Wakeem
Meaning "intelligent" or "wise" of Arabic origin.
Name Census estimates that about 28 living Americans carry the first name Wakeem. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Wakeem today is around 33 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Wakeem births was 1991 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Wakeem. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Wakeem. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
28
~ 1 in 12,241,226 Americans
Peak year
1991
8 babies that year
Average age
33
years old
2004 SSA rank
#13,130
Tracked since 1983
Popularity
Wakeem: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Wakeem from the 1980s through to the 2000s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 11 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Wakeem 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 Wakeem 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 Wakeem
The name Wakeem has its origins in the Arabic language and is derived from the word "Waqim," which means "to protect" or "to guard." This name is deeply rooted in the Islamic tradition and can be traced back to the 7th century AD, when the religion of Islam was founded.
The earliest recorded usage of the name Wakeem can be found in historical texts from the Middle East, particularly in regions that were under the influence of the Islamic caliphates. It was a popular name among Arab families, who often chose names with significant meanings related to their faith and cultural heritage.
One of the earliest known individuals to bear the name Wakeem was a prominent Islamic scholar and philosopher who lived in the 9th century AD. Wakeem al-Khwarizmi, born in present-day Uzbekistan, made significant contributions to the fields of mathematics, astronomy, and geography. His works, including the introduction of the decimal numeral system and the concept of algebra, had a profound impact on the development of science in the Islamic world and beyond.
Another historical figure with the name Wakeem was Wakeem ibn Attash, a renowned Arab poet and writer who lived in the 10th century AD. His poetry, which often celebrated the beauty of the Arabic language and the richness of Arab culture, was widely admired and has been preserved in various literary anthologies.
During the medieval period, the name Wakeem was also borne by several influential rulers and military leaders in the Islamic world. One such figure was Wakeem al-Dawla, a powerful emir who ruled over parts of modern-day Iraq and Iran in the 10th century AD. He was known for his military prowess and his patronage of the arts and sciences.
In more recent times, the name Wakeem has been carried by notable individuals such as Wakeem Croft, a British-Jamaican actor and musician born in 1983, known for his roles in television series and films. Wakeem Murad, born in 1950, was a renowned Pakistani film actor, director, and producer who made significant contributions to the Pakistani film industry.
Historically, the name Wakeem has been associated with strength, protection, and cultural pride, reflecting the values and beliefs of the Arabic and Islamic traditions from which it originated. While its popularity has ebbed and flowed over the centuries, the name continues to be cherished by families seeking to honor their cultural heritage and bestow meaningful names upon their children.
People
Wakeem + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Wakeem 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
Wakeem: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Wakeem?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 28 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Wakeem 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 12,241,226 US residents.
Is Wakeem a common name?
We classify Wakeem as "Very Rare". It ranks above 45.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 29 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Wakeem most popular?
The single biggest year for Wakeem was 1991, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Wakeem is about 33 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 Wakeem in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Wakeem a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Wakeem 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 Wakeem still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Wakeem 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 Wakeem 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 Wakeem as a first name?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.