Zaahir
Arabic name meaning "apparent" or "manifest".
Name Census estimates that about 284 living Americans carry the first name Zaahir. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Zaahir today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zaahir births was 2023 (23 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zaahir. 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 Zaahir with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
284
~ 1 in 1,206,881 Americans
Peak year
2023
23 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,801
Tracked since 1994
Popularity
Zaahir: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Zaahir from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 112 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Zaahir remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Zaahir 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 Zaahir during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Zaahirs live
Origin
Meaning and history of Zaahir
The name Zaahir has its origins in the Arabic language, tracing back to the 7th century AD and the rise of Islam in the Middle East. It is derived from the Arabic word "zahir," which means "manifest" or "visible." This name reflects Islamic principles of honesty, transparency, and being true to one's beliefs and values.
In the early Islamic era, the name Zaahir was likely bestowed upon individuals who embodied these qualities, reflecting the emphasis placed on living an upright and virtuous life. The Quran, the central religious text of Islam, contains verses that encourage believers to be "zahir" in their conduct, suggesting the name's significance within the Islamic tradition.
One of the earliest recorded individuals to bear the name Zaahir was Zaahir al-Din al-Bayhaqi, a renowned Persian scholar and judge who lived from 1106 to 1169 AD. He authored several influential works on Islamic jurisprudence and Hadith (prophetic traditions), cementing his legacy as a prominent intellectual figure of his time.
Another notable figure was Zaahir al-Din Muhammad Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire in the Indian subcontinent. Born in 1483, Babur was a descendant of Timur (Tamerlane) and established the Mughal dynasty that would rule large parts of the Indian subcontinent for over three centuries.
In the realm of literature, Zaahir al-Din Faryabi was a celebrated Persian poet who lived during the 12th century AD. His poetic works, known for their vivid imagery and profound insights, have been widely studied and celebrated within the Persian literary tradition.
The name Zaahir also found its way into the Sufi tradition, which emphasizes the mystical and spiritual aspects of Islam. One such figure was Zaahir al-Din Abul Hassan al-Isfahani, a renowned Sufi mystic who lived in the 12th century and was known for his profound wisdom and spiritual teachings.
In more recent history, Zaahir Uddin Ahmed was a prominent politician and statesman from Bangladesh, who served as the country's President from 1973 to 1975. He played a pivotal role in the nation's struggle for independence and the establishment of a democratic government.
These are just a few examples of the many individuals who have borne the name Zaahir throughout history, each leaving their mark in various fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of human civilization.
People
Zaahir + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zaahir as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with Z
Other first names starting with Z with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Zaahir: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zaahir?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 284 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zaahir 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 1,206,881 US residents.
Is Zaahir a common name?
We classify Zaahir as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 287 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zaahir most popular?
The single biggest year for Zaahir was 2023, when 23 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zaahir is about 13 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 Zaahir in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Zaahir a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zaahir 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 Zaahir still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Zaahir 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 Zaahir 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 Zaahir as a first name?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the name Zaahir on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.