Declining since 2022, #7,194 for boys today.
Popularity of Assad since 1976
Babies named Assad per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1970s | 11 |
| 1980s | 38 |
| 1990s | 43 |
| 2000s | 38 |
| 2010s | 76 |
| 2020s | 105 |
Meaning & origin
Assad, meaning 'lion' in Arabic, has seen modest use in the United States since it first appeared in Social Security records in 1976. Its popularity peaked in 2021, but the name has been on a declining trajectory since 2022. Currently ranked 7,194 in 2025, fewer than 1 in 155,280 male newborns receive the name. The name remains culturally significant in Arabic-speaking communities, though its use in the U.S. is infrequent and not concentrated in any particular state.
Assad derives from the Arabic word 'asad' (أسد), meaning 'lion'. The name has been used across the Arabic-speaking world for centuries, often symbolizing strength and courage. It is also associated with the lion as a symbol of power in Islamic and pre-Islamic contexts.
“Assad” around the world
Where Assad lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
20
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Sibling names for Assad
Names that share Assad's style, for a brother or sister.
