Walik
Of Arabic origin, possibly meaning "follower" or "adherent".
Name Census estimates that about 10 living Americans carry the first name Walik. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Walik today is around 39 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Walik births was 1981 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Walik. 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 Walik. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
10
~ 1 in 34,275,434 Americans
Peak year
1981
5 babies that year
Average age
39
years old
1990 SSA rank
#9,442
Tracked since 1981
Popularity
Walik: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Walik from the 1980s through to the 1990s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 5 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
Walik 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 Walik 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 Walik
The given name Walik has its roots in the ancient Persian language, dating back to the 6th century BCE. It is derived from the Old Persian word "vālika," which means "strong" or "powerful." The name was prevalent among the nobility and warrior class of the ancient Persian Empire, encompassing modern-day Iran, Afghanistan, and parts of Central Asia.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Walik can be found in the Achaemenid inscriptions at Persepolis, the ceremonial capital of the Persian Empire. These inscriptions, carved in cuneiform script, date back to the reign of Darius the Great (550-486 BCE) and commemorate the achievements of the Persian kings.
During the Sassanid era (224-651 CE), the name Walik gained further prominence. It was borne by several influential figures, including Walik ibn Qubadh, a prince and military commander who played a crucial role in the Persian-Byzantine Wars in the early 7th century.
In the Islamic era, the name Walik continued to be used, although its popularity waned over time. One notable bearer of the name was Walik ibn Yazid (700-744 CE), a renowned Arab mathematician and astrologer who made significant contributions to the development of algebra and trigonometry.
In the medieval period, the name Walik found its way into literature and poetry. The Persian poet Ferdowsi (940-1020 CE) mentions a character named Walik in his epic masterpiece, the Shahnameh, which recounts the history and legends of ancient Persia.
Another prominent figure with the name Walik was Walik Shah (1667-1712 CE), a Mughal prince and governor of Kashmir. He was known for his patronage of the arts and his efforts to promote the region's cultural and architectural heritage.
During the 19th century, the name Walik gained some popularity in Europe, particularly among those with an interest in Eastern cultures and languages. One notable bearer was Walik Zolla (1825-1897), an Italian orientalist and scholar who made significant contributions to the study of Persian literature and language.
Throughout its long history, the name Walik has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including nobles, warriors, scholars, and poets. While its usage may have waned in modern times, it remains a testament to the rich cultural heritage of the Persian world and its enduring influence across centuries.
People
Walik + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Walik 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
Walik: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Walik?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Walik 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 34,275,434 US residents.
Is Walik a common name?
We classify Walik as "Very Rare". It ranks above 28.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Walik most popular?
The single biggest year for Walik was 1981, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Walik is about 39 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 Walik in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Walik a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Walik 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 Walik still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Walik 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 Walik 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 Americans are named Walik?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.