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Muhammad

boy name
Origin
Arabic
Syllables
3
Peak era
2010s/2020s
Today
▬ Steady

Torn between Muhammad and another name? Compare them side by side →

Meaning

praiseworthy (the most commonly given name in the world, honoring the Prophet)

Goes by Mo. See all nicknames

The story

Muhammad is Arabic for praiseworthy, the name of the Prophet, and, as our meaning records note, often called the most commonly given name in the world. Its American record is the patient, community-carried shape this site has learned to recognize: higher every decade since the 1960s, about 50 becoming 520, then 1,000, 1,700, 3,400, 7,800, with 7,500 so far this decade, closing on the full 2010s total. Two honest details complete the picture. First, this line understates the reality: Muhammad, Mohammed, Mohamed and Mohammad all chart separately, and the family of transliterations together is far larger than any one spelling. Second, one figure is absolute: across sixty years of records, not one girl, 22,000 boys to zero, a reverence the record itself seems to keep. The most famous American bearer chose the name in 1964 and became, by wide agreement, the greatest.

More names with stories →

Muhammad's name family

One shared root links 4 names in Arabic.

Shared root: from an Arabic root associated with praise; Muhammad means "praised" and Ahmad "most praiseworthy," both names of the Prophet Muhammad

The family

MuhammadArabic

More branches

MohammedArabic · variantAhmadArabic · related formAhmedArabic · variant

How popular is Muhammad around the world?

In the United States, 7,462 babies were named Muhammad between 2020 and 2025. In England and Wales, 5,957 boys named Muhammad were born in 2025, the 1st most common name among boys that year.

Muhammad is on the official records of the United States, England and Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Norway, Canada, New South Wales, New Zealand, South Australia, Austria, France, Spain, Poland, Mexico City, Chile, Argentina and Brazil.

Muhammad crosses languages: it is in the latest top 300 of an English-speaking birth record and of a Spanish-speaking one. The full list: English and Spanish

United States

1 in 2,900

In the United States, 7,462 babies were named Muhammad between 2020 and 2025.

1890speak 2010s

Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Muhammad peaked in the 2010s and the 2020s in nearly equal measure.

Births with a Social Security record. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration

See the full list for the United States →

England and Wales

1 in 98

In England and Wales, 5,957 boys named Muhammad were born in 2025, the 1st most common name among boys that year.

1996peak 2025

share of that year’s name registrations

Birth registrations in England and Wales (not the whole UK); exact spellings are counted separately, and any spelling under 3 in a year is withheld at source. Source: Office for National Statistics, baby names in England and Wales

See the full list for England and Wales →

Scotland

1 in 160

In Scotland, 293 boys named Muhammad were registered in 2024, the 2nd most common name among boys that year.

1974peak 2024

share of that year’s name registrations

Births registered in Scotland; different spellings count separately but accents are merged at source, and any spelling under 3 in total is suppressed. Source: National Records of Scotland, babies' first names

See the full list for Scotland →

Ireland

1 in 390

In Ireland, 139 boys named Muhammad were born in 2025, the 35th most common name among boys that year.

1990peak 2025

share of that year’s name registrations

Exact registered spellings from Irish vital statistics; any name under 3 in a year is withheld at source, and accented spellings (fadas) are recorded reliably only from 2018. Source: Central Statistics Office (Ireland), Irish babies' names

See the full list for Ireland →

Norway

1 in 390 · register 2026

In Norway, 71 boys were given the name Muhammad in 2025.

1945peak 2023

share of the boys on the register for that year, SSB’s own figure

People who have or have had a Norwegian ID number, emigrants left out, from Statistics Norway’s name statistics (release of January 2026): by year of birth for 1945–2020 (everyone born that year who was ever registered in Norway, including people who registered later and people who have since died) and by year of naming from 2021; only first names carried by 200 or more living people are listed, counts under 4 are withheld, and SSB merges spellings that differ only by letters outside the Norwegian alphabet. The shares are SSB’s own, of the people of that sex and year in that count; the 2025 figure counts the children named that year, and no year is a count of births. Source: Statistics Norway (SSB), table 10467 (updated 2026-01-28)

See the full list for Norway →

Canada

1 in 510

In Canada, 716 boys named Muhammad were born in 2024, the 26th most common name among boys that year.

1991peak 2024

share of that year’s name registrations

First given names from provincial and territorial vital statistics across Canada; any name-sex-year under 5 is excluded at source, and small Quebec counts carry a randomized adjustment made at source. Shares divide by Statistics Canada’s count of live births for the year; the 2024 count is preliminary. Source: Statistics Canada, first names at birth (table 17-10-0147-01)

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New South Wales

#21 · 2025

In New South Wales, 223 boys named Muhammad were registered in 2025, ranked 21st in that year’s top 100 for boys.

2010peak 2025

share of that year’s top-100 registrations

New South Wales (not all of Australia) publishes only each year’s 100 most popular names per sex, so a missing year means below that top 100, not rare. Source: NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, popular baby names

See the full list for New South Wales →

New Zealand

1 in 1,300

In New Zealand, 45 boys named Muhammad were registered in 2025.

2000peak 2024

share of that year’s name registrations

First given names from New Zealand birth registrations, grouped by registration year; any name under 10 in a year is excluded at source. Shares divide by Stats NZ’s count of births registered to mothers living in New Zealand, under 1% below the registry’s own count. Source: Department of Internal Affairs (New Zealand), baby name popularity over time

See the full list for New Zealand →

South Australia

1 in 1,400 · 2017

In South Australia, 13 boys were registered as Muhammad in 2017.

1944peak 2014

share of that year’s name registrations

Births registered in South Australia (not all of Australia) by first name and year of registration, 1944–2017, from the state’s Births, Deaths and Marriages registry, which publishes every name down to a single birth in capitals; a spelling its export repeats inside a year is counted once, and from 2018 only a top 100 is published, so the series ends at 2017. Source: Consumer and Business Services (South Australia), popular baby names

See the full list for South Australia →

Austria

1 in 1,500

In Austria, 52 boys named Muhammad were born in 2025, the 129th most common name among boys that year, spellings that differ only by special characters counted together.

1984peak 2023

share of that year’s births on record

Live births in Austria by year of birth, 1984–2025, from Statistik Austria’s first-name statistics; spellings that differ only by special characters are counted together (umlauts stay apart), every name down to a single birth is published, and the count covers babies with Austrian citizenship only until 2009, every baby from 2010, and from 2015 also births abroad to mothers living in Austria. Shares divide by Statistik Austria’s count of live births from 2010, and before that by the file’s own total for the year. Source: Statistik Austria - data.statistik.gv.at (OGDEXT_VORNAMEN_1, updated 2026-07-09)

See the full list for Austria →

France

1 in 2,900

In France, about 220 boys named Muhammad were born in 2025, the 250th most common name among boys that year.

1980peak 2025

share of that year’s births on record

Births in France by year of birth, from INSEE’s fichier des prénoms (1900–2025; Mayotte from 2012); exact spellings count separately (Léo and Leo are different names), any spelling under 3 in a year and sex is withheld at source, every count is rounded to the nearest 5 at source, and nametree keeps the spellings that reached 20 in some year. Shares divide by INSEE’s count of births in France from 1957, and before that by the file’s own total for the year; INSEE says the file is not complete before 1946. Source: Insee, fichier des prénoms (last updated 2026-07-16)

See the full list for France →

Spain

1 in 4,100

In Spain, 11,060 residents are named Muhammad, the 241st most common name among men, with a mean age of 33 years.

Residents of Spain on 1 January 2025. Spain publishes how old a name’s living bearers are, not a birth series, so there is no year chart. Source: INE (Spain), Censo de Población anual, 1 January 2025

See the full list for Spain →

Poland

1 in 14,000

In Poland, 17 boys named Muhammad were born in 2025, the 270th most common name among boys that year.

2000peak 2025

share of that year’s name registrations

First names given to children born in Poland by year of birth, 2000–2025, from the PESEL population register (Ministry of Digital Affairs); exact spellings count separately (Łukasz and Lukasz are different names), names given fewer than 5 times in a year were left off the list through 2012 and fewer than 2 times from 2013, and the register also counts children born abroad, so its yearly sums run above Poland’s live births. Shares divide by the register’s own published total for the year, never by births. Source: Ministry of Digital Affairs, PESEL register (dane.gov.pl)

See the full list for Poland →

Mexico City City

1 in 120,000

In Mexico City, there was 1 registration of Muhammad in 2022.
The count never rose above 3 in a year, too few to chart.

Civil-registry acts in Mexico City by registration year. Counts are lower bounds (names under 6 in a month and borough are removed at source) and count name-instances, not people; compound names are split, so “Maria Jose” counts under each part. 2023 (1 registration through 3 Mar) is excluded as partial. Source: Registro Civil of Mexico City, open data portal, registered given names 2000-2023

See the full list for Mexico City →

Chile

1 in 180,000

In Chile, 1 boy was registered as Muhammad in 2021, every accent spelling counted together.
The count never rose above 7 in a year, too few to chart.

First-name registrations with Chile’s civil registry by year of registration, 1920–2021, counted as spelling groups (Sofía, Sofia and Sofìa are one name, shown with its most-registered spelling); the registry withholds nothing, nametree keeps the groups that reached 5 registrations in some year, and shares divide by every registration of the year. Source: Servicio de Registro Civil e Identificación (Chile) via the guaguas package, first-name registrations 1920-2021

See the full list for Chile →

Argentina

1 in 330,000

In Argentina, 2 newborns were given the name Muhammad in 2024.
The count never rose above 4 in a year, too few to chart.

Given-name components of births in Argentina 2012–2024; national cells are lower bounds and no sex split is published. Source: RENAPER (Argentina), Dirección Nacional de Población, given names 2012-2024

See the full list for Argentina →

Brazil

1 in 1M

At the 2022 census, 145 people in Brazil were named Muhammad, ranked 31,820th, with a median age of 28.
Among people named Muhammad living in Brazil at the 2022 census, more were born in the 1980s than in any other decade.

peak 1980s2010s

people alive at the 2022 census, by decade of birth

The census also counted 22 born between 2020 and August 2022, too recent a span to chart. People alive and resident in Brazil at the 2022 census, a living-population count, not births; names under 20 are withheld at source. Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022

See the full list for Brazil →

Montevideo City

last on record 1978

Muhammad is not on the 2011 record for Montevideo, whose registry withholds nothing, so the spelling was not given there that year.
The count never rose above 1 in a year, too few to chart.

Births in the department of Montevideo (not all of Uruguay) by first name and year of birth, 1940–2011, from the city’s civil registry, which writes names in capitals, almost always without accents; counted as spelling groups (accent and punctuation variants merged), nothing is withheld at source, and 2012 is excluded as a partial year. Source: Servicio de Registro Civil, Intendencia de Montevideo, Partidas de Registro Civil de Montevideo (Licencia de Datos Abiertos - Uruguay); 2012 dropped as partial

See the full list for Montevideo →

Not on the record in Puerto Rico: that registry withholds small counts, so rare uses may sit below its floor.

All records: the most popular baby names around the world →

When you meet Muhammad

Most people given the name Muhammad in the United States are children or teenagers today. The name belongs to this generation.

Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.

Names that fit alongside Muhammad

Khalil Nasir Samir Yusuf Karim Hussein

Where Muhammad travels

British and London · the most-registered boys' name in England for over a decade

Malay and Malaysian · praiseworthy (Arabic). For Malay boys it works as a first element rather than a call name: a Muhammad Danish answers to Danish, and Malaysian records often abbreviate it to Mohd.

Urdu and Pakistani · praised, praiseworthy; the most common boys' name in Pakistan, where convention often gives it as a first name of honor while the boy goes by his second name (a Muhammad Bilal answers to Bilal); US spellings Muhammad, Mohammad, and Mohammed all appear on Pakistani-American birth certificates

Keep exploring

Names like Muhammad · Malay and Malaysian baby names · Urdu and Pakistani baby names · Arab American baby names · British and London baby names

Name trails: explore connections from Muhammad →

The Muhammad deep dive

Written for you · $1.99 →

Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Muhammad truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Muhammad fits with your family’s names and surname.

Both reports, explained →

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