Faheem
Masculine · “Arabic fahim”
Arabic builds adjectives on a pattern, and the pattern that gives Karim, Halim, Hakim, Alim and Fahim is the same one that supplies many of the ninety-nine names of God. Which is why those words go to men only in a particular way: with Abd, servant, in front, or not at all.
How old is the name Faheem?
Faheem first appears in US birth records in 1976 — 49 years ago. The typical Faheem alive today was born around 2000, making them about 25 years old. About 800 people named Faheem are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Faheem most popular?
Faheem peaked in 1977, reaching #2063 nationally. Today it ranks #8910, 6,847 places below that high. See the whole 1977 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
From fahim to Faheem
The story of Faheem
Many of the divine names in Islam are ordinary Arabic adjectives on this pattern: al-Karim, the Generous; al-Halim, the Forbearing; al-Hakim, the Wise; al-Rahim, the Merciful; al-Alim, the Knowing. When such a word is used for a person, custom distinguishes carefully. Abdul Karim means servant of the Generous and is unambiguous. Karim on its own is used freely as a name and is understood as the adjective, not the divine title, because the definite article makes the difference. Some names, like al-Rahman, the Most Merciful, are reserved for God entirely and appear for people only in the Abd form. Fahim sits comfortably in the free group, since understanding is a human attribute in the ordinary way, and the name has been in use across the Arabic, Persian, Turkish and South Asian worlds for centuries.
Meaning
Arabic fahim, understanding or intelligent
Faheem is a transliteration of Arabic fahim, from the root f-h-m, to understand, giving intelligent, perceptive or quick of understanding. It belongs to the fa'il adjective pattern that also produces Karim, generous, Halim, forbearing, Hakim, wise, and Rahim, merciful. The doubled e writes the long vowel. The American peak is 1977.
How the name formed
- fahim
- Faheem
Related forms: Fahim · Faheem · Fahim
Pronouncing Faheem
fah-HEEM
Two syllables, stress on the second. The medial h is fully pronounced in Arabic and is often dropped by English speakers.
Nicknames for Faheem
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1976
- Most boys named
- 200828 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #2063reached in 1977
- Change vs 2024
- +33.3%8 in 2025, from 6
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Faheem in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Fahim in Arabic — same name
- Faheem in Urdu — same name
- Fahim in Persian — same name
Strongest US states over the last decade: Pennsylvania.
Faheems among us
people named Faheem are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 boy in 213,510 born in 2025 was named Faheem
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
The Myers test
Every popular name lives one long story — a climb, a peak, a slow settling back. Faheem's later chapters haven't been written yet, so we borrowed them: Myers climbed just as high around 1919, and its whole arc is on record. Line the two peaks up, and Myers's path sketches the road Faheem is walking now.
Faheem sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Faheem beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Faheem in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US boys given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- The meaning is clear and documented.
- Six letters and two syllables, easy to say.
- It is recognized across the whole Muslim world.
- Fahim is the commoner transliteration internationally.
- The medial h is difficult for English speakers.
- The stressed ending is unusual for English disyllables.
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What they receive
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Faheem
Masculine · #8910 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Faheems are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 800 people named Faheem are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Faheem in 2025?
- Faheem ranks #8910 among US boy names in 2025, with 8 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Faheem?
- About 1 in every 213,510 US boys born in 2025 was named Faheem — 8 in all.
- Will my child share the name Faheem with classmates?
- Faheem will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Faheem
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Davie#8910 · Ned#8910 · Darious#8910 · Alois#8910 · Len#8910 · Barton#8910 · Desmon#8910 · Winfield#8910
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Faheem? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Faheem and another name?
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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