Fun Facts About the Name Mehmet
- 835 babies named Mehmet: U.S. records list 835 babies given the name Mehmet from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Mehmet Mean?
Mehmet is the Turkish form of the Arabic name Muḥammad, meaning "praiseworthy" or "praised." The Arabic name comes from the root ḥ-m-d, "to praise"; muḥammad is a passive participle from that root, literally "one who is praised."
In Turkish, the name was adapted in pronunciation and spelling rather than given a new meaning. Mehmet is the everyday Turkish given-name form; Muhammet and Muhammed are closer renderings of the Arabic name, and the Prophet is generally called Muhammed in Turkish. The Prophet Muhammad's importance in Islam gave the name strong religious associations, but those associations are historical and devotional, not a separate literal meaning.
Mehmet Name History & Origins
The Arabic name Muḥammad is closely associated with the Prophet Muhammad (c. 570 - 632), and its spread across the Islamic world is tied to the expansion of Islam. As Turkic peoples adopted Islam, Arabic personal names entered their languages. In Ottoman Turkish, the name was written in Arabic script as محمد; when rendered in Latin letters, it appears as Mehmed. After the Turkish Republic adopted the Latin alphabet in 1928, the modern standardized spelling became Mehmet. The older romanized form Mehmed is still used for Ottoman figures.
Several Ottoman sultans bore the name, including Mehmed I (ruled 1413 - 1421) and Mehmed II (1432 - 1481), known as Fatih Sultan Mehmet after his conquest of Constantinople in 1453. A later derivative, Mehmetçik ("little Mehmet"), became a traditional nickname for the Turkish common soldier, showing how the given name entered wider Turkish culture.
The form Mehmet is used in Turkish and in Bosnian and Albanian Muslim communities. Arabic speakers generally use Muḥammad instead, and the Turkish name Ahmet, from Arabic Aḥmad, is a related but distinct name from the same root.
How Popular is the Name Mehmet?
Mehmet 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 2015. Its best rank was #2,840 in 2015.
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 | #5,143 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2024 | #4,500 | 23 | 0.0013% |
| 2023 | #5,386 | 18 | 0.0011% |
| 2022 | #4,647 | 22 | 0.0013% |
| 2021 | #4,717 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 2020 | #6,180 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2019 | #3,611 | 31 | 0.0017% |
| 2018 | #3,490 | 32 | 0.0018% |
| 2017 | #3,422 | 33 | 0.0018% |
| 2016 | #3,271 | 35 | 0.0018% |
| 2015 | #2,840 | 42 | 0.0022% |
| 2014 | #3,282 | 34 | 0.0018% |
| 2013 | #2,933 | 39 | 0.0021% |
| 2012 | #3,771 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 2011 | #3,572 | 30 | 0.0016% |
| 2010 | #3,601 | 30 | 0.0016% |
| 2009 | #4,533 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 2008 | #4,222 | 24 | 0.0012% |
| 2007 | #4,319 | 23 | 0.0011% |
| 2006 | #4,179 | 23 | 0.0011% |
| 2005 | #4,012 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 2004 | #5,408 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2003 | #4,376 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2002 | #4,840 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2001 | #3,583 | 24 | 0.0012% |
| 2000 | #4,160 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1999 | #4,268 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1998 | #5,356 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1997 | #7,836 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1996 | #4,126 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1995 | #4,708 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1994 | #5,748 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1993 | #5,253 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1992 | #5,974 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1991 | #4,664 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1988 | #5,076 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1987 | #5,278 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1985 | #5,551 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1984 | #6,072 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1983 | #5,975 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1980 | #5,983 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1979 | #6,711 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1978 | #4,870 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1962 | #3,887 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1960 | #3,009 | 9 | 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 Mehmet Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have psychic power. You can carry on for others with joy. You have a receptive nature and may bear burdens for others. You are pragmatic, thorough, strong-willed, practical and stubborn at times. You are hard working, often martyr to duty. You like home and security above all. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
You are always looking for a chance to do your own thing, to be your own person, and to have things done your own way.
✦ Mehmet's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Mehmet's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.