Takiyah
An Arabic name meaning "piety", "fear of God", or "virtue".
Name Census estimates that about 1,890 living Americans carry the first name Takiyah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Takiyah today is around 30 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Takiyah births was 2005 (88 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Takiyah. 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 181,352 Americans
Peak year
2005
88 babies that year
Average age
30
years old
2024 SSA rank
#15,020
Tracked since 1971
Popularity
Takiyah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Takiyah from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 647 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Takiyah 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 Takiyah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Takiyahs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 18 states and territories. New York, Florida, Illinois recorded the most babies named Takiyah, while Louisiana, District of Columbia, Maryland recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 33 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Takiyah
The name Takiyah is believed to have its origins in the Arabic language, with roots tracing back to the Middle East and Islamic cultures. It is derived from the Arabic word "taqiya," which means "caution" or "prudence." The name Takiyah is often associated with the concept of discretion and wisdom.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Takiyah can be found in the Quran, the holy book of Islam. In the Quran, the term "taqiya" is used to refer to the practice of concealing one's faith in times of danger or persecution. This concept played a significant role in the early days of Islam, when Muslims faced persecution and had to exercise caution in expressing their beliefs.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Takiyah. One of the earliest examples is Takiyah al-Naqshbandi, a 14th-century Sufi mystic and scholar from present-day Uzbekistan. She was renowned for her spiritual teachings and her contribution to the Naqshbandi order of Sufism.
Another prominent figure was Takiyah Begum, a 17th-century Mughal princess and the daughter of Emperor Shah Jahan, the ruler who commissioned the construction of the Taj Mahal. Takiyah Begum was known for her literary talents and her patronage of the arts.
In the 19th century, Takiyah Khanum was a prominent Iranian poet and writer who made significant contributions to Persian literature. Her works often explored themes of love, spirituality, and the human experience.
Moving to the 20th century, Takiyah Masudi was an influential Afghan writer and feminist activist. Born in 1914, she played a crucial role in advocating for women's rights and education in Afghanistan during a time of great social and political change.
More recently, Takiyah Amin is a contemporary American fashion designer and entrepreneur. Born in 1982, she has gained recognition for her innovative designs and her commitment to promoting diversity and inclusivity in the fashion industry.
While the name Takiyah has its roots in the Arabic language and Islamic cultures, it has transcended cultural and geographic boundaries, with individuals from various backgrounds and regions bearing this name throughout history. The name's association with caution, prudence, and wisdom has endured over the centuries, making it a powerful and meaningful choice for parents seeking a name with deep cultural significance.
People
Takiyah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Takiyah 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
Takiyah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Takiyah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,890 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Takiyah 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 181,352 US residents.
Is Takiyah a common name?
We classify Takiyah 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, 1,964 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Takiyah most popular?
The single biggest year for Takiyah was 2005, when 88 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Takiyah is about 30 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Takiyah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Takiyah 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.