Fun Facts About the Name Azhar
- 473 babies named Azhar: U.S. records list 473 babies given the name Azhar from 1880 through 2025. Even 157 girls received the name Azhar - about 1 girl for every 2 boys.
What Does the Name Azhar Mean?
Azhar is an Arabic name meaning "most radiant," "brightest," or "most blooming." It comes from the Arabic root z-h-r, which carries the ideas of shining, brightness, and blossoming. Azhar is built on the elative pattern - the form that expresses "more" or "most" - so it is literally a superlative: "more radiant" or "more blossoming." The related noun zahra means "flower" or "blossom," and the feminine form of the same adjective, al-zahra', means "the radiant one." In classical Arabic, azhar is used of a bright, shining face or a clear, luminous white. The name itself is masculine; the matching feminine name is Zahra.
Azhar Name History & Origins
Azhar is used as a male given name in the Arabic-speaking world and, in particular, in South Asia - Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh - as well as in Iran, Malaysia, and Indonesia. It occurs mostly as a first name, and occasionally as a surname. In Urdu and Persian it is also current as a word for something bright or luminous, which is how it appears in poetry as well as in names.
The name's best-known association is Cairo's Al-Azhar Mosque, founded by the Fatimid dynasty in 970 CE and later the center of Al-Azhar University. The mosque was named in honor of Fatima al-Zahra, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad; her name and azhar share the root z-h-r. Because of the institution's long standing in the Muslim world, al-Azhar became a familiar word well beyond Arabic, and the personal name Azhar is often recognized through that connection.
Because the name rests on a common Arabic root rather than on a single text or figure, it has been carried independently by families in many countries for generations. Its spread follows the use of Arabic as a language of religion and learning rather than the influence of any one event.
How Popular is the Name Azhar?
Azhar 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 #3,962 in 2025.
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 | #9,537 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2024 | #12,313 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2023 | #9,067 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 2022 | #8,104 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2020 | #10,369 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 2019 | #15,885 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2018 | #16,055 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2017 | #10,068 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2016 | #11,008 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2015 | #10,253 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2013 | #14,884 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2012 | #12,383 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2011 | #10,508 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2010 | #10,545 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2009 | #15,522 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2005 | #13,215 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2003 | #14,100 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2001 | #15,677 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1996 | #13,773 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1990 | #13,186 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,962 | 27 | 0.0016% |
| 2024 | #4,890 | 20 | 0.0012% |
| 2023 | #7,797 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2022 | #4,720 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 2021 | #9,830 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2020 | #5,262 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 2019 | #8,991 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2018 | #6,745 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2017 | #8,222 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2016 | #8,926 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2015 | #7,549 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2014 | #12,295 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2013 | #10,885 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2011 | #10,949 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2010 | #9,792 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2009 | #7,743 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2008 | #7,754 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2007 | #12,556 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 2006 | #7,483 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2005 | #7,686 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2004 | #6,172 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2003 | #7,914 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2002 | #7,098 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2001 | #8,421 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2000 | #5,315 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1998 | #8,580 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1997 | #6,669 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1996 | #8,047 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1994 | #5,903 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1993 | #7,717 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1991 | #8,325 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1989 | #8,006 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1979 | #6,130 | 5 | 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 Azhar 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 desire to inspire and lead, to control other's affairs. You are giving, courageous and bold, action oriented,energetic and strong willed. You want to make a difference in the world, and this attitude often attracts you to cultural interests, politics, social issues, and the cultivation of your creative talents.
✦ Azhar's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Azhar's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.