NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Jaffar

A masculine Arabic name meaning "stream" or "small river".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2018. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Jaffar is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Jaffar popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2018 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4749, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2016, with 5 births.

This profile covers 27 England and Wales registrations across 8 recorded years from 1997 to 2018. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 60% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 27 living people in the UK are called Jaffar. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2019 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Jaffar ranked #4749 for boys in England and Wales in 2018, with 3 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2016, when 5 boys were registered as Jaffar.
  • About 27 living people in the UK are estimated to have Jaffar as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4749

2018

Births in 2018

3

Latest year

Peak year

2016

5 births

Estimated living

27

2026

Meaning

What does Jaffar mean?

The name Jaffar is of Arabic origin, derived from the Arabic word "jafr," which means "stream" or "rivulet." The name has been in use since ancient times in the Arabian Peninsula and the broader Middle East region.

Jaffar is a variant spelling of the name Jafar, which has its roots in Islamic history. Jafar was the name of one of the sons of the Prophet Muhammad, Jafar ibn Abi Talib. He was a companion of the Prophet and is revered in Islamic tradition for his bravery and sacrifices during the early days of Islam.

One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Jaffar can be found in the Quran, the holy book of Islam. The name appears in the form of "Jafar" in various verses, although the specific context is not entirely clear.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Jaffar. One of the most prominent was Jaffar al-Sadiq (702-765 CE), a highly influential scholar and theologian in Shia Islam. He was a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad and is considered one of the most important figures in the development of Islamic jurisprudence and theology.

Another notable figure was Jaffar Khan Ghilzai (1646-1677 CE), an Afghan ruler and military leader who played a significant role in the struggles for power in the region during the 17th century. He was a prominent figure in the Ghilzai Pashtun tribe and fought against the Mughal Empire in present-day Afghanistan and Pakistan.

In the modern era, one of the most famous individuals named Jaffar was Jaffar Iqbal (1872-1927), a renowned Urdu poet and philosopher from British India. He was a leading figure in the literary and intellectual circles of his time and is widely regarded as one of the most influential poets and thinkers in the Urdu language.

Another notable person with the name Jaffar was Jaffar Hussain (1906-1983), an Indian politician and member of the Indian National Congress. He played a crucial role in the Indian independence movement and served as a member of the Constituent Assembly that drafted the Constitution of India.

Lastly, Jaffar Farah Aden (born 1972) is a Somali-American writer and educator known for his works exploring the experiences of immigrants and diaspora communities. His novel "Maps" received critical acclaim and shed light on the struggles and resilience of Somali immigrants in the United States.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Jaffar over time

The chart below shows babies named Jaffar registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1997 to 2018. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Jaffar, the clearest high point is 2016. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2018, compared with 5 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Jaffar
01345199720072018

Decades

Jaffar by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Jaffar was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2010s #4388 14 4
2000s #3630 7 2
1990s #2880 6 2

Related

Names similar to Jaffar

FAQ

Jaffar: questions and answers

How popular is the name Jaffar in the UK right now?

In 2018, Jaffar was ranked #4749 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.

When was Jaffar most popular?

The peak year on record was 2016, with 5 babies registered as Jaffar in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Jaffar?

A masculine Arabic name meaning "stream" or "small river".

How many people are called Jaffar in the UK?

A total of 27 babies have been registered as Jaffar across the 8 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.