Suhayb
A masculine name of Arabic origin meaning "handsome" or "charming".
Name Census estimates that about 369 living Americans carry the first name Suhayb. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Suhayb today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Suhayb births was 2023 (26 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Suhayb. 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 Suhayb with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
369
~ 1 in 928,874 Americans
Peak year
2023
26 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,402
Tracked since 2001
Popularity
Suhayb: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Suhayb 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 203 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Suhayb remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Suhayb 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 Suhayb during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Suhaybs live
Origin
Meaning and history of Suhayb
The given name Suhayb has its origins in the Arabic language. It is derived from the Arabic word "sahab," which means "companion" or "friend." The name gained prominence during the early Islamic era, as it was the name of a famous companion of the Prophet Muhammad.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Suhayb dates back to the 7th century CE. Suhayb ibn Sinan al-Rumi was a companion of the Prophet Muhammad who embraced Islam in its early days in Mecca. He was among the first Muslims to migrate to Medina and participated in several significant battles alongside the Prophet.
In Islamic tradition, Suhayb is revered for his unwavering faith and commitment to the cause of Islam. His story is often cited as an example of sacrificing worldly possessions for the sake of one's beliefs. When he decided to migrate to Medina, the leaders of Mecca tried to persuade him to abandon his decision by offering him a significant amount of wealth, but he refused, uttering the famous words: "I have accompanied the Messenger of God, and I shall not part with him."
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Suhayb. One of the earliest was Suhayb al-Rumi (642-693 CE), a famous Islamic scholar and jurist who played a significant role in the development of Islamic jurisprudence.
Another famous Suhayb was Suhayb al-Bayadi (d. 1068 CE), a renowned Sufi mystic and poet from Baghdad. His poems and spiritual writings were widely celebrated during his lifetime and continue to be studied by Sufis today.
In more recent times, Suhayb Idris (1923-2008) was a prominent Sudanese writer and literary critic. He made significant contributions to Arabic literature and was awarded the prestigious King Faisal International Prize for Arabic Literature in 1988.
Suhayb Salim (1965-1991) was a Palestinian activist and member of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). He was assassinated by Israeli forces in 1991, and his death became a rallying cry for the Palestinian cause.
Suhayb al-Huri (b. 1966) is a contemporary Syrian artist known for his vibrant and expressive paintings that depict everyday life in Syria. His works have been exhibited in galleries across the Middle East and Europe.
The name Suhayb has retained its significance and popularity within the Arab and Muslim world, serving as a reminder of the rich cultural and historical heritage associated with it.
People
Suhayb + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Suhayb 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
Suhayb: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Suhayb?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 369 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Suhayb 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 928,874 US residents.
Is Suhayb a common name?
We classify Suhayb as "Very Rare". It ranks above 81.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 372 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Suhayb most popular?
The single biggest year for Suhayb was 2023, when 26 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Suhayb 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 Suhayb in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Suhayb a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Suhayb 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 Suhayb still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Suhayb 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 Suhayb 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 share the name Suhayb?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.