Arabic Boy Names

Omar has a perfect mix of unusuality and familiarity, with the added plus of a strong, open initial O. Commonly used among Muslim families, Omar was long associated with twelfth-century Persian poet Omar Khayyam, though it sounds anything but ancient now.

More recent well-known bearers have been World War II General Omar Bradley and actors Omar Sharif(born Michael) and Omar Epps.

Not related to Zack, Zacky, Zachary, or Zachariah – but many will assume it is.

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.

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.

There are over five hundred names for the Arab prophet who founded the Muslim religion (some of which are listed below), making it the most common boys' name in the world and explaining the Muslim adage, "If you have a hundred sons, name them all Muhammad."

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

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.

Similar to Nasser, with a slightly more altruistic meaning. Rapper Nas was born Nasir Bin Olu Dara Jones, and Nasir may have gotten a bump from 2016 show The Night Of, whose protagonist was named Nasir Kahn.

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

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

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."

Mustafa is a name widely used in Turkey, as it was the given name of the man popularly known as Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey. Mustafa is also an epithet of the prophet Muhammad and was the name of four Ottoman sultans. Other spellings include Mostafa, Moustafa, and Moustapha.

Name of the last king of Egypt.

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.

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.

In the US, Yousef is a less commonly used spelling.

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.

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).

This classic, handsome Arabic name — cognate of the Hebrew Ishmael — was chosen by Tan and Rob France for their son born in 2021. Ismail is the preferred spelling in England, Germany, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Turkey, while Ismael ranks higher in countries with native Spanish speakers, including the US.

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.