Irfan

Irfan - A very unique male name

Irfan appeared on the charts for the first time in 1993 on position #3327. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Irfan and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Irfan? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Irfan. The baby boy name Irfan was given to 5 baby boys in 2025, ranking #4007 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 293,257 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Irfan peaked in popularity 30 years ago in 1996 on position 2907.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Irfan, 1-5?

Irfan is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Irfan is currently topping the baby name charts in New York at position #1,863 - and is the least popular in New York at position #1,863.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Irfan is where you live.

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Irfan origin and meaning

Arabic

From Arabic 'irfan — 'knowledge, awareness', especially spiritual knowledge

Irfan is the Arabic word for deep knowledge or gnosis — in Sufi tradition, direct experiential knowledge of God — used as a boys' name across the Muslim world. Its US record since 1993 is small and steady. Actor Irrfan Khan spelled his name with a doubled r and is not a bearer of this spelling.

Attested etymology

Irfan is a 5 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Irfan, pop culture references for the name Irfan and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Irfan

We've found the following names that sound similar to Irfan, sorted by popularity.

Irving / Irvin / Irvine / Irven / Irbin /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Irfan

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Irfan a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Irfan?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

eer-FAHN · /ɪrˈfɑn/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

• Erfan — Persian-influenced transliteration of the same name.
• Irfaan — Elongated transliteration variant.

Famous bearers

• Irfan Pathan — Indian cricketer, left-arm swing bowler and 2007 T20 World Cup winner (b. 1984) Contemporary

Style

International

Why parents choose it

Parents choose Irfan for a learned, spiritual meaning — knowledge itself — in a compact two syllables.

Worth knowing

• English speakers may say UR-fan; the first syllable needs teaching.
• Not to be confused with Imran, a different and commoner name.