Zamil
An Arabic masculine name meaning "companion" or "friend".
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Zamil. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Zamil today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zamil births was 2013 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zamil. 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 Zamil with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Zamil. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
2013
6 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2016 SSA rank
#14,167
Tracked since 2013
Popularity
Zamil: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Zamil 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 Zamil during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 11 | 0 | 11 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Zamil
The name Zamil has its roots in the Arabic language and culture, with a rich history dating back centuries. It is derived from the Arabic word "zameel," meaning "companion" or "friend." This name was likely bestowed upon infants with the hope that they would grow up to be loyal and trustworthy companions to others.
In the Arab world, the name Zamil has been found in various historical records and texts, though its earliest documented use is difficult to pinpoint with certainty. It is believed to have been in use since the early days of Islam, as many names during that time carried meanings associated with virtues and positive traits.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Zamil was Zamil ibn Amr, a renowned Arabian poet who lived in the 7th century AD during the Umayyad Caliphate. His poetic works, which often celebrated the virtues of friendship and loyalty, gained widespread recognition and may have contributed to the popularity of the name.
Another notable figure in history was Zamil al-Kindi, a 9th-century Arab philosopher, mathematician, and scientist who made significant contributions to the fields of optics, music theory, and metaphysics. His writings and teachings influenced the development of various branches of knowledge during the Islamic Golden Age.
In the 12th century, Zamil ibn al-Naqib was a prominent Sunni Muslim scholar and jurist from Baghdad. He authored several works on Islamic jurisprudence and was highly respected for his knowledge and expertise in religious matters.
During the 16th century, Zamil al-Husayni was a renowned Ottoman calligrapher and poet. His intricate calligraphic works, which adorned numerous mosques and buildings throughout the Ottoman Empire, are celebrated as masterpieces of Islamic art to this day.
In more recent history, Zamil Al-Ittihad was a Saudi Arabian footballer who played as a midfielder for several prestigious clubs, including Al-Ittihad and the Saudi Arabian national team in the late 20th century. He was known for his skill and dedication to the sport.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the name Zamil throughout history, each leaving their mark in their respective fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of Arab and Islamic culture.
People
Zamil + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zamil 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
Zamil: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zamil?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zamil 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 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Zamil a common name?
We classify Zamil as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zamil most popular?
The single biggest year for Zamil was 2013, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zamil is about 12 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 Zamil in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Zamil a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zamil 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 Zamil still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Zamil 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 Zamil 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 called Zamil?
You can see how many people have the name Zamil on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.