At the 2020 Grammys, DJ Khaled announced that he had welcomed a baby boy named Alam (which means “the world”) just weeks ago — but he’s far from the only fan of the beautiful Arabic name with Muslim roots. After all, Islam is one of the world’s largest religions, with over 1.8 billion followers; that’s about 24% of the world’s population. Muslims live across the globe, from North America to Southeast Asia, spanning hundreds of countries, cultures and languages. And Muslim names, as a result, reflect this vast global diversity.
The most common one, Mohammed (and its numerous variant spellings including Mohammad, Muhammed and Muhammad) is the most popular baby boy name in the world — and one made famous by a certain boxing legend, who was born Cassius Marcellus Clay but changed his name to Muhammad Ali after converting to Islam.
But contrary to popular belief, Muslim names aren’t only in the Arabic language like Alam is — even though, yes, Arabic is the language of the holy Quran. What all Muslim names do have in common is that they follow specific religious guidelines. For example:
· Muslim names can’t indicate that you worship someone other than Allah, or God in Islam.
· In Islam, it’s forbidden to choose a name that has an offensive, disagreeable or unpleasant meaning.
· Muslim names are required to have noble meanings and be associated with virtuous and pious things.
In many Islamic cultures, it’s believed that one’s name can inspire them to live a life of greatness; that’s why it’s so important for many Muslims around the world to focus on the meaning of a name. It’s not just what you call your child — it’s a reflection of their personality and their good deeds to come.
We’ve gathered some of the most beautiful Muslim boy names with inspiring and honorable meanings.
Aabid – Worshiper
Aadil – Just, upright
Aalam (or Alam) – The world
Aamir – Civilized
Aayan – God’s gift
Abdul Lateef – Servant of the kind
Adam – The first human
Ahmad – Most highly adored
Aiman – Fearless
Ali – Noble, sublime, fourth caliph of Islam
Amin – Faithful
Aqeel – Wise, Intelligent
Arslan – Lion
Asher – Wise, knowledgeable
Aydin – Brilliant
Basaam – Smiling
Behr – Sea, wave
Bilal – The prophet’s muezzin
Cal – Courageous
Cale – To be faithful
Cheherazad – Of noble countenance
Daanish – Wisdom, learning, science
Daniyal – Intelligent
Dawid – Prince
Deen – Religion
Ehsan – Powerful
Eijaz – Miracle
Emran – Progress, achievement
Fahad – Panther, leopard
Faisal – Judge
Faris – Perceptiveness
Furozh – Light
Fuwad – Heart
Ghazzal – Name of a reciter of Quran
Gulshan – A flower garden
Haamid – Praising
Hamza – Strong, steadfast
Haris – Guardian, watchman
Hasan – To be beautiful
Haseeb – Noble
Ibraheem (also: Abraham) – A prophet’s name
Idrees (also: Idris) – A prophet’s name
Iesa (also: Jesus) – A prophet’s name
Izzat – High rank, honor
Jamaal – Beauty
Javier – Month of January
Juma’ – Friday
Junaid – Soldier, warrior
Kamal – Perfection
Kamran – Successful, blessed
Kareem – Generous
Khalid – Eternal
Kinza – Hidden treasure
Latif – Fine, Gentle, refined
Lu’ay – Shield
Maaz – Brave man
Mahad – Great, nice
Malik – Master
Masoud – Happy, lucky
Mika – Cool, sweet, intelligent
Muhammad – The most praised one
Mustafa – Chosen
Nabeel – Noble, distinguished
Nadeem – Companion, friend
Naveed – Glad tidings
Nooh (also: Noah) – A prophet’s name
Noori – Shining
Omar – Life
Parvez – Success
Qadi – Judge
Qays – Firm
Rami – Archer
Rayan – Splendor
Reza – Wish
Rohaan – Spiritual, kind-hearted
Salmaan – Safe
Sami – Elevated, sublime, supreme
Samir – Entertaining companion
Shahid – Witness
Shahzad – Prince
Shayan – Worthy, deserving
Shehryaar – Sovereign
Syed – Always in control
Talal – Nice, admirable
Tariq – Name of a star
Tobias – Born with a star
Urooj – Ascension
Usman – Name of the third caliph
Vakar – Respect
Waqas – Warrior
Wasay – Unlimited
Wasim – Good-looking
Xander – Splendid
Xavier – Bright
Yasir – Wealthy
Yusr – Ease, convenience
Yusuf (also: Joseph) – A prophet’s name
Zahid – Devoted to God
Zain – Handsome, beautiful
Zakariya (also: Zechariah) – A prophet’s name
Zeeshan – Dignified, respected
Zia – Wise
A version of this story was originally published in September 2019.
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