Zahir
Zahir was the 738th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 356 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 471 places. More babies were named Zahir in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning manifest, evident; or shining · Arabic
Say it zah-HEER /zɑˈhɪɹ/
- Rank in 2025
- #738 boys, up 152 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 356boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025356 babies
- Total since 1880
- 4,784babies recorded
What does the name Zahir mean?
Zahir comes from Arabic and can represent two different words. Ẓāhir means 'apparent, manifest, evident', and al-Ẓāhir 'the Manifest' is one of the names of God in Islam. Zāhir, spelled with a different first letter, means 'shining, radiant, flourishing'. Both are written Zahir in English. It is used across the Muslim world and is a common surname in Afghanistan and Pakistan; the last king of Afghanistan was Mohammed Zahir Shah.
ظَاهِر (ẓāhir) (Arabic, “apparent, manifest, evident”)زَاهِر (zāhir) (Arabic, “shining, radiant”)
How sure is this? Well established. Two Arabic words share the English spelling; a family's choice depends on the original script.
Related names: Zaheer, Zahira, Zahra.
See also: Arabic names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Zahir', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Zahir' (Azerbaijani section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'ظاهر', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
Zahir popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 7 since 2007.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #738 | 356 |
| 2020 | #890 | 255 |
| 2010 | #1,262 | 139 |
| 2000 | #1,798 | 61 |
| 1990 | #5,374 | 10 |
| 1980 | #6,240 | 6 |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Zahir, counting every spelling?
Zahir is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #697 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #738 for Zahir on its own. Together these spellings went to 380 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zahir | 356 | #738 | 1,607 |
| Zaahir | 14 | #6,440 | 80 |
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 Zahir?
356 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Zahir (0.10 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Zahir 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 24 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Zahir.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Zahir?
About 4,700 people born in the US named Zahir are alive today, with a median age of 9; half are between 4 and 17. That makes Zahir a young name: most people with it are children.
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.
Zahir by state
How common Zahir was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Georgia (2.5×), Maryland (1.9×), Massachusetts (1.8×), Florida (1.8×), New York (1.6×). In 24 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Zahir: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Zahir, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Zahir · Sibling names for Zahir
Questions about the name Zahir
What does Zahir mean?
Zahir means “manifest, evident; or shining” (Arabic origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Zahir?
Zahir was the 738th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 356 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 471 places. More babies were named Zahir in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Zahir a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Zahir in the US.
Where is Zahir most popular?
In 2021–2025, Zahir was most common in Georgia (0.46 per 1,000 boys), followed by Maryland and Massachusetts.