Is Farah a boy or a girl name?

Farah is overwhelmingly a girl name in the United States. Of the 5,947 U.S. babies recorded with this name, more than 99% are girls.

How popular is the name Farah in 2023?

Farah ranks #1310 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 2012 with 178 babies.

How do you pronounce Farah?

Farah is pronounced FAH-rah (2 syllables).

What are common spellings of Farah?

Farah is also written as Farrah.

A name from Arabic · Girl

Farah

فَرَح

"Joy, happiness." A positive emotion widely celebrated in Arabic poetry and music.

Compare

Popularity over time

A 63-year arc in numbers.

5,947 U.S. births recorded from 1960–2023.

Popularity · 1960–2023

173 births in 2023

1960 1991 2023

Babies named per year Peak year Most recent

Meaning

A name that means something.

F"Joy, happiness." A positive emotion widely celebrated in Arabic poetry and music.

Etymology, in one line

Arabic root: f-r-ḥ — ف-ر-ح, joy

Regional variants

The spelling "Farrah" was popularized in the US by Farrah Fawcett — making this one of the earliest Arabic-origin crossover names in mainstream US culture.

Variants & spellings

1 ways to spell "Farah".

Each transliteration carries a slightly different cultural fingerprint.

Farrah Most common

Famous bearers

People who carry the name Farah.

F
Farrah Fawcett (actress)
F
Empress Farah Pahlavi of Iran

Quick answers

People often ask about Farah.

What does the name Farah mean?: Farah means "Joy, happiness." A positive emotion widely celebrated in Arabic poetry and music.
Where does the name Farah come from?: Farah is a girl name of Arabic origin. The spelling "Farrah" was popularized in the US by Farrah Fawcett — making this one of the earliest Arabic-origin crossover names in mainstream US culture.
Is Farah a boy or a girl name?: Farah is overwhelmingly a girl name in the United States. Of the 5,947 U.S. babies recorded with this name, more than 99% are girls.
How popular is the name Farah in 2023?: Farah ranks #1310 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 2012 with 178 babies.
How do you pronounce Farah?: Farah is pronounced FAH-rah (2 syllables).
What are common spellings of Farah?: Farah is also written as Farrah.

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About this page

Popularity counts come from the U.S. Social Security Administration's national dataset. Meaning and cultural context drawn from classical sources: Lisan al-Arab, Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Qur'an and Sunnah. If you spot an error, please let us know.