Fatima
Fatima was the 330th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 931 babies. Its best year was 2001, when it ranked 227th; the most babies were born in 2006 (1,515). Over the last ten years it has moved down 18 places. More babies were named Fatima in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning weaning; name of Muhammad's daughter · Arabic
Say it FAH-tee-muh /ˈfɑtimə/
- Rank in 2025
- #330 girls, up 12 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 931girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20061,515 babies
- Total since 1880
- 38,991babies recorded
What does the name Fatima mean?
Fatima is the name of a daughter of the Prophet Muhammad and wife of Ali, deeply honored in Islam. Wiktionary derives Arabic Fāṭima from the root f-ṭ-m, "to wean", and notes Shia interpretations linking it with being spared from hellfire. Among Catholics, especially in Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking families, it honors Our Lady of Fátima, after the Portuguese town where Marian apparitions were reported in 1917.
فَاطِمَة (Arabic, “one who weans (root f-ṭ-m)”)
How sure is this? Probable. The root is standard; interpretations of its sense in the name vary.
Related names: Fatma, Fatimah, Fátima.
See also: Arabic names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Fatima', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wiktionary, entry 'فاطمة', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary.com Unabridged (based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary), with Collins English Dictionary, s.v. 'Fatima', Dictionary.com / Random House / HarperCollins
Fatima popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 46 since 1984.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #330 | 931 |
| 2020 | #342 | 908 |
| 2010 | #272 | 1,213 |
| 2000 | #242 | 1,316 |
| 1990 | #620 | 362 |
| 1980 | #782 | 211 |
| 1970 | #1,229 | 91 |
| 1960 | #1,731 | 43 |
| 1950 | #2,473 | 17 |
| 1940 | #3,040 | 9 |
| 1930 | #3,791 | 7 |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Fatima, counting every spelling?
Fatima is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #320 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #330 for Fatima on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,022 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fatima | 931 | #330 | 4,529 |
| Fatimah | 91 | #2,070 | 491 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Fatima?
931 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Fatima (0.26 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Fatima born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 9 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Fatima.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Fatima?
About 38,200 people born in the US named Fatima are alive today, with a median age of 19; half are between 11 and 26. That makes Fatima mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Fatima by state
How common Fatima was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New York (2.6×), Michigan (2.1×), Minnesota (1.9×), Maryland (1.8×), Washington (1.8×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Arkansas, Kansas, Mississippi.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Fatima: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Fatima, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Fatima · Sibling names for Fatima
Questions about the name Fatima
What does Fatima mean?
Fatima means “weaning; name of Muhammad's daughter” (Arabic origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Fatima?
Fatima was the 330th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 931 babies. Its best year was 2001, when it ranked 227th; the most babies were born in 2006 (1,515). Over the last ten years it has moved down 18 places. More babies were named Fatima in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Fatima a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Fatima in the US.
Where is Fatima most popular?
In 2021–2025, Fatima was most common in New York (1.45 per 1,000 girls), followed by Michigan and Minnesota.