Fun Facts About the Name Afsana
- 126 babies named Afsana: U.S. records list 126 babies given the name Afsana from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Afsana Mean?
Afsana is a feminine name meaning "story," "tale," or "legend." It comes from the Persian noun afsāne (افسانه), which is used for a tale, fable, myth, or old romantic story. In Persian the name is normally written Afsaneh; Afsana follows the Urdu and South Asian form afsāna (افسانہ), where the same word also means "short story."
The Persian word is generally traced to Middle Persian afsān, "tale," which is related to afsūn, "charm" or "incantation." The literal sense is a story or tale, and the wider sense of "legend" comes from the old tales and romances that the word was used to describe. This is a single origin, not several independent ones.
Afsana Name History & Origins
The Persian noun afsāne appears in classical Persian poetry and prose, where it names a tale, legend, or fable, and Afsaneh has long been used as a woman's name in Iran. The form Afsana took shape in Urdu-speaking South Asia, where afsāna is the ordinary word for a story and, in modern usage, the term for the short story as a literary form. Its plural, afsāne, is the standard word for short stories in modern Urdu literature.
From Iran and South Asia the name is also used in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Central Asia, and by families from those regions living elsewhere. Closely related forms from the same Persian word include Azerbaijani Afsana, Uzbek Afsona, and Turkish Efsane, each of which serves both as a common noun meaning "legend" and as a given name. Nima Yushij's long poem Afsaneh, an early landmark of modern Persian poetry, gave the word a well-known modern literary association; this is a literary use of an older word, not the source of the name.
How Popular is the Name Afsana?
Afsana has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2025. Its best rank was #8,232 in 1999.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #8,375 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2023 | #13,503 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2018 | #15,746 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2016 | #14,385 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2014 | #14,618 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2012 | #11,284 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2008 | #15,450 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2007 | #17,699 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2006 | #12,443 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2005 | #14,542 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2002 | #12,211 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2001 | #15,399 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2000 | #8,550 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1999 | #8,232 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1997 | #9,820 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1996 | #8,821 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1995 | #11,801 | 6 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Afsana Shapes Your Personality and Life?
Powerful and complete. You are good intellectually and require several outlets for your energies. You are not a builder but a planner, and you want others to carry out your plans. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You find the best contentment in life when you own your own home and provide well for your family and loved ones. You have a great sense of responsibility and duty. You are comforting, appreciative and affectionate. Your obligation in life is to hold justice and truth, and if you follow the Law, you can find the great happiness and satisfaction.
✦ Afsana's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Afsana's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.