Zakkiyah
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "pure," "virtuous," or "righteous."
Name Census estimates that about 16 living Americans carry the first name Zakkiyah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Zakkiyah today is around 29 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zakkiyah births was 1997 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zakkiyah. 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 Zakkiyah with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Zakkiyah. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
16
~ 1 in 21,422,146 Americans
Peak year
1997
6 babies that year
Average age
29
years old
1998 SSA rank
#16,566
Tracked since 1993
Popularity
Zakkiyah: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Zakkiyah 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 Zakkiyah 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 | 16 | 16 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Zakkiyah
The name Zakkiyah is derived from the Arabic language and has its roots in Islamic culture. It is a feminine name that means "pure" or "virtuous" and is often associated with righteousness and piety.
The origin of the name can be traced back to the Arabic word "zakah," which refers to the Islamic concept of purification and growth through the payment of alms or charity. This connection highlights the spiritual and moral connotations of the name.
In Islamic scriptures, particularly the Quran, there are references to the importance of purity and righteousness. The name Zakkiyah is often given to girls as a way of instilling these values and reminding them of the virtues they should strive for.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Zakkiyah can be found in historical records from the Middle Ages. During this period, there were notable individuals who bore this name, including Zakkiyah bint Al-Qaim (died 1107 CE), a renowned poet and scholar from the Fatimid dynasty in Egypt.
Throughout history, the name Zakkiyah has been carried by various influential women. One such example is Zakkiyah Dhumayri (1892-1976), an Egyptian feminist and activist who played a significant role in advocating for women's rights and education in the early 20th century.
Another notable figure is Zakkiyah Shatnawi (1924-2005), a Jordanian poet and writer who made significant contributions to Arabic literature and celebrated the beauty of her homeland through her works.
In the realm of science, Zakkiyah al-Mushaykhah (1878-1928) was a pioneering Syrian educator and chemist who helped establish modern chemistry education in the region and paved the way for future generations of women scientists.
The name Zakkiyah has also been carried by influential religious figures, such as Zakkiyah Jaffer (1918-2007), a prominent Shia Muslim scholar and leader from South Africa, who played a crucial role in promoting Islamic education and interfaith dialogue.
These examples demonstrate the rich cultural and historical significance of the name Zakkiyah, which has been borne by individuals who embodied the virtues of purity, righteousness, and moral excellence across various fields and regions.
People
Zakkiyah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zakkiyah 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
Zakkiyah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zakkiyah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 16 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zakkiyah 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 21,422,146 US residents.
Is Zakkiyah a common name?
We classify Zakkiyah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 36.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 16 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zakkiyah most popular?
The single biggest year for Zakkiyah was 1997, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zakkiyah is about 29 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 Zakkiyah in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Zakkiyah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zakkiyah 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 Zakkiyah still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Zakkiyah 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 Zakkiyah 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 Zakkiyah?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.