Arabic Boy Names

Hamza was the legendary uncle of the Prophet Muhammad, hero of The Hamzanama, the Story of Hamza.

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.

A name used in the Middle East but that could easily work in the US. As a girls' name, Nuri can also be a short form of Nuria. It was chosen by Christy Lefteri for the protagonist of her novel, The Beekeeper of Aleppo which may have familiarized people with the name.

This phonetic version is occasionally used and removes any confusion about whether the X is fully pronounced or not.

The name of the 44th president, which he inherited from his Kenyan father, is related to the Swahili word "baraka," meaning "blessing," derived from the Arabic "baracka." It is linked, through the Semitic root, to the Hebrew name Baruch. Barack is also sometimes an alternate spelling of the Hebrew name Barak, which stems from the Semitic word for "lightning." Barack Obama may have found it a difficult name to grow up with, but the same won't be true for the many babies starting to be given that name. Other parents are being inspired to use Obama, which is a common surname among the Luo people of East Africa meaning "to lean or bend."

Well used by Muslim parents across the world, Ibrahim is the Arabic variation of Abraham. Significant in multiple religions and with an international and well-travelled feel about it, Ibrahim has been in the US Top 1000 since the 1990s, and is currently popular in Azerbaijan, France, the UK, and Turkey.

Zinedine Zidane is France's biggest soccer star, spawning a legion of little Zinedines in that country.

This Hebrew and Arabic name hit the US Top 300 in 2004 via an unusual inspiration: A Mexican pop singer and telenovela star known simply as Yahir, who was himself named after a Brazilian soccer player. Possibly a variation of the Hebrew Jair the Arabic Zahir, Yahir has since declined since its peak in the 2000s, however, it does remain in the latter end of the US Top 1000.

Jamal is an Arabic boys’ name meaning "beauty." Jamal and its variants are popular in the Muslim community, although Jamal’s popularity within the US has decreased in recent years.

Hassan is among the more familiar Arabic choices, and also one with an attractive meaning. It has appeared in the US Top 1000 every year since 1971.

Streamlined spelling of the biblical name, as in basketball great Isiah Thomas, falling fast from its height in the charts.

The Arabic name Idrissa is related to the more common form Idris, which is the name of a Quranic prophet usually equated with the biblical Enoch). Idrissa is more commonly seen in North and Western Africa. Idrissa Gueye, the Senegalese footballer who plays for Aston Villa in the UK, is probably the most famous person with this name.

Projects an air of power and speed.

This variation of Ahmad is one of the most popular Arabic names among Muslim families the world over and is now the most used spelling in the USA. It shares the same root as other popular Arabic names, including Muhammad and Hamid.

Spelled in various ways, this name was first brought into the American consciousness by the Lebanese-American poet and artist Kahlil Gibran, author of The Prophet.

A popular name in the Middle East and one of the most evocative choices of its genre. One of the 99 names of Allah. The feminine form is Zahira.

A traditional Arabic choice, used on girls and boys, with a bright, fresh, and nature connected meaning. Naseem is an alternative Arabic and Urdu form, while Nesim is used in Turkey. Though unisex, Nasim leans masculine in Lebanon, Indonesia, Iran, England, Palestine, and Iraq, but is more evenly split in India, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. TikTok star and rapper Nasim Nabi is a notable bearer.

Zayd (or its most common variant Zaid), an old and still well used Arabic name, was a enslaved man whom Muhammad adopted as his son.

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

Aza's similarity to the biblical name Asa makes it ripe for adaptation. If you want something more elaborate, you might consider Azariah. Something simpler? It doesn't get much simpler and that is the beauty of Aza (or Asa).