Zafeer
A male name of Arabic origin meaning "victorious" or "triumphant".
Name Census estimates that about 12 living Americans carry the first name Zafeer. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Zafeer today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zafeer births was 2020 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zafeer. 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 Zafeer. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
12
~ 1 in 28,562,862 Americans
Peak year
2020
7 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2020 SSA rank
#10,571
Tracked since 2017
Popularity
Zafeer: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Zafeer from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 7 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
Zafeer 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 Zafeer 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 Zafeer
The given name Zafeer finds its origin in the Arabic language. It is derived from the Arabic word "zafar," which means "victory" or "triumph." The name can be traced back to the early Islamic period, around the 7th century CE.
This name was popular among the Arab population during the Islamic Golden Age, which spanned from the 8th to the 13th century. It was commonly given to boys as a symbol of strength, courage, and success in life. The name Zafeer is often associated with the desire for victory and overcoming challenges.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Zafeer can be found in historical texts from the Abbasid Caliphate, which ruled over a vast territory stretching from North Africa to Central Asia. During this period, several notable figures bore the name Zafeer, including Zafeer ibn al-Walid, a renowned military commander who served under the Abbasid caliph al-Mahdi in the late 8th century.
Throughout history, the name Zafeer has been carried by individuals from various walks of life. Zafeer Khan was a prominent Mughal nobleman and military leader who served under the Emperor Aurangzeb in the 17th century. He played a crucial role in the Mughal conquest of the Deccan region in southern India.
In the field of literature, Zafeer Qureshi was a renowned Urdu poet and writer from Pakistan. He was born in 1924 and his works explored themes of love, spirituality, and social commentary. Zafeer Qureshi's poetry was widely celebrated and he received numerous accolades, including the prestigious Pride of Performance award from the government of Pakistan.
Another notable figure named Zafeer was Zafeer Masih, a prominent Pakistani Christian leader and social activist. Born in 1935, he dedicated his life to advocating for the rights of religious minorities in Pakistan and promoting interfaith harmony. His efforts earned him widespread respect and recognition.
Zafeer Ahmed Khan was an influential Bangladeshi politician and statesman. Born in 1939, he served as the Speaker of the National Parliament of Bangladesh from 1996 to 2001. His contributions to the political landscape of Bangladesh were significant, and he was recognized for his dedication to democratic principles and parliamentary procedures.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the name Zafeer. The name has transcended cultural and geographical boundaries, carrying with it the connotations of triumph, success, and overcoming adversities.
People
Zafeer + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zafeer 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
Zafeer: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zafeer?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 12 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zafeer 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 28,562,862 US residents.
Is Zafeer a common name?
We classify Zafeer as "Very Rare". It ranks above 32.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 12 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zafeer most popular?
The single biggest year for Zafeer was 2020, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zafeer is about 7 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 Zafeer in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Zafeer a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zafeer 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 Zafeer still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Zafeer 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 Zafeer 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 common is the name Zafeer?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the name Zafeer at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.