Fun Facts About the Name Abdurrahman
- More than 1 thousand babies named Abdurrahman: U.S. records list 1,065 babies given the name Abdurrahman from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Abdurrahman Mean?
Abdurrahman is an Arabic theophoric name meaning "servant of the Most Merciful." It combines ʿabd, "servant" or "slave," with al-Raḥmān, "the Most Merciful," one of the names of God in Islam. The spelling Abdurrahman is a joined form of the Arabic ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, with the definite article al- absorbed into the spelling and pronunciation.
The element al-Raḥmān comes from the Arabic root r-ḥ-m, which carries the sense of mercy and compassion. Raḥmān follows an intensive pattern, giving the sense "the Most Merciful" or "the Most Compassionate." The same root appears in the related divine name al-Raḥīm, and the two occur together in the Quranic phrase Bismillāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm. The literal sense of the whole name is "servant of the Most Merciful"; the customary reading treats "servant" as an expression of devotion, since compounds with ʿabd are formed only with names of God.
Abdurrahman Name History & Origins
Abdurrahman belongs to the Arabic pattern of ʿAbd names, compounds of ʿabd with one of the names of God, such as ʿAbd Allāh, ʿAbd al-Karīm, and ʿAbd al-Raḥmān. The name was in use from the earliest Islamic period. ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn ʿAwf was a companion of the prophet Muhammad, and Islamic tradition also records an ʿAbd al-Raḥmān among the companions given the promise of paradise. A report preserved in the hadith collections states that the names most beloved to God are ʿAbdullah and ʿAbd al-Raḥmān.
The name appears in later Islamic history in the western Mediterranean: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān I established the Umayyad emirate of Córdoba in 756, and ʿAbd al-Raḥmān III took the title of caliph there in 929. As Islam spread, the name traveled with it through the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia.
The joined spelling Abdurrahman developed in languages where the Arabic phrase ʿAbd al-Raḥmān is written and pronounced with the article absorbed, much as ʿAbd Allāh becomes Abdullah. Turkish uses Abdurrahman, Urdu and Bengali use Abdur Rahman, and West African and Maghrebi forms include Abdourahmane and Abderrahmane. Other transliterations in English include Abd al-Rahman, Abdul Rahman, and Abdel Rahman. A recent well-known bearer is Abdurrahman Wahid, who served as president of Indonesia from 1999 to 2001.
How Popular is the Name Abdurrahman?
Abdurrahman has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2014. Its best rank was #2,542 in 2014.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,719 | 47 | 0.0028% |
| 2024 | #3,094 | 39 | 0.0023% |
| 2023 | #2,893 | 43 | 0.0025% |
| 2022 | #3,277 | 36 | 0.0021% |
| 2021 | #3,296 | 35 | 0.0020% |
| 2020 | #3,135 | 36 | 0.0021% |
| 2019 | #3,258 | 35 | 0.0020% |
| 2018 | #3,524 | 31 | 0.0017% |
| 2017 | #3,890 | 27 | 0.0015% |
| 2016 | #2,935 | 40 | 0.0021% |
| 2015 | #3,022 | 38 | 0.0020% |
| 2014 | #2,542 | 48 | 0.0025% |
| 2013 | #3,122 | 35 | 0.0019% |
| 2012 | #3,002 | 38 | 0.0020% |
| 2011 | #3,309 | 33 | 0.0017% |
| 2010 | #2,787 | 43 | 0.0022% |
| 2009 | #3,223 | 35 | 0.0018% |
| 2008 | #3,221 | 35 | 0.0017% |
| 2007 | #3,690 | 28 | 0.0013% |
| 2006 | #2,698 | 43 | 0.0021% |
| 2005 | #3,320 | 30 | 0.0015% |
| 2004 | #3,074 | 32 | 0.0016% |
| 2003 | #3,187 | 29 | 0.0015% |
| 2002 | #3,259 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 2001 | #3,062 | 29 | 0.0015% |
| 2000 | #3,539 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 1999 | #3,480 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 1998 | #3,708 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1997 | #3,879 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1996 | #3,294 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 1995 | #3,855 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1994 | #5,870 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1993 | #7,640 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1992 | #8,446 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1990 | #6,417 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1989 | #7,910 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1988 | #7,275 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1987 | #6,956 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1986 | #5,335 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1982 | #5,624 | 6 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Abdurrahman Shapes Your Personality and Life?
Powerful and complete. You are good intellectually and require several outlets for your energies. You are not a builder but a planner, and you want others to carry out your plans. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are always looking for an opportunity to achieve financial and emotional security. You are basically peacemaker. You understand the law of harmony and desire to balance your life with those around you. You may feel incomplete without someone to share your love, ideals, wealth or work. You can be very sensitive and could appear a bit shy and perceptive. You have developed intuition, patience and the ability to nurture others. You can achieve the state of happiness if you are willing to accept your needs in a complimentary relationship and go to create them.
✦ Abdurrahman's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Abdurrahman's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.