Fun Facts About the Name Muhammad
- More than 21 thousand babies named Muhammad: U.S. records list 21,951 babies given the name Muhammad from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Muhammad Mean?
Muhammad (Arabic مُحَمَّد) is an Arabic name meaning "praiseworthy" or "praised." It is the passive participle of the second-form verb ḥammada, "to praise," from the root ḥ-m-d, which relates to praise and thanks. The literal sense is "one who is praised" or "praiseworthy." The same root yields related names such as Hamid, Mahmud, and Ahmad, but Muhammad is a distinct form with its own history.
Muhammad Name History & Origins
The name is best known from the Prophet Muhammad, who lived in Mecca and Medina in the early seventh century CE. The Qur'an mentions him by the name Muhammad in four passages. After the rise of Islam, the name spread among Muslim communities far beyond the Arabian Peninsula.
In Arabic it is written مُحَمَّد, and it has been transliterated into Latin letters in many ways, including Muhammad, Mohammed, Mohammad, and Mohamed. These spellings reflect different conventions for rendering Arabic vowels and the doubled m. In non-Arab Muslim societies, the name took local forms such as Mehmet in Turkish, Məmməd in Azerbaijani, Mehmed in Bosnian, and Mohammad in Persian and Urdu. In parts of West Africa, Mamadou and similar forms are also used.
Medieval European writers often rendered the name as Mahomet, and hostile Christian polemics sometimes used the form Mahound. In modern English, Muhammad and Mohammed are the most common spellings. Because of the Prophet's central place in Islamic tradition, the name has been widely used by Muslims of many languages, often in compound names such as Muhammad Ali or Muhammad Abdullah.
How Popular is the Name Muhammad?
Muhammad recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2025. Its best rank was #239 in 2025.
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 | #239 | 1,473 | 0.0862% |
| 2024 | #245 | 1,441 | 0.0840% |
| 2023 | #272 | 1,240 | 0.0726% |
| 2022 | #298 | 1,155 | 0.0662% |
| 2021 | #307 | 1,085 | 0.0621% |
| 2020 | #310 | 1,063 | 0.0616% |
| 2019 | #337 | 996 | 0.0555% |
| 2018 | #346 | 962 | 0.0530% |
| 2017 | #369 | 897 | 0.0485% |
| 2016 | #352 | 958 | 0.0505% |
| 2015 | #365 | 882 | 0.0460% |
| 2014 | #400 | 774 | 0.0403% |
| 2013 | #423 | 694 | 0.0367% |
| 2012 | #469 | 582 | 0.0307% |
| 2011 | #481 | 545 | 0.0287% |
| 2010 | #506 | 510 | 0.0266% |
| 2009 | #601 | 430 | 0.0217% |
| 2008 | #616 | 403 | 0.0198% |
| 2007 | #705 | 330 | 0.0159% |
| 2006 | #639 | 366 | 0.0178% |
| 2005 | #691 | 299 | 0.0150% |
| 2004 | #681 | 296 | 0.0149% |
| 2003 | #652 | 306 | 0.0155% |
| 2002 | #660 | 284 | 0.0146% |
| 2001 | #591 | 339 | 0.0174% |
| 2000 | #618 | 304 | 0.0155% |
| 1999 | #699 | 240 | 0.0125% |
| 1998 | #723 | 228 | 0.0119% |
| 1997 | #720 | 217 | 0.0115% |
| 1996 | #774 | 190 | 0.0100% |
| 1995 | #778 | 191 | 0.0100% |
| 1994 | #868 | 153 | 0.0079% |
| 1993 | #887 | 145 | 0.0074% |
| 1992 | #898 | 139 | 0.0070% |
| 1991 | #1,012 | 114 | 0.0056% |
| 1990 | #1,030 | 106 | 0.0052% |
| 1989 | #1,112 | 91 | 0.0045% |
| 1988 | #933 | 106 | 0.0055% |
| 1987 | #894 | 110 | 0.0059% |
| 1986 | #944 | 95 | 0.0052% |
| 1985 | #909 | 100 | 0.0054% |
| 1984 | #790 | 122 | 0.0068% |
| 1983 | #819 | 115 | 0.0064% |
| 1982 | #859 | 108 | 0.0060% |
| 1981 | #944 | 91 | 0.0051% |
| 1980 | #985 | 84 | 0.0047% |
| 1979 | #841 | 106 | 0.0062% |
| 1978 | #944 | 85 | 0.0052% |
| 1977 | #978 | 77 | 0.0047% |
| 1976 | #967 | 75 | 0.0048% |
| 1975 | #1,142 | 55 | 0.0035% |
| 1974 | #1,647 | 30 | 0.0019% |
| 1973 | #2,471 | 16 | 0.0010% |
| 1972 | #1,807 | 25 | 0.0015% |
| 1971 | #1,511 | 33 | 0.0019% |
| 1970 | #1,880 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 1969 | #2,643 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1968 | #2,853 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1967 | #2,569 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1966 | #3,163 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1964 | #4,438 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1961 | #3,936 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1948 | #4,025 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1941 | #3,846 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1929 | #4,367 | 5 | 0.0005% |
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 Muhammad 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. 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.
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.
✦ Muhammad's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Muhammad's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.