Zahran
A masculine name of Arabic origin meaning "one who glows" or "blossoming".
Name Census estimates that about 65 living Americans carry the first name Zahran. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Zahran today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zahran births was 2019 (12 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zahran. 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 Zahran with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Zahran. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
65
~ 1 in 5,273,144 Americans
Peak year
2019
12 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2023 SSA rank
#10,785
Tracked since 2014
Popularity
Zahran: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Zahran from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 41 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Zahran remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Zahran 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 Zahran 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 Zahran
The name Zahran is of Arabic origin and has its roots in the ancient Semitic languages of the Middle East. It is derived from the Arabic word "zahr," which means "flower" or "blossom." The name is believed to have emerged in the Arabian Peninsula during the early days of Islam, around the 7th century AD.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Zahran can be found in the biographical works of Islamic scholars from the 9th and 10th centuries. These texts mention individuals bearing this name, indicating its usage during the early centuries of Islamic civilization.
In Islamic literature, the name Zahran is sometimes associated with the concept of purity and beauty, reflecting the symbolism of a flower. It is also believed to have been used as a metaphorical reference to individuals who possessed admirable qualities, such as wisdom or knowledge, likening them to the radiance of a blossom.
Throughout history, there have been several notable figures who bore the name Zahran. One of the earliest was Zahran al-Attar, a renowned Persian poet and scholar who lived in the 9th century AD. His poetic works, which celebrated the beauty of nature and love, were highly influential in shaping the literary traditions of his time.
Another prominent individual with this name was Zahran ibn Muhammad, a celebrated Islamic scholar and jurist from the 12th century AD. He was known for his extensive knowledge of Islamic law and his contributions to the field of jurisprudence, which earned him widespread recognition among his contemporaries.
In the 13th century AD, Zahran al-Ansari was a revered Sufi mystic and spiritual teacher from Egypt. His teachings and writings on the mystical aspects of Islam had a significant impact on the development of Sufism in the region.
During the medieval period, the name Zahran was also associated with military leaders and warriors. One such figure was Zahran al-Ghazi, a renowned Arab general who led successful military campaigns against the Crusaders in the 12th century AD, earning him a place in the annals of Islamic history.
In more recent times, Zahran Alloush was a prominent Syrian military commander and the leader of the Islamic Front, a coalition of rebel groups that played a significant role in the Syrian Civil War during the early 2010s.
These are just a few examples of the diverse individuals who have borne the name Zahran throughout history, reflecting its enduring presence and significance across various cultures and eras.
People
Zahran + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zahran 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
Zahran: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zahran?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 65 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zahran 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 5,273,144 US residents.
Is Zahran a common name?
We classify Zahran as "Very Rare". It ranks above 58.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 65 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zahran most popular?
The single biggest year for Zahran was 2019, when 12 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zahran 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 Zahran in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Zahran a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zahran 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 Zahran still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Zahran 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 Zahran 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 named Zahran?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.