Muslim Boy Names

  1. Aayan
    • Origin:

      Persian or Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "long night; era"
    • Description:

      A common name in the Muslim community, where it may be a Persian name or a variation of Ayan, a name with a timely meaning.
  2. Kamil
    • Origin:

      Arabic; Polish, Czech, Slovak
    • Meaning:

      "perfect; young ceremonial attendant"
    • Description:

      Although popular in the Muslim community as representing one of the 99 qualities of God listed in the Quran, this could be confused with the female Camille. It's also common in the West Slavic countries.
  3. Mohamed
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Muhammad
    • Meaning:

      "praiseworthy"
    • Description:

      This variation of the popular Arabic name has now been in the Top 500 for several years. It wasn't even in the Top 1000 before the 1980s.
  4. Abu
    • Origin:

      Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "father"
    • Description:

      Most names with the Ab beginning, including the more familiar Abigail and Abner, mean father, as does this streamlined Arabic choice. American children might recognize Abu as the name of Aladdin's pet monkey in the Disney film.
  5. Saleem
    • Ashar
      • Ahmad
        • Origin:

          Arabic
        • Meaning:

          "most commended, praisworthy"
        • Description:

          As a form of the popular Arabic name, Hamid, Ahmad could be seen as a contraction for one of the 99 names for Allah, al-Ḥamīd, however, it might also be a variation of Muhammad as they share the same roots. Either way, the name has many variants of its own, the Urdu Ahmed, the Kazakh Akhmet, and West African Amadou.
      • Zuberi
        • Origin:

          Swahili
        • Meaning:

          "strong"
        • Description:

          Zuberi has separate origins as a Swahili given name meaning "strong," and an Arabic surname — primarily among Sunni Muslims in Pakistan — meaning "superior."
      • Hakim
        • Qamar
          • Origin:

            Arabic
          • Meaning:

            "moon"
          • Description:

            Appealing in part because of its similarity to the likable Omar.
        • Yousef
          • Origin:

            Persian variation of Yusuf, Arabic
          • Meaning:

            "God increases"
          • Description:

            While Yusuf is the more popular Arabic form of Joseph, Yousef is the Persian variant and is sometimes used as an Arabic transcription. Currently in the Top 500 in the UK and the Top 1000 in the US, it is still a familiar choice.
        • Anwar
          • Origin:

            Arabic
          • Meaning:

            "brighter, clearer"
          • Description:

            Strongly identified with peace-accord-seeking Egyptian president Anwar el-Sadat.
        • Babar
          • Origin:

            Urdu
          • Meaning:

            "tiger"
          • Description:

            It's most commonly associated with the French elephant, but Babar ironically means "tiger."
        • Saad
          • Origin:

            Aramaic
          • Meaning:

            "help, support"
          • Description:

            A traditional name in the Arabic world.
        • Samin
          • Origin:

            Hindi
          • Description:

            A name mostly found in Muslim and Hindu families, but a rarity in the US.
        • Hisham
          • Origin:

            Arabic
          • Meaning:

            "generous"
          • Description:

            The meaning derives from the traditional Arab act of crushing bread into crumbs in order to share it. Recently heard in the hit French Netflix series Call My Agent in its French form Hicham.
        • Kadir
          • Origin:

            Arabic
          • Meaning:

            "capable"
          • Description:

            Kadir is derived from Qadir (many Arabic K names are phonetic versions of Q-starting names); a classic Muslim name reflecting one of the ninety-nine attributes of Allah.
        • Hasan
          • Origin:

            Arabic
          • Meaning:

            "beautiful, handsome"
          • Description:

            Hasan is a significant Muslim historical figure — he was the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad and the son of Ali and Fatimah. Shia Muslims consider Hasan a martyr — he died after being poisoned by his wife.
        • Mehmet
          • Origin:

            Turkish variation of Muhammad, Arabic
          • Meaning:

            "praiseworthy"
          • Description:

            A common form of Muhammad in Turkey, where the spelling Muhammed is also used. In the US, Mehmet is commonly known as the first name of Dr. Oz.
        • Rahul
          • Origin:

            Sanskrit
          • Meaning:

            "able, efficient"
          • Description:

            A perennially popular choice in India, where it is inextricably linked to Buddha's son. Rahul briefly ranked in the US Top 1000, from 1998 to 2004.