Ferrah
A feminine name of Arabic origin signifying joy or happiness.
Name Census estimates that about 95 living Americans carry the first name Ferrah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Ferrah today is around 15 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ferrah births was 2012 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ferrah. 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 Ferrah. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
95
~ 1 in 3,607,940 Americans
Peak year
2012
13 babies that year
Average age
15
years old
2024 SSA rank
#13,986
Tracked since 1977
Popularity
Ferrah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ferrah from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 66 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ferrah 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 Ferrah 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 Ferrah
The name Ferrah is believed to have originated from the Persian language, derived from the word "farrah," which means "radiance" or "divine glory." This name has been in use since ancient times, particularly in regions of modern-day Iran and surrounding areas influenced by Persian culture.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ferrah can be found in the ancient Zoroastrian sacred text, the Avesta, where it is mentioned in connection with the concept of "Khvarenah," or divine glory. This suggests that the name may have held spiritual significance in ancient Persian cultures.
During the Achaemenid Empire period (550–330 BCE), the name Ferrah was occasionally used among the Persian nobility and aristocracy. Historical records from this time mention a few individuals bearing this name, although specific details are scarce.
In the medieval period, the name Ferrah gained popularity among Persian scholars and poets. One notable figure was Ferrah-e Isfahani, a 10th-century Persian poet and literary critic born in Isfahan (920–980 CE). His works, which included poetry and literary critiques, were highly regarded during his lifetime and contributed to the preservation of the name's cultural significance.
Another historical figure bearing the name Ferrah was Ferrah Mirza, a 16th-century Persian prince and military commander who served under the Safavid dynasty. He was known for his military exploits and played a significant role in the expansion of the Safavid Empire (1501–1736 CE).
Moving forward to the 19th century, Ferrah Antun was a prominent Lebanese writer, poet, and journalist (1839–1923). He was a pioneering figure in the Arabic literary renaissance known as the Nahda and was considered one of the most influential thinkers of his time.
While the name Ferrah has its roots in the Persian language and culture, it has also been adopted and used in various other regions and cultures over time, likely due to cultural exchange and migration. However, its origins can be traced back to the ancient Persian concept of "farrah," which symbolized radiance, glory, and divine splendor.
People
Ferrah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ferrah 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
Ferrah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ferrah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 95 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ferrah 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 3,607,940 US residents.
Is Ferrah a common name?
We classify Ferrah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 63.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 96 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ferrah most popular?
The single biggest year for Ferrah was 2012, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ferrah is about 15 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 Ferrah in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ferrah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ferrah 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 Ferrah still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ferrah 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 Ferrah 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 Americans are named Ferrah?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.