Fun Facts About the Name Bahiya
- 15 babies named Bahiya: U.S. records list 15 babies given the name Bahiya from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Bahiya Mean?
Bahiya (بَهِيَّة) is an Arabic feminine name meaning "beautiful" or "splendid." It is the feminine form of the adjective bahī (بَهِي), "beautiful, splendid, brilliant"; the feminine bahiyya adds the ending -a(h) and doubles the y. English writers often give the name as "radiant," a customary gloss rather than a separate etymology. The Persian form Bahiyyih and the Baha'i transliteration Bahíyyih represent the same Arabic name.
Bahiya Name History & Origins
Bahiya is a feminine adjective used directly as a personal name; it does not have a separate legendary or biblical origin. In Arabic, adjectives describing beauty and splendor commonly serve as names, and bahiyya belongs to that group. The name is used in Arabic-speaking countries and in Muslim communities outside the Arab world. When it passed into Persian, the Arabic feminine ending was rendered -ih, producing Bahiyyih; Baha'i texts use the transliteration Bahíyyih.
A notable bearer was Bahiyyih Khanum (1846 - 1932), a daughter of Baha'u'llah, the founder of the Baha'i Faith. She was given the title "the Greatest Holy Leaf," and her name is often translated "radiant" or "beautiful." That association belongs to the modern religious history of the name, not to its Arabic etymology.
How Popular is the Name Bahiya?
Bahiya 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 2007. Its best rank was #8,882 in 1974.
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 | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | #18,023 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1976 | #9,410 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1974 | #8,882 | 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.
Most Popular Girl Names That Start with B
How the Name Bahiya Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You can go to great heights and equally great depths. You are emotional and fixed in your opinions. You are hospitable, sentimental, often psychic, sometimes moody. You are ruled by love and the lack of it and feel a need to be encouraged and appreciated. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are always looking for a chance to do your own thing, to be your own person, and to have things done your own way.
✦ Bahiya's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Bahiya's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.