Haifa
Haifa is the third-largest city in Israel—after Jerusalem and Tel Aviv—with a population of 297,082 in 2024. The city of Haifa forms part of the Haifa metropolitan area, the third-most populous metropolitan area in Israel. It is home to the Baháʼí Faith's Baháʼí World Centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and destination for Baháʼí pilgrimage.
Meaning & Origin of Haifa
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Haifa is the third-largest city in Israel—after Jerusalem and Tel Aviv—with a population of 297,082 in 2024. The city of Haifa forms part of the Haifa metropolitan area, the third-most populous metropolitan area in Israel. It is home to the Baháʼí Faith's Baháʼí World Centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and destination for Baháʼí pilgrimage.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Etymology
Origin & history
The Story of Haifa
Haifa first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1980, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2018, when 15 Haifas were born — ranking #7,402 that year. As of 2026, Haifa ranks #11,069 for baby girls with 8 births, with steady use. In total, more than 219 Haifas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Haifa
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Main article: List of people from Haifa Gene Simmons Leila Khaled Abed Abdi (born 1942), Arab Palestinian painter and sculptor
- Ralph Bakshi (born 1938), animator and filmmaker
- Orr Barouch (born 1991), footballer
- Naftali Bennett (born 1972), politician
- Herzl Bodinger (1943–2025), general in the Israel Defense Forces who served from 1992 to 1996 as twelfth Commander of the Israeli Air Force
- Aaron Ciechanover (born 1947), biologist; Nobel Prize, Chemistry
- Jonathan Erlich (born 1977), tennis player
- Ari Folman (born 1962), filmmaker, creator of Waltz with Bashir
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Haifa
Phonetically similar names — useful when Haifa is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Hypha
- Hifa
- Hyphy
- Hoffa
- Hifi
- Hyphae
- Halfa
- Hefa
- Hafa
- Hifu
- Wifa
- Hyphen
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Haifa
What does the name Haifa mean?
How popular is Haifa in 2026?
When was Haifa most popular?
In which U.S. states is Haifa most popular?
Is Haifa a unisex name?
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About the name Haifa
Haifa is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1980 and has accumulated 219 births in the dataset. Haifa's peak popularity came in 2018 when it ranked #7,402. Use the chart and map above to compare Haifa's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2018 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "H" →
- 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.