Wafi
A masculine Arabic name meaning "faithful" or "loyal".
Name Census estimates that about 40 living Americans carry the first name Wafi. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Wafi today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Wafi births was 2018 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Wafi. 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 Wafi with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Wafi. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
40
~ 1 in 8,568,858 Americans
Peak year
2018
7 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2022 SSA rank
#12,235
Tracked since 2008
Popularity
Wafi: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Wafi from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 23 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Wafi 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 Wafi 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 Wafi
The name Wafi has its origins in the Arabic language and culture. It is derived from the Arabic word "wafa," which means loyalty, faithfulness, or keeping one's promises. The name was likely first used during the early Islamic era in the Middle East and North Africa.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Wafi was Wafi al-Baghdadi, a renowned Islamic scholar and historian who lived in the 9th century CE. He was born in Baghdad and wrote extensively on the history and culture of the Abbasid Caliphate.
Another notable figure with the name Wafi was Wafi al-Din al-Taweel, a 13th-century Kurdish philosopher and Sufi mystic. He was born in Ardabil, modern-day Iran, and is known for his contributions to Islamic philosophy and spiritual teachings.
In the 14th century, Wafi al-Din al-Khazraji was a famous Arab mathematician and astronomer from Damascus. He wrote several works on mathematics and astronomy, and his contributions helped advance scientific knowledge in the Islamic world.
During the 16th century, Wafi ibn Yahya was a prominent Ottoman statesman and poet. He served as the Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire under Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and was known for his literary works in both Arabic and Persian.
Another notable figure with the name Wafi was Wafi al-Din al-Ghazzi, a 17th-century Syrian scholar and historian. He authored several books on Islamic jurisprudence, hadith (prophetic traditions), and the history of Damascus.
While the name Wafi has its roots in the Arab and Islamic world, it has been adopted and used in various cultures throughout history. Its meaning of loyalty and faithfulness has made it a popular choice for parents seeking a name that reflects these virtues.
People
Wafi + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Wafi as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with W
Other first names starting with W with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Wafi: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Wafi?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 40 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Wafi 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 8,568,858 US residents.
Is Wafi a common name?
We classify Wafi as "Very Rare". It ranks above 51% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 40 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Wafi most popular?
The single biggest year for Wafi was 2018, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Wafi is about 12 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 Wafi in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Wafi a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Wafi 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 Wafi still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Wafi 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 Wafi 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 are named Wafi?
Find out how many people share the name Wafi on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.