Girl · #15,899 in 2026

Basra

Basra or Basrah is a port city in southern Iraq. It is the capital of the eponymous Basra Governorate, as well as the third largest city in Iraq overall, behind Baghdad and Mosul. Located near the Iran–Iraq border, the city is situated along the banks of the Shatt al-Arab that empties into the Persian Gulf.

Current Rank
#15,899
Peak Rank
#15,899 (2017)
Total Babies
5
5-Yr Trend
Stable
2017
First Year
2017
Last Year
2017
Peak Year
#15899
Peak Rank
5
Total Count
1
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Basra

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Basra or Basrah is a port city in southern Iraq. It is the capital of the eponymous Basra Governorate, as well as the third largest city in Iraq overall, behind Baghdad and Mosul. Located near the Iran–Iraq border, the city is situated along the banks of the Shatt al-Arab that empties into the Persian Gulf.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Etymology
View of Basra in c. 1695 , by Dutch cartographer Isaak de Graaf The city has had many names throughout history, Basrah being the most common. In Arabic, the word baṣrah means "the overwatcher", which may have been an allusion to the city's origin as an Arab military base against the Sassanids . Others have argued that the name is derived from the Aramaic word basratha , meaning "place of huts, settlement".
Origin & history
See also: Timeline of Basra Ashar Canal in 2025

The Story of Basra

Basra first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 2017, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2017, when 5 Basras were born — ranking #15,899 that year. As of 2026, Basra ranks #15,899 for baby girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 5 Basras have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2010s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

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Notable people named Basra

A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.

  • See also: Category: People from Basra Rabi'a al-'Adawiyya , known as Rabia of Basra, early Muslim mystic
  • Ibn al-Haytham , a medieval mathematician, astronomer, and physicist.
  • Saadi Youssef , poet from Basra
  • Sean Polley , English cricketer, 1981 born in Basra
  • Reham Yacoub , female activist
  • Farid Allawerdi , composer
  • Hussein Jabur , footballer
  • Rahma Riad , singer and actress

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Names that sound like Basra

Phonetically similar names — useful when Basra is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

  • Basrah
  • Busra
  • Bozrah
  • Bossert
  • Bosser
  • Bouser
  • Bozarth
  • Borrow
  • Bara
  • Bari
  • Basi
  • Barra

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Basra

What does the name Basra mean?
Basra or Basrah is a port city in southern Iraq. It is the capital of the eponymous Basra Governorate, as well as the third largest city in Iraq overall, behind Baghdad and Mosul. Located near the Iran–Iraq border, the city is situated along the banks of the Shatt al-Arab that empties into the Persian Gulf.
How popular is Basra in 2026?
In 2026, Basra ranks #15,899 among girls' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.
When was Basra most popular?
Basra reached its peak popularity in 2017, ranking #15,899 that year with 5 babies given the name.
Is Basra a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Basra is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Basra?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Basra include Aadilynn, Aaheli, Aalilah. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

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Aadilynn
Peak #15899
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Aaheli
Peak #15899
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Aalilah
Peak #15899
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Ackley
Peak #15899
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Adae
Peak #15899
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Adalynna
Peak #15899
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Addilyna
Peak #15899
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Adriany
Peak #15899

About the name Basra

Basra is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 2017 and has accumulated 5 births in the dataset. Basra's peak popularity came in 2017 when it ranked #15,899. Use the chart and map above to compare Basra's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.