Arabic Boy Names

Pleasant and accessible and not as widely-used as some other African names.

Tabari has a haunting, rhythmic feel.

Near Eastern name with lots of opportunities for variation and improvisation.

This attractive Arabic name is gaining attention in the US, used equally for boys and girls. Indeed, its sound (it rhymes with the feminine Tamar but ends with the fashionably masculine -ar sound as in Oscar) and most logical nickname (Sam) make it a choice that's at once accessible and distinctive for both genders.

This evocative Arabic name is often heard in India.

Jamir is a modern invention, created by blending together traditional Arabic names Jamal and Amir, giving the meaning "beautiful ruler". It has replaced the once popular Jamar in the US Top 1000, and currently sits in the Top 600.

One spelling of a well-used Arabic name. Hussein ibn Ali was a grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. It gained in popularity in the USA during the presidency of Barack Hussein Obama.

A strong name with a strong meaning, like its cousin Zafir.

Introduced to the lexicon by the husband of Little House on the Prairie writer Laura Ingalls Wilder, most scholars agree that this unusual name comes from the Arabic El-Mansur.

Intriguing David alternative, though American tongues will have trouble wrapping themselves around three vowels in a row.

Name of a great Indian Mogul king, a Matt Groening cartoon character, and many Indian restaurants.

This is a widely used Arabic choice — but Rashad is more popular here. Actress Rashida Jones represents the feminine version.

Commonly used Muslim name, also sometimes chosen to honor Egyptian president Gamal Abdel-Nasser.

An Arabic name with Quranic connections -- it represents one of the essential qualities -- that would have no trouble assimilating. Sabira or Sabirah is a form used for girls, and Sabri can be used for either sex.

Kadeem is a name made familiar by TV actor Kadeem Hardison, a fresher alternative to the better known Kareem.

Muslim name very popular in North Africa.

Qadir is a classic Muslim name that represents one of the ninety-nine attributes of Allah. Since the initial Q is pronounced as K, this handsome name is sometimes Anglicized as Kadir.

Shaquille O'Neal came almost as close as he could to a Junior when he selected this name for his son.

The Arabic and Urdu form of the cheerful Isaac, itself derived from the Hebrew Ytizchak, Ishaq is familiar in the UK and in France and was a fast rising choice in 2023. In Islamic tradition, Ishaq is the name of a prophet and the son of Ibrahim and Sarah.