Zahir

Zahir - A very unique male name

Zahir appeared on the charts for the first time in 1985 on position #2713. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Zahir and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Zahir? 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 Zahir. The baby boy name Zahir was given to 306 baby boys in 2025, ranking #742 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 4,792 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Zahir peaked in popularity 1 years ago in 2025 on position 742.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Zahir, 1-5?

Zahir is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Zahir is currently topping the baby name charts in Connecticut at position #324 - and is the least popular in Michigan at position #1,253.

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 Zahir is where you live.

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Zahir origin and meaning

Arabic

'Shining, luminous; manifest, evident' — from Arabic zahir; al-Zahir is one of the names of God in Islam

Zahir is an Arabic name borne by rulers including Zahir al-Din Babur, founder of the Mughal Empire. In U.S. data since 1985, it has risen to near its 2023 peak in Muslim and African-American families.

Attested etymology

Zahir is a 5 letter name with 2 syllables.

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

Similar to Zahir

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

Zachary / Zackary / Zachariah / Zachery / Zackery / Zechariah / Zaire / Zyaire / Zakary / Zyair /

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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 Zahir

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 Zahir 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 Zahir?

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

zah-HEER · /zɑːˈhɪər/
Also heard as ZAH-hir; stress varies by language background.

Around the world

• Zahir (Arabic) — Used as-is in Arabic transliteration

Spellings and nicknames

• Zaheer — Alternative transliteration
• Zaire — A different name with a similar look

Famous bearers

None yet — no bearer for this name is documented well enough for us to list, so we show none rather than pad the list.

Style

International

Why parents choose it

Zahir offers a luminous meaning and a distinguished sound, still uncommon in the wider U.S.

Worth knowing

• Transliteration splits with Zaheer
• Confusable with Zaire and Zahara in sound and spelling