girl's name
Hafsa
HAF-sa
- Origin Arabic
- Gender Girl
- Letters 5
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 14,292
France
#162
2025 births
Hafsa is a girl's name of Arabic origin meaning "young lioness" or "cub." It was the name of a wife of the Prophet Muhammad who kept the first written collection of the Quran.
- Hafsa is a name of Arabic origin.
- Peaked in France in 2025, when 330 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 1,786 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1959.
Hafsa over time
Births per decade in France, 1950s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 5 |
| 1960s | 20 |
| 1970s | 20 |
| 1980s | 105 |
| 1990s | 275 |
| 2000s | 845 |
| 2010s | 2,400 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 1,800 |
What Hafsa means
Hafsa means a young lioness, or the cub of a lion. The Arabic word describes a lion cub specifically, so the sense is of latent strength rather than strength already grown.
Where Hafsa comes from
Hafsa comes from the Arabic ḥafṣa, a lion cub or young lioness. Hafsa bint Umar was a daughter of the second caliph and a wife of the Prophet Muhammad, and her role in the history of the text is substantial: the first written compilation of the Quran was entrusted to her keeping, and the standardized edition produced under Uthman was checked against her copy. The name is common across Turkey, South Asia and North Africa.
Hafsa in use
Our data shows Hafsa peaking in 2025 and still rising, at 201 in England and Wales against 1,452 in the United States. It first appears in our records in 1959. Like every name in our Arabic cohort without exception, its British ranking considerably outpaces its American.
How popular is Hafsa?
In 2025, Hafsa was given to 330 babies in France, ranking #162 that year. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Hafsa is used
French counts are rounded to the nearest five and nothing below five is published, so these figures show the shape of the name's use rather than an exact tally. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Hafsa
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Hafsa also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Hafsa over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Hafsa in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- Turkish
- Hafize
Sibling names for Hafsa
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Hafsa — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Hafsa
What does the name Hafsa mean?
Hafsa means "young lioness" or "cub," from the Arabic ḥafṣa.
Who was Hafsa bint Umar?
A wife of the Prophet Muhammad and daughter of the second caliph. The first written compilation of the Quran was kept by her.
Is Hafsa used outside Arabic-speaking countries?
Widely — it is common across Turkey, South Asia and North Africa, and sits at 201 in England and Wales.
How popular is the name Hafsa?
In 2025, Hafsa was given to 330 babies in France, ranking #162 that year. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Hafsa a girl's or a boy's name?
Hafsa is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
When was Hafsa most popular?
Hafsa peaked in 2025, when 330 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is Hafsa a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Hafsa currently ranks #162 in France. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.