Hikma
A feminine Arabic name meaning wisdom, judgment, or sagacity.
Name Census estimates that about 107 living Americans carry the first name Hikma. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Hikma today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Hikma births was 2021 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Hikma. 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 Hikma with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
107
~ 1 in 3,203,312 Americans
Peak year
2021
13 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2024 SSA rank
#8,614
Tracked since 2010
Popularity
Hikma: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Hikma 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 55 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Hikma 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 Hikma during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Hikmas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Hikma
The given name Hikma has its origins in the Arabic language and culture. It is derived from the Arabic word "hikmah," which means wisdom, knowledge, or understanding. The name is closely tied to Islamic traditions and beliefs, as the concept of wisdom and knowledge is highly valued in the religion.
The name Hikma can be traced back to ancient Arabic texts and literature, where it was often used as a reference to divine wisdom or philosophical teachings. In the Quran, the holy book of Islam, the word "hikmah" appears multiple times, emphasizing the importance of seeking knowledge and living a life guided by wisdom.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hikma can be found in the historical figure Hikmat al-Isfahani, a renowned Arabic philosopher and scientist who lived in the 9th century CE. He made significant contributions to the fields of mathematics, astronomy, and logic.
Throughout history, the name Hikma has been associated with various notable individuals, including:
1. Hikmat Sulayman (c. 1492-1567), an Ottoman poet and scholar known for his works on Islamic mysticism and philosophy.
2. Hikmat Hayri Pasha (1835-1890), an Ottoman statesman and diplomat who served as the Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire.
3. Hikmat Milayev (1895-1973), a Soviet Azerbaijani writer and playwright known for his contributions to Azerbaijani literature.
4. Hikmat Ali Al-Azzawi (1932-2022), an Iraqi writer, poet, and literary critic renowned for his works on Arab culture and identity.
5. Hikmat Shamsuddin (born 1950), a Pakistani politician and diplomat who served as the Foreign Minister of Pakistan from 2008 to 2011.
The name Hikma has a rich historical significance and is deeply rooted in the Arabic language and Islamic traditions. It represents the pursuit of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding, values that have been cherished across various cultures and civilizations throughout human history.
People
Hikma + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Hikma as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with H
Other first names starting with H with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Hikma: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Hikma?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 107 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Hikma 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 3,203,312 US residents.
Is Hikma a common name?
We classify Hikma as "Very Rare". It ranks above 65.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 108 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Hikma most popular?
The single biggest year for Hikma was 2021, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Hikma is about 8 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 Hikma in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Hikma a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Hikma 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 Hikma still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Hikma 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 Hikma 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 have Hikma as a first name?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.