Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2004

Hanif

Meaning A male given name from Arabic Gender Boy Rank 2025 #9,205

A male given name from Arabic.

Rank 2025
#9,205
among boys · ↓3,459 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
8
named Hanif
How common
1 in 213,510
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2004
29 babies
All-time total
784
#5,977 all-time among boys
First recorded
1971
in Social Security records

Hanif popularity over time

784 babies have been named Hanif since 1971, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.010.010.020.0218801900192019401960198020002020Peak 2004Boys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Boys Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – –
1890s – – – –
1900s – – – –
1910s – – – –
1920s – – – –
1930s – – – –
1940s – – – –
1950s – – – –
1960s – – – –
1970s 73 7 – #2,625
1980s 134 13 +84% #2,741
1990s 145 15 +8% #2,961
2000s 194 19 +34% #3,315
2010s 150 15 -23% #4,413
2020s (to 2025) 88 15 -2% #4,944

The story of Hanif

Hanif is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #9,205 in 2025 with 8 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1971, 784 American babies have been named Hanif. Its peak came in 2004, when 29 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2000s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Hanif stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Hanif?

The median living Hanif is about 22 years old; half are between 13 and 36. An estimated 800 people named Hanif are alive in the United States today.

median 22 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Hanif year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 8 #9,205
2024 16 #5,746
2023 20 #4,944
2022 19 #5,099
2021 8 #9,136
2020 17 #5,327
2019 13 #6,545
2018 9 #8,397
2017 11 #7,270
2016 14 #6,148
2015 16 #5,594
2014 19 #4,940
2013 14 #6,026
2012 22 #4,443
2011 10 #7,696
2010 22 #4,413
2009 16 #5,649
2008 29 #3,680
2007 22 #4,417
2006 15 #5,618
2005 23 #3,976
2004 29 #3,315
2003 18 #4,498
2002 13 #5,518
2001 17 #4,560
2000 12 #5,698
1995 11 #5,275
1990 17 #3,506
1985 17 #2,878
1980 12 #3,490
1975 11 #3,316
1970 – –
1965 – –
1960 – –
1955 – –
1950 – –
1945 – –
1940 – –
1935 – –
1930 – –
1925 – –
1920 – –
1915 – –
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Hanif

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Hanif Kureishi Hanif Kureishi British playwright (born 1954) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Hanif, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Hanif?

The median living Hanif is about 22 years old. Half of all living Hanifs are between 13 and 36 years old.

How many people named Hanif are alive today?

An estimated 800 people named Hanif are alive in the United States, based on 784 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Hanif mean?

A male given name from Arabic.

How popular is the name Hanif in 2025?

Hanif ranked #9,205 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 8 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Hanif?

784 babies have been named Hanif in the United States since 1971, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Hanif most popular?

Hanif peaked in 2004, when 29 newborns received the name.

Is Hanif a boy or girl name?

Hanif is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Hanif rising or falling?

Hanif has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Who are famous people named Hanif?

Well-known people named Hanif include Hanif Kureishi (writer).

Names like Hanif

Names that sound and feel close to Hanif: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Hanif with similar names → More names starting with H →