Zafira
An Arabic feminine name derived from the words "zafir" and "zafran", meaning "victorious" and "crocus".
Name Census estimates that about 149 living Americans carry the first name Zafira. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Zafira today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zafira births was 2024 (25 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zafira. 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 Zafira with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
149
~ 1 in 2,300,365 Americans
Peak year
2024
25 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,274
Tracked since 2007
Popularity
Zafira: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Zafira 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 76 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
Zafira 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 Zafira during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Zafiras live
Origin
Meaning and history of Zafira
The name Zafira has its origins in the Arabic language, where it is derived from the word "zafir," meaning "victorious" or "triumphant." It is believed to have emerged as a given name during the medieval period in regions where Arabic culture and language had a significant influence, such as the Middle East and parts of North Africa.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Zafira can be found in Islamic literature and historical accounts from the 7th century AD onwards. It was a name bestowed upon individuals who were celebrated for their victories or triumphs, whether in battle, intellectual pursuits, or other significant endeavors.
In the 10th century, a notable figure named Zafira bint Al-Muhtadi was a renowned poet and scholar from the Abbasid Caliphate in present-day Iraq. Her literary works and contributions to the arts and sciences of her time earned her widespread recognition and acclaim.
Another prominent individual with the name Zafira was Zafira bint Umar al-Ghafiqiyya, a 12th-century Muslim scholar and jurist from present-day Tunisia. She was renowned for her expertise in Islamic jurisprudence and her contributions to the advancement of legal studies during her era.
In the 13th century, Zafira al-Isfahani was a celebrated calligrapher and artist from Isfahan, Persia (modern-day Iran). Her intricate calligraphic works and illuminated manuscripts were highly esteemed and are considered masterpieces of Islamic art.
Zafira bint Yahya al-Baghdadi, born in the late 13th century in Baghdad, was a renowned female scholar and theologian. She was highly respected for her knowledge of Islamic theology and her teachings, which attracted students from across the region.
Throughout history, the name Zafira has carried connotations of strength, triumph, and intellectual prowess, reflecting the cultural and linguistic heritage of the Arabic world. Its enduring presence serves as a testament to the rich tapestry of names that have transcended time and geography.
People
Zafira + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zafira 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
Zafira: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zafira?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 149 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zafira 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 2,300,365 US residents.
Is Zafira a common name?
We classify Zafira as "Very Rare". It ranks above 70.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 150 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zafira most popular?
The single biggest year for Zafira was 2024, when 25 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zafira is about 8 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 Zafira in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Zafira a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zafira 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 Zafira still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Zafira 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 Zafira 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 share the name Zafira?
Want to know how many people share the name Zafira? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.