Suhayl in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Suhayl a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Suhayl 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 Suhayl still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Suhayl 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 Suhayl 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 the name Suhayl?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.