Arabic Boy Names

Cowboyish short form that's both macho and cool. Got prime time exposure on The West Wing.

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

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

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.

Ara is a unique boys' name that one of the most melodious in the Armenian name pool, familiarized by Notre Dame football coach Ara Parseghian. In Armenian mythology, Ara was a king so handsome that a rival queen went to war in order to make him her own. The name Ara is also known in the Arabic and Hebrew cultures.

With its gentle but solid sounds, Musa is a name that feels both dignified and energetic. The Arabic, Turkish, and Persian form of Moses, Musa is popular internationally, from The Netherlands to Turkey to The UK.

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.

Familiar and handsome, Jamil is a name of Arabic origin. Its literal meaning is "beautiful" and while this can refer to physical beauty, as a Quranic name, it more specifically refers to beautiful behavior, such as patience, kindness, and courteousness.

Projects an air of power and speed.

In the Quran, Eyad (and names with similar roots like Iyad and Ayad) refers to a person/entity that strengthens another. Eyad is one of the modern Arabic names for boys.

This striking name has a lot going for it: it's a self-confident Spanish surname, it identifies one of the most brilliant stars in the sky, and it has a musical reference to singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega.

Its most famous bearer was Prince Osman the First, founder of the Ottoman Empire, the third caliph of the Muslims, and a companion and son-in-law of Muhammad. Osman is sometimes written as Usman.

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."

Distinguished by association with renowned African diplomat Salim Ahmed Salim, this name is popular in many variations throughout the Arab world. Its use is growing in the US as well, especially in its Salem version.

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.

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.

Kanan is multicultural name with a number of different origins, making it a versatile choice that travels well. A Top 50 choice in Azerbaijan, Kanan also made a brief appearance in the US Top 1000 in 2022. Given to around 200 boys each year, it feels familiar and rare at the same time.

In this country, very much tied to PLO leader Arafat.

Used both as a given name and as a surname, Bashir is a familiar but still unusual choice in the USA and UK, even among Muslim families. In 2014, only 25 boys were named Bashir in the US. One reason for its low usage could be a connection to Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted for war crimes, including genocide, in Darfur.

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.