Arabic Boy Names

This classic, handsome Arabic name — cognate of the Hebrew Ishmael — was chosen by Tan and Rob France for their son born in 2021. Ismail is the preferred spelling in England, Germany, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Turkey, while Ismael ranks higher in countries with native Spanish speakers, including the US.

Soundalike cousin of Sammy, cute but slight on its own.

Appealing Indian and Arabic choice.

The brightest star in Ursa Major, this is one of the major navigational stars used by ships.

With its gentle but solid sounds, Musa is a name that feels both dignified and energetic. The Arabic, Turkish, and Persian form of Moses, Musa is popular internationally, from The Netherlands to Turkey to The UK.

Muhammad approved all ninety-nine attributes of Allah as worthy names, and this is one of the most popular. It was in the US Top 1000 for the first time since 1998 in 2016, when it was one of the 10 fastest-rising boys' names. Perhaps the most well known person in America with the name is former Houston Rockets center and Basketball Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon.

A strong and confident name growing in popularity, in numerous spellings.

Name of the last king of Egypt.

In the US, Yousef is a less commonly used spelling.

Another Islamic favorite, the father of the Prophet Muhammad.

This variation of Muhammed is not as popular as some, but it still is a widely used choice.

No longer a one-person name, as a number of parents have been inspired by basketball great Shaquille O'Neal to adopt it for their own future athletes.

Kanan is a popular name in the Middle East and one that is both rare and easily translated to the English speaking world.

A relatively popular Arabic name that featured in the French Top 500 for much of the second half of the 20th century and into the 21st. It is also used as a given name in Turkey, Iran and Israel, as well as being a relatively common surname (also spelled Nader). Notable bearers include an 18th century Shah of Iran, a 19th century King of Afghanistan and a former Prime Minister of Jordan.

Traditional Arabic choice, used for both boys and girls.

Sabik, a star in Ophiuchus, makes for a rather harsh-sounding name. If you're looking skyward for a baby name, you'd do better with Orion or Jupiter. But if you are searching for names that mean new beginnings, this is one unusual choice.

Salman is an Arabic name dating back to Salman the Persian, one of Muhammad's companions. In this country it is strongly associated with Anglo-Indian novelist Salman Rushdie, author of The Satanic Verses.

Kahlil, spelled in various ways, was first brought into the American consciousness by the poet Kahlil Gibran, author of The Prophet.

Unfortunate association with Ugandan dictator Idi Amin.

Widespread choice in the Muslim world, this was the name of both the father of the Prophet Mohammed and one of his sons.