Zaakira
Feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "she who remembers" or "mindful".
Name Census estimates that about 13 living Americans carry the first name Zaakira. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Zaakira today is around 28 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zaakira births was 1998 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zaakira. 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 Zaakira. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
13
~ 1 in 26,365,718 Americans
Peak year
1998
8 babies that year
Average age
28
years old
1998 SSA rank
#11,125
Tracked since 1995
Popularity
Zaakira: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Zaakira 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 Zaakira during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0 | 13 | 13 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Zaakira
The name Zaakira is of Arabic origin, derived from the root word "zakara," which means "to remember" or "to invoke." It is a feminine name that carries a beautiful and profound meaning, associated with memory, remembrance, and invoking the divine.
The earliest recorded use of the name Zaakira can be traced back to the 7th century CE, during the early years of Islamic civilization. It is believed to have been inspired by the Quranic verse, "And remember the name of your Lord and devote yourself to Him with complete devotion" (Al-Muzzammil 73:8). This verse encourages the remembrance of God and devotion to Him, which aligns with the meaning of the name Zaakira.
Throughout Islamic history, the name Zaakira has been borne by several notable figures. One of the earliest known individuals with this name was Zaakira bint Qais, a companion of the Prophet Muhammad and a renowned scholar of hadith (the sayings and teachings of the Prophet). She lived in the 7th century CE and played a significant role in preserving and transmitting Islamic knowledge.
In the 9th century CE, there was Zaakira al-Baghdadiya, a respected female scholar and poet from Baghdad. She was known for her remarkable intellect and contribution to the literary and cultural scene of her time.
During the 12th century CE, Zaakira bint Ibrahim al-Naysaburi was a prominent Sufi mystic and spiritual teacher. Her teachings and writings on the inner dimensions of Islam had a profound influence on the mystical traditions of the region.
In more recent history, Zaakira Sayed Ahmed was an Egyptian feminist and activist who fought for women's rights and education in the early 20th century. She established several schools for girls and played a pivotal role in the women's movement in Egypt.
Another notable figure with the name Zaakira is Zaakira Aziz, a contemporary Pakistani artist and educator. She is renowned for her unique style of combining traditional Islamic calligraphy with modern abstract art, creating visually stunning works that celebrate the beauty of Arabic script and Islamic aesthetics.
While the name Zaakira has its roots in the Arabic language and Islamic culture, it has transcended geographical boundaries and found its way into various communities around the world, embraced for its beautiful meaning and historical significance.
People
Zaakira + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zaakira as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with Z
Other first names starting with Z with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Zaakira: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zaakira?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 13 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zaakira 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 26,365,718 US residents.
Is Zaakira a common name?
We classify Zaakira as "Very Rare". It ranks above 33.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 13 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zaakira most popular?
The single biggest year for Zaakira was 1998, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zaakira is about 28 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 Zaakira in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Zaakira a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zaakira 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.
Is Zaakira still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Zaakira 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 Zaakira 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 called Zaakira?
Find out how many people share the name Zaakira on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.