Arabic/English boy names

  1. Adam
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "son of the red earth"
    • Description:

      Adam -- a primal Old Testament name -- was revived as a 1960s cowboy name. Adam is not as popular as it once was and feels ready for a respite, replaced by newer A names like Aidan/Aiden, Avery and Axel. Its most prominent current bearers include Adams Sandler, Levine, Brody and Driver -- who plays a character named Adam on Girls.
  2. Amir
    • Origin:

      Arabic or Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "prince, ruler; treetop"
    • Description:

      Concise, familiar and multicultural, Amir enjoys widespread popularity around the world. A common name in the Middle East and across Africa, it has been on the rise in the US since the late 70s, and entered the Top 100 for the first time in 2023.
  3. Elias
    • Origin:

      Greek variation of Elijah, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "Yahweh is God"
    • Description:

      Strong, charismatic, and sleek, Elias has followed in the footsteps of Elijah and Eli to become a popular choice among parents today.
  4. Jibril
    • Malik
      • Origin:

        Arabic; Greenlandic
      • Meaning:

        "king; wave"
      • Description:

        A name with many spelling variations, including Malek and Maliq. With Muslim roots, Malik ranks in the US Top 500 and is also popular in several European and Arabic countries. Malik can also be thought of as a nature name, via its Greenlandic meaning of wave.
    • Omar
      • Origin:

        Arabic, Hebrew
      • Meaning:

        "flourishing, thriving; eloquent"
      • Description:

        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.

    • Tarek
      • Tariq
        • Origin:

          Arabic
        • Meaning:

          "the one who knocks at the door"
        • Description:

          A strong and confident name growing in popularity, in numerous spellings.
      • Yusuf
        • Origin:

          Arabic variation of Joseph, Hebrew
        • Meaning:

          "Jehovah increases"
        • Description:

          Yusuf is the Arabic form of Joseph, used in the Middle East, as well as internationally from France and the US, to the UK, Turkey and Azerbaijan - where, as of 2023, it ranked in the Top 100.
      • Zain
        • Origin:

          Variation of Zayn, Arabic
        • Meaning:

          "beauty, grace"
        • Description:

          Zayn and the more Western-friendly Zain sound exactly like the popular Zane but have a different root, in Arabic and African cultures. The name was made familiar to Europeans and Americans by British singer-songwriter Zayn, born Zain Malik. This is an easily-translated choice for a family that wants to bridge cultures, but you have to accept that people will be forever spelling the name "wrong".
      • Zane
        • Origin:

          Possible variation of John
        • Meaning:

          "God is gracious"
        • Description:

          Western novelist Zane (born Pearl!) Grey made this name famous. Now, it's in tune with the style of our times, retaining that appealing cowboy image.