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Home › Baby Names Directory › Zafar

Zafar

♂ Boy

Pronounced ZAH-far /ˈzɑː.fɑːr/Medium

Meaning: From Arabic zafar, 'victory; triumph'. It is used across the Arabic-speaking world and widely in South Asia, where Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal emperor and a noted poet, carried it as his pen name.Medium

In 30 seconds: A name of triumph: Zafar is Arabic for 'victory' (said 'ZAH-far').
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Origin HighArabic
MeaningFrom Arabic zafar, 'victory; triumph'. It is used across the Arabic-speaking world and widely in South Asia, where Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal emperor and a noted poet, carried it as his pen name.
U.S. rank (2024)#14188 ↘ Falling
2024 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year2017
Total births (all-time)≈ 139

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 201719932024

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

Zafar is the Arabic word for 'victory; triumph', used as a given name across the Arabic-speaking world, Turkey, Iran and South Asia. Its most famous bearer is Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal emperor, a gifted Urdu poet who used Zafar as his pen name. The related Zaafir and Muzaffar come from the same root (said 'ZAH-far').

It appears only rarely for boys in the U.S. Rare here, well established in the Muslim world.

Did you know? Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal emperor, took Zafar — 'victory' — as his poetic pen name, and his verses are still recited in South Asia today.
Overall data confidence 58%
References — Zafar — Arabic zafar, 'victory'; Bahadur Shah Zafar's pen name

Variations

ZaferZaffarDhafar

Nicknames

ZafZaffi

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Zafar…

Zaafir— a name from the same victory root
Nasir— a like Arabic name of triumph
Amir— a like Arabic two-beat name
Tahir— a like classic Arabic pick

Explore names like Zafar

By themearabicislamicstrongmeaningful
By meaningVictory

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Zafar mean?

Zafar is Arabic for 'victory; triumph'. It was the pen name of the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar.

How do you pronounce Zafar?

It's said ZAH-far /ˈzɑː.fɑːr/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Zafar a boy or girl name?

Zafar is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Zafar?

Zafar is a very rare name for boys in the U.S., though common in the Muslim world.

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