Khalifa
Khalifa or Khalifah is a name or title which literally means "successor". It most commonly refers to the leader of a caliphate, but can also be used as a title among various Islamic religious groups and others. There were four Rashidun caliphs after Muhammad died, beginning with Abu Bakr.
Meaning & Origin of Khalifa
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Khalifa or Khalifah is a name or title which literally means "successor". It most commonly refers to the leader of a caliphate, but can also be used as a title among various Islamic religious groups and others. There were four Rashidun caliphs after Muhammad died, beginning with Abu Bakr.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Khalifa
Khalifa first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1986, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2026, when 34 Khalifas were born — ranking #3,444 that year. As of 2026, Khalifa ranks #3,444 for baby boys with 34 births, rising sharply (+36% over the past five years). In total, more than 426 Khalifas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Khalifa
Phonetically similar names — useful when Khalifa 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 Khalifa
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About the name Khalifa
Khalifa is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1986 and has accumulated 426 births in the dataset. Khalifa's peak popularity came in 2026 when it ranked #3,444. Use the chart and map above to compare Khalifa's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2026 →
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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.