Takia
Arabic feminine name meaning "pious, devout" or "innocent, pure".
Name Census estimates that about 1,874 living Americans carry the first name Takia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Takia today is around 35 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Takia births was 1997 (86 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Takia. 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
1.9K
~ 1 in 182,900 Americans
Peak year
1997
86 babies that year
Average age
35
years old
2019 SSA rank
#17,689
Tracked since 1974
Popularity
Takia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Takia from the 1970s through to the 2010s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 658 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Takia 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 Takia during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Takias live
The SSA's state-level files cover 20 states and territories. New York, Florida, Maryland recorded the most babies named Takia, while Wisconsin, Tennessee, Louisiana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 37 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Takia
The name Takia has its origins in the Arabic language, tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Arabic word "taqiya," which means "piety" or "religious devotion." The name was likely initially bestowed upon children as a reflection of their parents' spiritual values and aspirations for their offspring to lead a virtuous life.
During the Islamic Golden Age, which spanned from the 8th to the 13th centuries, the name Takia gained prominence across the Middle East and North Africa. It was particularly popular among families of Islamic faith, who saw the name as a symbol of their religious beliefs and traditions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Takia can be found in the writings of the renowned Islamic scholar and philosopher, Al-Ghazali (1058-1111 CE). In his seminal work, "The Revival of the Religious Sciences," Al-Ghazali mentions a woman named Takia, whom he praises for her profound spiritual wisdom and devotion to the faith.
Throughout the medieval period, the name Takia was borne by several notable figures in the Islamic world. One such individual was Takia al-Naysaburi (d. 1086 CE), a revered Sufi mystic and poet from the city of Nishapur in present-day Iran. Her poetic works, which often explored themes of divine love and spiritual enlightenment, earned her widespread acclaim and influenced generations of Sufi writers.
Another prominent figure with the name Takia was Takia al-Dimashqi (1241-1318 CE), a Syrian scholar and physician who made significant contributions to the fields of medicine and astronomy. Her treatises on medical practices and her observations of celestial phenomena were widely studied and referenced by scholars of her time.
In the Ottoman Empire, the name Takia was carried by Takia Sultan (1590-1647), a princess and the daughter of Sultan Ahmed I. Known for her patronage of the arts and her philanthropic endeavors, Takia Sultan commissioned the construction of several mosques, schools, and public fountains throughout the empire.
Moving into the modern era, the name Takia continued to be used, albeit less frequently, within Arabic-speaking communities and among those of Islamic heritage. Notable bearers of the name in recent history include Takia Somers (1909-1988), a Lebanese-American writer and activist who advocated for women's rights and social justice.
While the name Takia may not be as prevalent today as it once was, its enduring presence serves as a testament to the rich cultural and religious heritage of the Arabic-speaking world. Its meaning of piety and devotion continues to resonate with those who value spiritual depth and a commitment to living a virtuous life.
People
Takia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Takia as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with T
Other first names starting with T with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Takia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Takia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,874 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Takia 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 182,900 US residents.
Is Takia a common name?
We classify Takia as "Rare". It ranks above 93.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,962 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Takia most popular?
The single biggest year for Takia was 1997, when 86 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Takia is about 35 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Takia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Takia 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.