Fun Facts About the Name Tafsir
- 6 babies named Tafsir: U.S. records list 6 babies given the name Tafsir from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Tafsir Mean?
Tafsir (Arabic tafsīr, تفسير) means "explanation" or "interpretation." It comes from the Arabic root f-s-r, whose basic sense is to clarify or explain something obscure. The word tafsīr is a verbal noun of the second-stem verb fassara, "to explain." In general Arabic it can mean any explanation, but it is best known as the term for interpretation of the Quran - the scholarly explanation of the text, its language, and its legal and theological content.
Tafsir Name History & Origins
The Arabic root f-s-r and the noun tafsīr carry the general sense of explanation and clarification, and this ordinary sense is older than the specialized religious one. After the rise of Islam, tafsīr became the standard term for commentary on the Quran. Early exegetical material is associated with Companions such as Ibn Abbas (died around 687), and the genre took monumental form in works such as al-Tabari's Jāmiʿ al-Bayān (late 9th to early 10th century), al-Zamakhsharī's al-Kashshāf (12th century), and Ibn Kathīr's commentary (14th century). As a personal name, Tafsir is used as a masculine name in some Muslim communities, taken directly from the Arabic word. It is much more common as a religious and scholarly term than as a given name, so its history as a name is essentially the history of the word itself rather than a separate line of development.
How Popular is the Name Tafsir?
Tafsir 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 2018. Its best rank was #11,954 in 2018.
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 | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | #11,954 | 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.
Most Popular Boy Names That Start with T
How the Name Tafsir Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You like to control everyone within your influence, to shape things to your own liking. If positive, you develop high spirituality, as you have a God's protection. You are sensitive, affectionate, imaginative and cooperative, spiritually aware and prone to self-sacrifice. You can keep secrets and are a good diplomat. You may have healing and psychic powers. 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.
✦ Tafsir's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Tafsir's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.