Declining since 2022, #6,325 for girls today.
Popularity of Fatema since 1970
Babies named Fatema per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1970s | 52 |
| 1980s | 98 |
| 1990s | 193 |
| 2000s | 220 |
| 2010s | 212 |
| 2020s | 128 |
Meaning & origin
Fatema, a variant spelling of the deeply respected Arabic name Fatima, carries the weight of centuries of Islamic tradition. While its most famous bearer, the Prophet Muhammad's daughter, is universally revered, the name itself has maintained steady, if modest, usage in the United States since it first appeared in records in 1970. By 2025, it ranked 6,325th nationally, with 1 in 89,293 newborns receiving the name that year. It reached its peak popularity in 2023, though it has been gradually declining since 2022. Despite not being among the most common names, Fatema remains a cherished choice for families seeking to honor religious and cultural heritage.
Fatema is a transliteration of the Arabic name Fatima, derived from the Arabic root f-t-m meaning 'to wean' or 'to abstain.' The name holds deep significance in Islam as the name of the Prophet Muhammad's daughter, Fatima al-Zahra. It has been widely used across the Muslim world for centuries, with various spelling variants emerging through different transliteration systems.
“Fatema” around the world
Where Fatema lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
5
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Fati, Fafa, Tima
Sibling names for Fatema
Names that share Fatema's style, for a brother or sister.
