NameCensus.
Very Rare

Saifan

A masculine name of Arabic origin meaning "sword or sword-like".

Name Census estimates that about 281 living Americans carry the first name Saifan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Saifan today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Saifan births was 2019 (33 babies).

This page is the full Name Census profile for Saifan. 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 Saifan with official rankings and popularity over time.

People living today

281

~ 1 in 1,219,766 Americans

Peak year

2019

33 babies that year

Average age

9

years old

2024 SSA rank

#5,832

Tracked since 2006

Popularity

Saifan: popularity over time

The SSA tracks Saifan from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 199 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Saifan remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.

Babies born per year

08172533201020152020

Decades

Saifan 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 Saifan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.

DecadeMaleFemaleTotal
2000s16016
2010s1990199
2020s68068

Geography

Where Saifans live

Origin

Meaning and history of Saifan

The given name Saifan has its origins in the Arabic language and culture, with its roots dating back to the medieval period of the Islamic Golden Age in the Middle East and North Africa. The name is derived from the Arabic word "saif," which translates to "sword" or "blade," and the suffix "-an," which is a common ending in Arabic names.

Historically, the name Saifan likely held significance within the context of the warrior culture that prevailed during the medieval Islamic era. It may have been bestowed upon individuals who displayed bravery, strength, or prowess in battle, as the sword was a revered symbol of power and courage in that time.

While there are no definitive records of the name appearing in ancient texts or religious scriptures, some historical accounts suggest that Saifan was a relatively uncommon name during the early centuries of the Islamic era. However, as the Islamic empires expanded and cultural influence spread across regions, the name gained popularity among various ethnic groups and communities within the Islamic world.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Saifan can be traced back to the 12th century CE, when a prominent scholar and philosopher, Saifan al-Andalusi, flourished in the Iberian Peninsula. Born in Seville, Spain, in 1135, al-Andalusi made significant contributions to the fields of logic, metaphysics, and natural philosophy.

Another notable figure bearing the name Saifan was Saifan al-Ghuri, a Mamluk sultan who ruled over Egypt and Syria from 1501 to 1516. Al-Ghuri played a pivotal role in defending the Mamluk Sultanate against the expanding Ottoman Empire and was known for his military campaigns and strategic alliances.

In the 18th century, Saifan ibn Uthman al-Bahrani was a prominent scholar and jurist from Bahrain. Born in 1718, al-Bahrani authored numerous works on Islamic jurisprudence and theology, and his contributions significantly influenced the intellectual discourse of his time.

The name Saifan also found its way into the literary realm, with Saifan al-Baghdadi, an Arabic poet and writer from Baghdad, Iraq, who lived during the late 9th century CE. Al-Baghdadi's poetic works were widely celebrated and considered influential in the development of Arabic literature.

Another historical figure bearing the name Saifan was Saifan al-Azdi, a military commander and governor who served under the Abbasid Caliphate in the 9th century CE. Al-Azdi played a crucial role in the expansion and administration of the Abbasid Empire, particularly in the regions of Khurasan and Transoxiana.

While the name Saifan may not have been as widespread as some other Arabic names, it has left a lasting imprint on various cultural and historical contexts throughout the centuries, reflecting the rich diversity and heritage of the Arabic-speaking world.

People

Saifan + last name combinations

How many people share a full name with Saifan as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.

Related

Other names starting with S

Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.

FAQ

Saifan: questions and answers

How many people in the U.S. are named Saifan?

Name Census puts the figure at roughly 281 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Saifan 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 1,219,766 US residents.

Is Saifan a common name?

We classify Saifan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 283 babies have been registered with this name.

When was Saifan most popular?

The single biggest year for Saifan was 2019, when 33 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Saifan is about 9 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 Saifan in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.

Is Saifan a male name?

Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Saifan 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 Saifan still being used today?

Yes. The SSA still recorded Saifan 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 Saifan 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 named Saifan?

For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.

N
Name Census
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There are 281 people

with the first name

Saifan

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