Zahiyah
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "radiant" or "brilliant."
Name Census estimates that about 15 living Americans carry the first name Zahiyah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Zahiyah today is around 19 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zahiyah births was 1997 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zahiyah. 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 Zahiyah. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
15
~ 1 in 22,850,289 Americans
Peak year
1997
5 babies that year
Average age
19
years old
2013 SSA rank
#19,208
Tracked since 1997
Popularity
Zahiyah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Zahiyah from the 1990s through to the 2010s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 10 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
Zahiyah 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 Zahiyah 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 Zahiyah
The name Zahiyah has its roots in the Arabic language and is derived from the word "zahiya," which means "bright" or "shining." It is considered a feminine name and is often associated with beauty, radiance, and light.
The earliest recorded use of the name Zahiyah dates back to the 7th century, during the time of the Islamic Golden Age. It is believed that the name was initially given to girls born during the day, as the name symbolized the brightness and warmth of the sun.
Zahiyah does not appear to have been mentioned in any significant historical texts or religious scriptures. However, it has been a popular name among Arabic-speaking communities for centuries, particularly in the Middle Eastern region.
One of the earliest notable figures with the name Zahiyah was Zahiyah bint Amir al-Kalbi, a 9th-century Arab poet and scholar from Basra, in present-day Iraq. She was renowned for her poetic talents and her contributions to Arabic literature.
Another prominent figure was Zahiyah al-Awadhi, a 13th-century Sufi mystic and spiritual teacher from present-day Iran. She was known for her wisdom, piety, and influence in spreading the teachings of Sufism.
In the 14th century, Zahiyah bint al-Shaykh al-Wazir was a renowned calligrapher and artist from Damascus, Syria. Her works were highly regarded for their beauty and precision.
During the 15th century, Zahiyah al-Baghdadiyah was a celebrated poet and writer from Baghdad, Iraq. Her poetic works were widely celebrated and praised for their eloquence and depth.
In the 19th century, Zahiyah al-Kurdi was a Syrian feminist and activist who fought for women's rights and education. She was a pioneer in promoting the empowerment of women in the Arab world.
These are just a few examples of notable figures throughout history who bore the name Zahiyah. The name has maintained its popularity and significance across various Arabic-speaking regions, carrying with it connotations of beauty, radiance, and enlightenment.
People
Zahiyah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zahiyah 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
Zahiyah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zahiyah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 15 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zahiyah 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 22,850,289 US residents.
Is Zahiyah a common name?
We classify Zahiyah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 35.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 15 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zahiyah most popular?
The single biggest year for Zahiyah was 1997, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zahiyah is about 19 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Zahiyah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zahiyah 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.
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.