Fun Facts About the Name Nazar
- 617 babies named Nazar: U.S. records list 617 babies given the name Nazar from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Nazar Mean?
Nazar has two separate origins, and they give the name two different meanings. In Arabic, the noun naẓar (نظر) means "sight," "gaze," or "look" - the act of seeing or watching, and by extension attention or regard. The given name is taken directly from that word. In Turkish, nazar is both the ordinary word for a glance and the name of the evil eye, the belief that a look can carry harm.
Independently, the Slavic name - Ukrainian and Russian Назар, Polish Nazar - comes from the Latin Nazarius, which is normally explained as meaning "from Nazareth" or "Nazarene," a reference to the town. A link to the Hebrew root n-z-r (as in nazir, "consecrated") has also been suggested, but the Nazareth explanation is the usual one. The short form Nazar stands beside the fuller Slavic church forms Назарій (Nazariy) and Назарий, and is not related to the Arabic word name.
Nazar Name History & Origins
The Slavic name developed from the Greek Nazarios and Latin Nazarius, a saint's name that entered Slavic usage through the church calendar. In the West, Saint Nazarius was martyred with his companion Celsus; Ambrose of Milan found their relics outside the city in 395 and moved them to a church he dedicated to the apostles. The same Latin name produced Italian Nazaro, Spanish and Portuguese Nazario, and French Nazaire. Among Ukrainian and Russian speakers, the shortened form Nazar arose alongside the longer Nazariy and became an independent given name, listed in Orthodox naming calendars.
The Arabic name has its own line of development and is used mainly in the Arab world, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Iran, and Central Asia. It is a word name rather than a saint's name, taken from naẓar, and it is unrelated to the Slavic form even though the two look and sound alike.
In Ukrainian literature, Taras Shevchenko's play Nazar Stodolya, written in the 1840s, uses the short Slavic form as the name of its main character, which shows the name was already familiar in that period. That literary use is not evidence of the name's first appearance; the church form from which it comes is older. The Spanish surname Nazar, found in Navarre, and the Navarrese town of the same name are a separate matter and should not be taken as the source of the given name.
How Popular is the Name Nazar?
Nazar 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 2016. Its best rank was #3,341 in 2016.
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 | #5,149 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2024 | #3,850 | 29 | 0.0017% |
| 2023 | #3,526 | 33 | 0.0019% |
| 2022 | #4,058 | 27 | 0.0015% |
| 2021 | #3,623 | 31 | 0.0018% |
| 2020 | #4,236 | 24 | 0.0014% |
| 2019 | #5,099 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2018 | #4,076 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 2017 | #3,646 | 30 | 0.0016% |
| 2016 | #3,341 | 34 | 0.0018% |
| 2015 | #4,146 | 25 | 0.0013% |
| 2014 | #5,409 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2013 | #4,274 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 2012 | #3,602 | 30 | 0.0016% |
| 2011 | #5,362 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2010 | #5,179 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 2009 | #5,052 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2008 | #4,107 | 25 | 0.0012% |
| 2007 | #5,615 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2006 | #6,006 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2005 | #4,966 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2004 | #5,415 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2003 | #6,144 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2002 | #5,068 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2001 | #5,912 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2000 | #5,492 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1999 | #6,933 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1998 | #6,678 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1997 | #10,317 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1996 | #5,842 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1995 | #6,253 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1994 | #6,196 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1977 | #5,632 | 6 | 0.0004% |
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 Nazar Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have a vivid imagination who can bring inspired messages to the world. You like to enjoy the pleasures of life, and when self is overcome, you can rise to the heights. You have an ability to avoid trouble - that is why you often fails to learn from experiences. You are restless, sociable people-oriented, a lover of change, and a seeker of adventure and new thrills. 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.
✦ Nazar's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Nazar's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.