Arabic Boy Names

A favorite Muslim name, Kareem first appeared on the US Top 1000 list in 1972 (jumping in at Number 405!), coinciding with the early career of basketball great turned writer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (born Lewis Alcindor). It has continued to chart every year since.

Derived from the Arabic karuma, meaning "to be generous", the name encourages charitable and honorabe behaviour. Also transcribed as Karim, it is significant in Islamic tradition, al-Karīm being one of the 99 names of Allah.

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.

Salman is an Arabic name dating back to Salman the Persian, one of Muhammad's companions. In this country it is strongly associated with Anglo-Indian novelist Salman Rushdie, author of The Satanic Verses.

There are over five hundred names for the Arab prophet who founded the Muslim religion, 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 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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

Soundalike cousin of Sammy, cute but slight on its own.

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

In the US, Rashad is one of the most popular and best-known Arabic names, through several sports and entertainment celebrities.

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.

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.

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

Kamal carries two positive associations: one of the ninety-nine qualities of Allah listed in the Quran and the evocative lotus flower. Americans might recognize it as the male equivalent of Kamala, as in Vice President Kamala Harris.

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.

The brightest star in Ursa Major, this is one of the major navigational stars used by ships.

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.