Arif
Aarif is an Arabic male given name that is common in Eritrea, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. It later spread to other Muslim countries, such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iran, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan and Turkey as well as among Muslims in India.
Meaning & Origin of Arif
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Aarif is an Arabic male given name that is common in Eritrea, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. It later spread to other Muslim countries, such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iran, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan and Turkey as well as among Muslims in India.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Arif
Arif first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1968, with 8 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2007, when 21 Arifs were born — ranking #4,492 that year. As of 2026, Arif ranks #5,398 for baby boys with 17 births, rising sharply (+44% over the past five years). In total, more than 737 Arifs have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1960s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Arif
Phonetically similar names — useful when Arif is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Arif
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About the name Arif
Arif is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1968 and has accumulated 737 births in the dataset. Arif's peak popularity came in 2007 when it ranked #2,708. Use the chart and map above to compare Arif's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2007 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- Names starting with "A" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.