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Home › Baby Names Directory › Afsana

Afsana

♀ Girl

Pronounced af-SAH-nuh /ɑfˈsɑ.nə/Medium

Meaning: Afsana comes from Persian afsana, 'story; tale; fable', and is widely used as a girls' name in Urdu-speaking communities. In Urdu literature afsana also names the short-story form itself.Medium

In 30 seconds: 'Story; fable' in Persian, widely used in Urdu (said 'af-SAH-nuh'). A name that means a tale worth telling.
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Origin MediumPersian, Urdu
MeaningAfsana comes from Persian afsana, 'story; tale; fable', and is widely used as a girls' name in Urdu-speaking communities. In Urdu literature afsana also names the short-story form itself.
U.S. rank (2023)#13503 ↗ Rising
2023 U.S. births6 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1999
Total births (all-time)≈ 114

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 200019952023

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Afsana comes from Persian afsāna, 'story; tale; fable', a word that travelled with the Persian language into Urdu, Hindi and beyond. In Urdu letters afsana is the term for the short story, a form that flourished in the twentieth century. As a girls' name it is long familiar across Pakistan, India and Iran, and it is a newcomer in the U.S. (said 'af-SAH-nuh').

In the U.S. it appears only very rarely and is newly emerging. Rare, literary, and richly Persian.

Did you know? Afsana means 'story' — and in Urdu literature the word afsana names the short story as a form. To be called Afsana is to be called a tale, which is about as romantic as a name can get.
Overall data confidence 60%
References — Afsana — Persian afsana 'story; tale'; Urdu literary term for the short story

Variations

AfsaanaAfsanahAfsaneh

Nicknames

AfsaSana

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Afsana…

Sana— the shorter name inside its ending
Nasreen— a like Persian/Urdu girls' name
Parisa— a like lyrical Persian pick
Shirin— a like poetic Persian choice

Explore names like Afsana

By themepersianliterarymeaningfulurdu

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Afsana mean?

Afsana means 'story; tale; fable' in Persian, and is widely used in Urdu, where the word also names the short-story form.

How do you pronounce Afsana?

It's said af-SAH-nuh /ɑfˈsɑ.nə/ — three syllables, stress on the second.

Is Afsana a boy or girl name?

Afsana is a girl's name.

How popular is Afsana?

Afsana is very rare and newly emerging in the U.S., though it is familiar across South Asia.

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