Farah
Farah, or Farrah, is a feminine given name of Arabic and Persian, also used in several other cultures. It means happiness in Arabic.
- Arabic
- Persian
- Urdu
- Malay
Meaning & Origin of Farah
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Farah, or Farrah, is a feminine given name of Arabic and Persian, also used in several other cultures. It means happiness in Arabic.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Arabic
- Persian
- Urdu
- Malay
- Azerbaijani
The Story of Farah
The earliest SSA record of Farah as a baby girl name dates back to 1960, when 19 babies received it. 2012 was its biggest year on record, with 178 newborns named Farah — #1,321 in the national rankings. The 2010s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 24% of all recorded Farahs. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #1,312 among baby girl names with 173 births, gradually rising (+12%). In total, more than 6K Farahs have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1960s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Farah
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Farah. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Farah
Phonetically similar names — useful when Farah 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 Farah
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About the name Farah
Farah is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1960 and has accumulated 6K births in the dataset. Farah's peak popularity came in 2012 when it ranked #803. Use the chart and map above to compare Farah's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2012 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "F" →
- Browse all girl 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.