Fun Facts About the Name Ghulam
- 10 babies named Ghulam: U.S. records list 10 babies given the name Ghulam from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Ghulam Mean?
Ghulam is an Arabic name meaning 'boy,' 'youth,' or 'servant.' It comes from the Arabic word ghulām (غلام), which is formed from the root gh-l-m, a root connected with youth and boyhood. In Arabic, ghulām can mean a young man or boy, and it can also mean a servant or slave. The plural ghilmān (غِلْمَان) appears in the Quran for youthful attendants in paradise. As a personal name, Ghulam often begins a compound: Ghulam Muhammad means 'servant of Muhammad,' and Ghulam Ali means 'servant of Ali.' In those compounds, the word expresses devotion or service to a revered figure. The form Gholām is used in Persian, and Ghulām in Urdu and other South Asian languages.
Ghulam Name History & Origins
The word ghulām is attested in classical Arabic. Its plural ghilmān appears in the Quran as a description of youths who serve the people of paradise. In the medieval Islamic world, the term took on a military meaning: a ghulām could be a slave soldier, often brought into service young and trained for elite units. This ghulām system was used by the Abbasid caliphs and later by Persianate and Turkish dynasties, including the Samanids and Ghaznavids. As a given name, Ghulam appeared among Muslim communities in the Middle East, Iran, Afghanistan, and South Asia. In Persian, the name is usually written and pronounced Gholām. In South Asia, it is common as the first part of compound names such as Ghulam Ahmad, Ghulam Nabi, or Ghulam Rasool. In Iran, compounds like Gholamreza are common. The name is also used in Arabic-speaking countries.
How Popular is the Name Ghulam?
Ghulam 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 1983. Its best rank was #6,627 in 1983.
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 | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | #13,198 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1983 | #6,627 | 5 | 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.
Most Popular Boy Names That Start with G
How the Name Ghulam Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are introspective, prophetic, philosophical, and soul searching, but also can be analytical, critical and opinionated. You think deeply and clearly, have an air of mystery, can be solitary and secretive. Emergencies may raise your intuitive abilities in order to resolve conflict or situation. You become very creative under the pressure, and have quite original ideas to make the best out of it.
Position and social status is very important for you and you are always looking for way to improve your position in society. You have power and ability to chose your own destiny and achieve anything you want in life. You can expand in any direction according to your will and the set of values. You have passion for justice and belong to the position of authority. You have an inherent courage and endurance to accomplish "The Impossible Dream". With the power comes responsibility. You hold keys to the material world, but with this gift comes high spiritual responsibility to be fair and true to others. You are philosophical and mature, determined and intense with a desire to endure, often religious.
✦ Ghulam's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Ghulam's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.