Arfan
Boy name · 18 babies recorded · 1974–2025
Arfan: 18 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to boys, peaking at 4 births in 1981.
Arfan is a name of Arabic origin, meaning "grateful" or "thankful," derived from the root ʿ-r-f, which also conveys recognition and knowledge. It is most famously borne by Arfan Naseer, a former Pakistani cricketer who played as a right-handed batsman in the 1990s, and Arfan Ahmed, a British actor and filmmaker known for his work in independent cinema. While no major places share the name directly, the root appears in the Arabic word ʿIrfān, meaning "gnosis" or "divine knowledge," used in Islamic philosophy. A notable variant is Irfan, more common globally, though Arfan remains a distinctive choice in Scotland, reflecting the growing multicultural tapestry of names given here since the 1970s.
Boy 5 of 52 years
- Peak year
- 19814 babies
- Latest (1989)
- #2954 babies
- Total births
- 18since 1981
- 5-year trend
- ≈ stablevs prior 5y