Farzana
An Arabic feminine name meaning "distinguished" or "precious".
Name Census estimates that about 198 living Americans carry the first name Farzana. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Farzana today is around 28 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Farzana births was 1997 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Farzana. 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 Farzana with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
198
~ 1 in 1,731,083 Americans
Peak year
1997
13 babies that year
Average age
28
years old
2024 SSA rank
#13,977
Tracked since 1978
Census
Farzana in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 2,998 people with the first name Farzana, which placed it at #5,640 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#5,640
National first-name rank
People counted
3.0K
2,998 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
1.0
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Asian and Pacific Islander
91.6% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Farzana
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Farzana is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and White (2.6%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Farzana described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Farzana at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander91.6% · 2,746
- Two or more races4.3% · 128
- White2.6% · 78
- Black or African American1.1% · 34
- Hispanic or Latino0.3% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Popularity
Farzana: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Farzana from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 75 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Farzana 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 Farzana during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Farzanas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Farzana
The name Farzana has its roots in the Persian language and culture, originating from the word "farzaneh," which means wise, learned, or educated. This name gained popularity during the medieval period in Persia, which is now modern-day Iran.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Farzana can be traced back to the 11th century, when it was mentioned in the works of renowned Persian poets and scholars. One notable figure who bore this name was Farzana Khatun, a princess from the Seljuk Empire, who lived in the 12th century and was renowned for her intellectual prowess and patronage of the arts.
In the realm of literature, the name Farzana has been immortalized in the epic Persian poem, Shahnameh, written by the celebrated poet Ferdowsi in the late 10th century. This ancient work, which recounts the history and mythology of ancient Persia, features a character named Farzana, portrayed as a wise and virtuous woman.
Throughout history, several influential figures have carried the name Farzana. One such figure was Farzana Shaikh, a 13th-century Persian poet and philosopher, who was widely acclaimed for her contributions to the field of Sufism and her poetic works that explored the depths of human spirituality.
Another notable figure was Farzana Daulat Naqvi, an Indian educator and social reformer who lived from 1892 to 1976. She played a pivotal role in establishing educational institutions for women in undivided India and advocated for women's rights and empowerment.
In the modern era, Farzana Johal, born in 1976, is a renowned British actress and singer of Pakistani descent. She has appeared in various television shows and films, showcasing her talent and adding to the cultural significance of the name Farzana.
Farzana Naz, born in 1988, is a Pakistani squash player who has achieved remarkable success in the sport, winning numerous international tournaments and representing her country on the global stage.
Overall, the name Farzana has a rich historical and cultural legacy, spanning centuries and crossing geographical boundaries. From its Persian origins to its representation in literature, philosophy, and various fields, the name Farzana has been borne by remarkable individuals who have left an indelible mark on their respective domains.
People
Farzana + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Farzana as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with F
Other first names starting with F with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Farzana: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Farzana?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 198 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Farzana 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 1,731,083 US residents.
Is Farzana a common name?
We classify Farzana as "Very Rare". It ranks above 74.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 204 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Farzana most popular?
The single biggest year for Farzana was 1997, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Farzana is about 28 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Farzana in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 2,998 people with the name Farzana, or 0.99 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #5,640 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Farzana in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Farzana?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Farzana appears almost entirely female. Of the 2,997 people counted with this name, 99.7% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Farzana?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Farzana is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and White (2.6%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Farzana most often in the Census?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest reported group for people named Farzana in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (2,746 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Farzana in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Farzana a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Farzana 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 Farzana still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Farzana 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 Farzana 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.
How many people have the name Farzana?
If you just want to know how many people share the name Farzana, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.