Walida
Of Arabic origin, meaning "someone who gives birth" or "the one who brings forth".
Name Census estimates that about 60 living Americans carry the first name Walida. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Walida today is around 50 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Walida births was 1973 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Walida. 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 Walida. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
60
~ 1 in 5,712,572 Americans
Peak year
1973
15 babies that year
Average age
50
years old
1980 SSA rank
#12,112
Tracked since 1973
Popularity
Walida: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Walida from the 1970s through to the 1980s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 61 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Walida 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 Walida during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Walidas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Walida
The name Walida has its origins in the Arabic language and culture. It is derived from the Arabic root word "walada," which means "to give birth" or "to bear a child." The name is believed to have emerged during the early days of Islam, around the 7th century CE.
Walida is a feminine name that carries a strong connotation of motherhood and fertility. In Islamic tradition, it is associated with the role of women as nurturers and caretakers of the family. The name is often bestowed upon girls with the hope that they will grow up to become loving and devoted mothers.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Walida can be found in the Qur'an, the holy book of Islam. It is mentioned in the context of the story of Mary, the mother of Jesus, who is revered as a righteous and virtuous woman in the Islamic faith.
Throughout history, there have been several notable women who bore the name Walida. One such figure was Walida bint Al-Mughira, a prominent Arab poetess who lived during the 7th century CE. She was renowned for her eloquence and literary prowess, and her poetry often celebrated the virtues of love, courage, and loyalty.
Another historical figure with the name Walida was Walida bint Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr, who lived in the 8th century CE. She was the granddaughter of the first Muslim caliph, Abu Bakr, and was known for her piety and devotion to Islamic teachings.
In the 12th century, there was a famous Andalusian poetess named Walida bint al-Mustakfi, who hailed from the city of Cordoba in present-day Spain. Her poetry reflected the vibrant cultural and intellectual life of the region during the golden age of Islamic rule.
Moving forward in time, one of the most renowned figures with the name Walida was Walida Peplowski, a Polish-born American economist and author who lived from 1909 to 1992. She was a pioneering figure in the field of development economics and worked tirelessly to promote economic growth and social progress in developing countries.
Another notable Walida was Walida Imarisha, an American writer, educator, and activist born in 1981. She is known for her contributions to the fields of social justice, Black studies, and speculative fiction, and her works explore themes of race, identity, and the intersections of various forms of oppression.
These are just a few examples of the many remarkable individuals throughout history who bore the name Walida, a name that carries a rich cultural heritage and a deep connection to the ideals of motherhood, nurturing, and personal growth.
People
Walida + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Walida as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with W
Other first names starting with W with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Walida: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Walida?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 60 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Walida 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 5,712,572 US residents.
Is Walida a common name?
We classify Walida as "Very Rare". It ranks above 57.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 66 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Walida most popular?
The single biggest year for Walida was 1973, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Walida is about 50 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 Walida in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Walida a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Walida 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 Walida still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Walida 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 Walida 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 common is the name Walida?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.