Fun Facts About the Name Hamzah
- More than 1 thousand babies named Hamzah: U.S. records list 1,544 babies given the name Hamzah from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Hamzah Mean?
Hamzah is an Arabic masculine name, written حمزة in Arabic script. It comes from the root ḥ-m-z, whose basic sense is "to prick, sting, or goad"; the noun ḥamza means a sting or a sharp, pungent quality. In classical Arabic the same noun is used as a word for the lion, and "lion" is the meaning generally given for the personal name, together with the strength that animal stands for. The spellings Hamza and Hamzah are two ways of writing the same name in English; the final h of Hamzah represents the Arabic tā' marbūṭa (ة), the ending pronounced as a short -a when the name is said by itself.
Hamzah Name History & Origins
The name was in use in Arabia before Islam. Its most famous bearer, Ḥamza ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib, was a Meccan of the Quraysh and an uncle of the Prophet Muhammad. He was born in the pre-Islamic period, became one of the earliest Muslims, fought for the small Muslim community, and was killed at the Battle of Uhud near Medina in 625. Islamic tradition gives him the title Sayyid al-Shuhadā', "chief of the martyrs," and his story is told in the early biographies of Muhammad and in accounts of the early battles.
Arabic keeps the name the same in writing and speech, but its first consonant is ḥā', a throat sound English does not have, which is why English speakers use an ordinary h. As Arabic became the language of religion, law, and learning in the early Islamic empires, the name traveled with it through Syria, Iraq, Egypt, and North Africa and later through Persian-, Turkish-, and Urdu-speaking regions, where it is written in the local script. Separately, hamza is the Arabic grammatical term for the glottal stop, the consonant written ء; the technical term and the personal name are the same word. The name also occurs as a surname, especially in the Middle East and South Asia.
How Popular is the Name Hamzah?
Hamzah 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 2008. Its best rank was #1,703 in 1999.
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 | #2,812 | 45 | 0.0026% |
| 2024 | #2,916 | 43 | 0.0025% |
| 2023 | #2,855 | 44 | 0.0026% |
| 2022 | #3,365 | 35 | 0.0020% |
| 2021 | #2,533 | 52 | 0.0030% |
| 2020 | #2,446 | 53 | 0.0031% |
| 2019 | #2,707 | 47 | 0.0026% |
| 2018 | #2,621 | 48 | 0.0026% |
| 2017 | #2,692 | 46 | 0.0025% |
| 2016 | #2,639 | 47 | 0.0025% |
| 2015 | #2,822 | 42 | 0.0022% |
| 2014 | #2,771 | 43 | 0.0022% |
| 2013 | #2,636 | 45 | 0.0024% |
| 2012 | #2,839 | 42 | 0.0022% |
| 2011 | #2,599 | 47 | 0.0025% |
| 2010 | #2,481 | 50 | 0.0026% |
| 2009 | #2,388 | 54 | 0.0027% |
| 2008 | #2,074 | 67 | 0.0033% |
| 2007 | #2,456 | 52 | 0.0025% |
| 2006 | #2,329 | 54 | 0.0026% |
| 2005 | #2,386 | 49 | 0.0025% |
| 2004 | #2,292 | 50 | 0.0025% |
| 2003 | #2,370 | 45 | 0.0023% |
| 2002 | #2,168 | 49 | 0.0025% |
| 2001 | #2,193 | 47 | 0.0024% |
| 2000 | #2,206 | 45 | 0.0023% |
| 1999 | #1,703 | 62 | 0.0032% |
| 1998 | #2,173 | 42 | 0.0022% |
| 1997 | #2,696 | 29 | 0.0015% |
| 1996 | #2,862 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 1995 | #2,643 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 1994 | #3,157 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 1993 | #4,322 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1992 | #4,667 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1991 | #4,889 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1990 | #4,797 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1989 | #3,253 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 1987 | #4,706 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1985 | #6,058 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1984 | #5,853 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1979 | #5,032 | 7 | 0.0004% |
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 Hamzah Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You attract success and money. You are a lover of nature and do not need others for your happiness. You are self sufficient. You strive for material success and power and have business sense. You possess strong organizational abilities, can be a good manager, and executive by nature. You are capable of great achievement in business and finance. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
Creative and outgoing, you are always looking for an opportunity to show your abilities, especially before audience. You are very flexible and like to feel appreciated. You are looking for chances to mix with others socially and to communicate your ideas. You like to talk and can easily relate to different cultures and concepts. The biggest challenge for you is uncertainty. Easily getting bored, you can move from one job to another, switch projects and lovers. The high creative force can lead you either to happiness or unhappiness. If you understand your goals, if you can make major decisions in life and follow it directly and straight up without worry and uncertainty, you are able to achieve great heights.
✦ Hamzah's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Hamzah's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.