Muhammad (name)

Quality 0.50 · 1 view · Updated 2 months ago

title: "Muhammad (name)" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["arab-culture", "arabic-language-masculine-given-names", "arabic-language-surnames", "bengali-muslim-surnames", "bosniak-masculine-given-names", "iranian-masculine-given-names", "maldivian-language-surnames", "masculine-given-names", "pakistani-masculine-given-names", "somali-masculine-given-names", "surnames-of-maldivian-origin", "surnames-of-sri-lankan-origin", "turkish-masculine-given-names", "chechen-language-surnames"] topic_path: "geography/iran" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_(name)" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox Given Name Revised"]

FieldValue
nameMuhammad
imageFile:Al-Masjid AL-Nabawi Door.jpg
caption"Muhammad the Messenger of God", inscribed on the gates of the mosque al-Masjid an-Nabawi
pronunciation
genderMale
meaning"praiseworthy"
regionArabia
originArabic
alternative spellingMoohammed, Mahmad, Mahammad, Mahammed, Muhammadu, Mahamed, Mohamad, Mohamed, Mohammad, Mohammed, Muhamad, Muhamed, Muhammed, Muhammet, Muhummud, Mahammud, Mohd. Muh., Mochamad, Mohamud, Mokhmad, Mukhammad, Md., Mo., M., Mohammad, Muhammad,
::

::callout[type=note] the given name ::

| name = Muhammad | image = File:Al-Masjid AL-Nabawi Door.jpg | caption = "Muhammad the Messenger of God", inscribed on the gates of the mosque al-Masjid an-Nabawi | pronunciation = | gender = Male | meaning = "praiseworthy" | region = Arabia | origin = Arabic | alternative spelling = Moohammed, Mahmad, Mahammad, Mahammed, Muhammadu, Mahamed, Mohamad, Mohamed, Mohammad, Mohammed, Muhamad, Muhamed, Muhammed, Muhammet, Muhummud, Mahammud, Mohd. Muh., Mochamad, Mohamud, Mokhmad, Mukhammad, Md., Mo., M., Mohammad, Muhammad, | wikt = Muhammad () is an Arabic given male name meaning "praiseworthy". The name comes from the passive participle of the Arabic verb ar (حَمَّدَ), meaning "to praise", which itself comes from the triconsonantal Semitic root Ḥ-M-D. Other spellings of the name include Muhammed, Muhamad, Mohammad, Mohammed, Mahammad, Maxamed, Mehemmed, Mehemmet, Mohamad, Mohamed, Mehmet, Mahometus, Mamadou, and a variety of other ways. Believed to be the most popular name in the world, by July 2014 it was estimated to have been given to 150 million men and boys.

The name has been banned for newborn children in the Xinjiang region of China since 2017, as well as for the Ahmadi community in Pakistan.

Lexicology

The name ar is the standard, primary transliteration of the Arabic given name, محمد, that comes from the Arabic passive participle of ḥammada (حَمَّدَ), praise, and further from triconsonantal Semitic root Ḥ-M-D (praise); hence praised, or praiseworthy. However, its actual pronunciation differs colloquially, for example, in Egyptian Arabic: , while in exclusively religious contexts, talking about Islam: .

The name has one of the highest numbers of English spelling variants in the world. Other Arabic names from the same root include Mahmud, Ahmed, Hamed, Tahmid, and Hamid.

Transliterations

The name may be abbreviated to Md., Mohd., Muhd., Mhd., or simply M. because of its ubiquity. Its popularity has meant that it can become hard to distinguish people. In some cases, it may be to keep a personal name less tied to a religious context. This is only done if the person has a second given name. Some men who have Muhammad (or variant) as a first name choose not to use it, as it is such a common name. Instead, they use another given name. For example, Anwar Sadat, Hosni Mubarak, Siad Barre, Zia-ul-Haq, Yusuf Khattak, Ayub Khan and Reza Pahlavi use their given name, second given name, or surname.

Statistics

According to the sixth edition of The Columbia Encyclopedia (2000), Muhammad is probably the most common given name in the world, including variations. The Independent reported in 2014 that more than 150 million men and boys in the world bear the name Muhammad, which would make it the most popular name in the world. Approximately 60% of people named Muhammad live in Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan.

In 2024, the Office for National Statistics, which represents England and Wales collectively, reported that the name Muhammad was the most popular baby name for boys in that region in 2023.

Mohammed and Mohamed were the most popular baby name in Département Seine-Saint-Denis (2002, 2008) and in Marseille (2007, 2009), France. Similarly, since 2008 it has been the most popular baby boy name in Brussels and Antwerp, Belgium's most Muslim-populated cities.

In May 2006, it was reported that statistics indicate that some 8,928 Danish Muslims carry the name Muhammad and that in 2004 alone, 167 new-born babies were registered.

In 2009, Muhammad, the most common spelling variant, was ranked 430th in the US. According to the Social Security Administration, Mohammad was ranked 589th, Mohammed 633rd, and Muhammad the 639th most popular first name for newborns in 2006. In the 1990 United States census, the Muhammad variant of the spelling was ranked 4,194 out of 88,799 for people of all ages.

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/Part_of_the_list_of_banned_ethnic_minority_names_in_Xinjiang.jpg" caption="archive-date=2020-06-12}}"] ::

]] In April 2017, the Chinese government prohibited parents from choosing the name Muhammad as the given name for a child. The list included more than two dozen names and was targeted at the 10 million Uighurs in the western region of Xinjiang.

If all variants of Muhammad are counted, there are 15,723 people in Finland named Muhammad, accounting for 0.7% of the Finnish male population. The most common spelling is Mohamed, accounting for 38% of the Muhammad name carriers.

In 2022, it was the 35th most popular name given to boys in Canada.

Given name

Mamadou

Mochamad

Mochammad

Mohamad

Mohamed

Mohammad

Mohammed

Muhamad

Muhamed

Muhammad

Muhammadu

  • Muhammadu Buhari (1942–2025), Nigerian politician who served as military dictator from 1983 to 1985, and democratically elected president from 2015 to 2023.

Muhammed

Muhammet

Moegamat

Patronymics

ibn

  • Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Hazm (?–737), scholar
  • Ibrahim ibn Muhammad (630–632), the Islamic prophet's son
  • Qasim ibn Muhammad (598–600), the Islamic prophet's son
  • Abdullah ibn Muhammad (600–614), the Islamic prophet's son
  • Abd al-Raḥmān ibn Muḥammad (1332–1406), Arab historiographer and historian
  • Marwan ibn Muhammad
  • Abdallah ibn Muhammad, better known as Al-Saffah (r. 750–754), was the first Abbasid caliph and founder of Abbasid Caliphal dynasty.
  • Abu Ja'far Abdallah ibn Muhammad, better known as Al-Mansur, was the second Abbasid caliph from 754 to 775.
  • Ibrahim ibn al-Mahdi, also known as Ibrahim ibn Muhammad, was the Abbasid princess, singer and composer.
  • Ubaydallah ibn al-Mahdi, also known as Ubaydallah ibn Muhammad, was the Abbasid princess and officer.
  • Ali ibn al-Mahdi, also known as Ali ibn Muhammad, was the son of Abbasid caliph al-Mahdi and his wife Rayta.
  • Musa al-Hadi, also known as Musa ibn Muhammad, was the fourth Abbasid caliph from 785 to 786.
  • Harun al-Rashid, also known as Harun ibn Muhammad, was the fifth Abbasid caliph from 786 to 809.
  • Abdallah ibn Muhammad al-Mahdi, the son of Abbasid caliph al-Mahdi.
  • Isa ibn Muhammad al-Mahdi, ,the youngest brother of Harun al-Rashid.
  • Musa ibn Muhammad al-Amin, ,the son of Abbasid caliph al-Amin.
  • Abdallah ibn Muhammad al-Amin, the second son of caliph Al-Amin.
  • Al-Wathiq (812–847), also known as Abu Ja'far Harun ibn Muhammad al-Mu'tasim was the Abbasid caliph from 842 to 847.
  • Al-Mutawakkil (822–861), also known as Ja'far ibn Muhammad al-Mu'tasim, was the tenth Abbasid caliph from 847 to 861.
  • Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Mu'tasim, the Abbasid prince and father of Al-Musta'in
  • Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Mu'tasim, an Abbasid princess and the patron of Art and science.
  • Ali ibn Muhammad al-Mu'tasim
  • Abdallah ibn Muhammad al-Mu'tasim, one of the youngest sons of caliph al-Mu'tasim.
  • Abdallah ibn Muhammad, better known as Abdallah ibn al-Mu'tazz or simply as Ibn al-Muʿtazz, was an Arab prince and poet.
  • Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad al-Muhtadi, the son of Abbasid caliph al-Muhtadi.
  • Abdallah ibn Muhammad ibn al-Qa'im, better known as Al-Muqtadi, was the caliph of Baghdad during later Abbasid period.

bint

Teknonymy

  • Hasan ibn Ali also known as Abu Muhammad Hasan ibn Ali, was the son of Ali ibn Abi Ṭalib, and caliph in 661.
  • Al-Hadi, also known as Abu Muhammad Musa al-Hadi, was the 4th Abbasid caliph.
  • Al-Muktafi also known as Abu Muhammad Ali, was the 17th Abbasid caliph from 902 – 13 August 908.
  • Al-Mustadi also known as Abu Muhammad Hasan ibn Yusuf al-Mustanjid was the Caliph in Baghdad from 1170 to 1180.

Fictional

Derived names

Umm Muhammad

  • Umm Muhammad bint Salih, was the wife of Abbasid caliph Harun al-Rashid.
  • Hubshiya also known as Umm Muhammad was the mother of Abbasid caliph Al-Muntasir
  • Qurb, also known as Umm Muhammad was the mother of al-Muhtadi.
  • Ashin, also known as Umm Muhammad was the mother of 12th-century caliph of Baghdad al-Muqtafi.

Famous derived names

Legality and restrictions

China

In 2017 legislation made it illegal in China to give children names that the Chinese government deemed to "exaggerate religious fervor”. This prohibition included a ban on naming children Muhammad. The legislation was officially intended to prevent "religious extremism" among the country's Uighur minority, but may have been an act of persecution against the Uighur community.

Pakistan

The government of Pakistan forbids members of its Ahmadi community from naming their children Muhammad. Al Jazeera reported in 2021 that blasphemy charges had been filed against Ahmadis who wrote "Mohammed" on a wedding invitation in an unspecified amount of instances.

References

bs:Muhammed

References

  1. ''Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary,'' 10th edition
  2. "Mamadou".
  3. (15 August 2014). "Most popular baby names: The top 20 boys and girls names in England and Wales".
  4. Hernández, Javier C.. (2017-04-25). "China Bans 'Muhammad' and 'Jihad' as Baby Names in Heavily Muslim Region". The New York Times.
  5. "Amid bullets and 'blasphemy', Pakistan's Ahmadis struggle on".
  6. [http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/muhammad "Muhammad- Dictionary"]
  7. ''Humanism, Culture, and Language in the Near East'': Asma Afsaruddin, A. H. Mathias Zahniser - 1997, p. 389.
  8. (10 February 2009). "MUHAMMAD, prophet of Islam. The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001–07".
  9. (2014-08-15). "Baby names: The top 20 boys and girls names in England and Wales".
  10. "Muhammad was most popular boys' baby name in England and Wales in 2023".
  11. "Insee − Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques".
  12. (24 February 2008). "Les parents marseillais ont craqué pour Inès et MOHAMED".
  13. Verkruyssen, Freddy. (24 November 2009). "EMMA EN NOAH ZIJN de populairste voornamen van 2008".
  14. "JTW News - "MUHAMMAD" Most Popular Among Danish Muslims".
  15. http://www.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/babyname.cgi; searched for MOHAMED
  16. "Popular Baby Names".
  17. Unless otherwise noted, figures are from http://www.name-stats.com/search.php?subject=MUHAMMAD&submit=Search. ''They don't include different forms of spelling except for 2009 and 2010 for the UK.''
  18. "MUHAMMAD - Name Meaning, What does MUHAMMAD mean?".
  19. Huang, Joyce. (2017-04-26). "China Issues Ban on Many Muslim Names in Xinjiang". [[Voice of America]].
  20. "Digi- ja väestötietovirasto".
  21. "Digi- ja väestötietovirasto".
  22. "Table 17-10-0147-01 First names at birth by sex at birth, selected indicators (Number)".
  23. (2009). "Muḥammad". Oxford University Press.
  24. (30 March 2017). "China sets rules on beards, veils to combat extremism in Xinjiang". [[Reuters]].
  25. [https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1015790/PAK_CPIN_Ahmadis.pdf Country Policy and Information Note Pakistan: Ahmadis]
  26. [https://2009-2017.state.gov/documents/organization/171759.pdf Pakistan]
  27. "Amid bullets and 'blasphemy', Pakistan's Ahmadis struggle on".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

arab-culturearabic-language-masculine-given-namesarabic-language-surnamesbengali-muslim-surnamesbosniak-masculine-given-namesiranian-masculine-given-namesmaldivian-language-surnamesmasculine-given-namespakistani-masculine-given-namessomali-masculine-given-namessurnames-of-maldivian-originsurnames-of-sri-lankan-originturkish-masculine-given-nameschechen-language-surnames