Why Is Muhammad Such a Popular Name?

Estimated read: 20 min (3910 words)

Muhammad is one of the world’s most widely used boys’ names because religious reverence, cultural continuity and population scale reinforce one another. For many Muslim families, choosing Muhammad honours the Prophet Muhammad and connects a child with faith, family and heritage. The name also appears across languages and registration systems in forms such as Muhammad, Mohammed, Mohammad, Mohamed and Muhammed, alongside historically related local forms such as Mehmet.

The latest official figures make that continuing strength visible. In England and Wales, Muhammad remained the number-one boys’ name in 2025, with 5,957 registered births. Mohammed ranked 20th with 1,712 births and Mohammad ranked 55th with 895. Those three exact spellings alone totalled 8,564 registrations, although the Office for National Statistics does not publish them as one combined name and other variants are not included in that subtotal.

No single global database counts every spelling, script, compound name and country in the same way, so it is not possible to prove one universal world ranking. The defensible conclusion is that Muhammad is among the world’s most important and widely used male naming traditions, while any combined total must state exactly which spellings and datasets it includes.

Why faith, culture and population scale drive the name’s popularity

The strongest reason for Muhammad’s popularity is religious reverence. In Islam, the Prophet Muhammad is deeply honoured, and naming a child after him is widely seen as meaningful, respectful and spiritually significant. The Office for National Statistics, in its explainer on the popularity of Muhammad, points to the tradition of naming boys after the Prophet as a key reason for the name’s strength in England and Wales. Source: Office for National Statistics

The second reason is cultural continuity. Names often carry memory. They connect children to family, language, ancestry, faith and community. Muhammad has been passed down across generations in many Muslim societies, not only as a standalone first name, but also as part of longer names such as Muhammad Ali, Muhammad Abdullah, Muhammad Ibrahim, Muhammad Al Fatih and many others.

The third reason is population scale. When a frequently chosen name is used across a very large and relatively young population, absolute numbers become enormous even where individual preferences vary. The demographics section later in this article sets out the Pew Research Center estimates that support that point.

What does the name Muhammad mean?

Muhammad is an Arabic name commonly translated as “praised”, “praiseworthy”, or “much praised”. In Arabic, it comes from the root connected with praise. That meaning is one reason the name already has a warm and positive quality, even before its religious importance is considered.

In Islamic tradition, however, the name’s significance goes far beyond its dictionary meaning. The Prophet Muhammad is the final prophet in Islam, which gives the name a devotional importance across Muslim communities around the world. Academic work on Arabic naming traditions places Muhammad among the central names of Islamic onomastics, the study of names. Source: Cambridge University Press

This is one of the main reasons Muhammad has remained popular for so long. A modern trend name can rise quickly and fade quickly. A religiously meaningful name can stay powerful for centuries, because its appeal is not based on fashion alone. It is carried by belief, identity, tradition and family memory.

A name that travelled with Islam

Muhammad began as an Arabic name, but Islam spread far beyond the Arabic-speaking world. As Muslim communities developed across the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, parts of Europe and elsewhere, the name travelled with them. It became familiar in Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Turkish, Malay, Indonesian, Bengali, Somali, Bosnian, Albanian, English, French and many other language environments.

That global movement helps explain both the name’s popularity and its many spellings. Arabic names do not always transfer neatly into Latin letters. Different countries, colonial histories, languages and immigration systems have produced different transliterations. That is why one family might register Muhammad, another Mohammed, another Mohammad, another Mohamed and another Muhammed.

Turkey shows how local language can reshape a name while keeping its deeper connection. In Turkish usage, Mehmet and the older form Mehmed are historically linked to Muhammad. Modern Turkish statistics still show Mehmet as one of the country’s most important male names at population level, while newborn rankings and population totals tell different stories and must be read separately.

Why spelling variants matter so much

One of the biggest reasons Muhammad can look less dominant in official rankings than it is culturally is that most name datasets count exact spellings separately. In England and Wales, for example, the Office for National Statistics counts names exactly as they appear on birth certificates. Muhammad, Mohammed, Mohammad and other spellings are treated as different names in the official tables. Source: Office for National Statistics

This is not wrong. It is a consistent statistical method. But it does mean the public often sees one spelling in a ranking without realising that several closely related spellings may be spread across the same list. A name such as Oliver, Noah or George usually appears in one dominant spelling in English-language records. Muhammad does not. That alone can make direct comparisons difficult.

The same issue appears in the United States. The Social Security Administration provides baby name data based on applications for Social Security cards, and its public tables treat exact registered names as separate entries. It also has privacy rules that affect very rare names in downloadable files. That means analysts have to be careful when combining variants or comparing one spelling with another. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration

You can explore the live England and Wales charts for Muhammad, Mohammed and Mohammad on Baby Name Popularity to see how exact-spelling treatment shapes each ranking.

What official data shows around the world

There is no single official global baby name database that counts every country in the same way. Some countries publish newborn first-name rankings. Some publish population-level name data. Some publish full-name strings. Some do not publish detailed baby name data at all. This makes a precise worldwide ranking impossible to prove.

Sources for this table include the ONS 2025 boys’ dataset, National Records of Scotland 2025, the U.S. Social Security Administration, the Turkish Statistical Institute, Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics and Indonesian government reporting. The latest available year differs by country, so the table shows the newest official release located for each dataset rather than one shared calendar year. Key links appear throughout this article and in the source list near the bottom.

England and Wales: Muhammad remained number one in 2025

Official ONS figures published on 9 July 2026 show that Muhammad remained the most popular boys’ name in England and Wales in 2025. It was given to 5,957 babies, up from 5,721 in 2024, an increase of 236 births or 4.1%. The spelling first reached number one in 2023 and has now held the top position for three consecutive years. See the complete official 2025 ONS boys’ ranking for the full top 100, and the Muhammad England and Wales popularity report for the long-run chart. Source: ONS baby names statistics, boys

The 2025 top 100 also included Mohammed at number 20 with 1,712 births and Mohammad at number 55 with 895. Across those three exact spellings, the subtotal rose from 8,467 registrations in 2024 to 8,564 in 2025, an increase of 97 or 1.1%. This is not an official combined ONS ranking and does not include variants outside those three spellings.

The detail reveals a useful distinction: the exact spelling Muhammad increased, while Mohammed fell by 48 births and Mohammad fell by 91. Within these three variants, the 2025 growth was concentrated in Muhammad rather than spread evenly across the spelling family. This is a Baby Name Popularity calculation from the official exact-spelling counts, not a conclusion published by the ONS.

This subtotal combines only Muhammad, Mohammed and Mohammad. It is not an official ONS combined rank and should not be interpreted as a total for every spelling variant.

This modern prominence has deep roots. ONS historical analysis says Mohammed first entered the England and Wales top 100 in 1924 at number 91, appeared in every ten-year list from 1924 to 1994, and has appeared every year since 1996. Three spellings were already present in the top 100 in 1954. Source: ONS historical explainer

Regional variation remains important. In the ONS’s 2023 release, Muhammad was the leading boys’ name in four of nine English regions but ranked 63rd in Wales. These are 2023 regional figures, included as an example of how a national ranking can conceal strong local differences; they should not be read as a 2025 regional result.

Scotland: still near the top in 2025

In Scotland, Muhammad ranked fourth in 2025 with 291 births, two places lower than in 2024. It remained the most popular boys’ name among mothers aged 25 to 29. The result shows that the name continues to be a major current baby name in Scotland even though it did not hold the same overall position as in England and Wales. Source: National Records of Scotland

For historical comparison only, Muhammad had ranked second in 2024. The 2025 figure is therefore a slight fall in rank rather than evidence that the name has left Scotland’s leading group.

United States: popularity split across four spellings

In the United States, the Social Security Administration’s 2025 rankings show the effect of exact-spelling treatment clearly. Muhammad ranked 239th, up from 246th in 2024; Mohamed ranked 527th, up from 551st; Mohammad ranked 562nd, up from 601st; and Mohammed ranked 595th, up from 596th. All four spellings rose, but each remained a separate entry in the official ranking. Source: SSA popularity changes · SSA names with little change

The rankings do not establish one official combined position for the wider name family. They show instead how transliteration can divide a culturally related name across several official entries. See also the U.S. reports for Muhammad, Mohamed, Mohammad and Mohammed.

Turkey: current newborn rankings and population totals tell different stories

Turkey illustrates why baby-name rankings and population-wide name counts must not be mixed. In TurkStat’s 2025 newborn top 30, Mehmet ranked 29th with 2,101 registrations. Muhammed and Muhammed Ali, which ranked 15th and 20th in 2024, did not appear in the 2025 top 30. Source: Turkish Statistical Institute, newborn names

For historical comparison only, Muhammed ranked 15th with 2,922 newborn registrations in 2024, Muhammed Ali ranked 20th with 2,633, and Mehmet ranked 27th with 2,397.

Population data gives a different picture. In the 2025 register, Mehmet was the most common male name in Turkey, with 1,271,896 people, while Muhammed ranked 21st with 202,172. These totals show long-term population presence, not the ranking of babies born in 2025. Source: Turkish Statistical Institute, most used names

For international comparison, Mehmet should be described as a historically related Turkish form rather than treated as an exact spelling of Muhammad. It must not be added to an exact-spelling total.

Israel: dominant among Muslim boys, with a gradually falling share

The latest Israel Central Bureau of Statistics release available at the time of this update covers births in 2024. Muhammad was the most common name among Muslim boys, given to 2,257 babies, or 11.43%. That was down from 2,309 births and 11.92% in 2023. Source: Israel Central Bureau of Statistics

The release also describes a longer decline in share, from around 15%—roughly one in seven Muslim boys—at the beginning of the 2000s to approximately 11.4%—around one in nine—in 2024. The name therefore remains dominant even as Muslim boys’ naming choices become more varied.

Indonesia: Muhammad in compound full-name strings

The latest government report located for this article covers Indonesian registrations in 2024 and uses complete registered name strings rather than first names alone. Muhammad Al Fatih was the most common male full-name string in the report, with 1,326 registrations. The next four listed male full-name strings also began with Muhammad. Source: Indonesian government reporting

This supports the importance of Muhammad in compound naming, but it is not directly comparable with first-name-only rankings from England and Wales, Scotland or the United States.

Is Muhammad the most popular name in the world?

You will often see Muhammad described as the most popular name in the world. The idea is understandable, and it may be true depending on how variants are counted. But the most careful answer is that Muhammad is one of the world’s most widely used male names, and perhaps one of the strongest naming traditions anywhere.

The problem is measurement. There is no single official worldwide list that combines every country, every script, every spelling and every compound name in the same way. Arabic-script records, Latin-script records, Turkish records, Indonesian full-name strings, England and Wales first-name data, U.S. Social Security data and population-level datasets all work differently.

So the safest statement is not that Muhammad is mathematically proven to be the world’s number one name. The safest statement is stronger in a different way: across official datasets, academic research and demographic evidence, Muhammad is one of the most globally important boys’ names, and its real cultural reach is often larger than any single spelling suggests.

Why Muslim demographics matter

Names do not become globally common through meaning alone. They also need large numbers of births over long periods of time. Pew Research Center estimates that the global Muslim population grew from 1.7 billion in 2010 to 2.0 billion in 2020, an increase of approximately 347 million people, raising the group’s share of the world’s population from 23.9% to 25.6%. For 2015 to 2020, Pew estimated an average of 2.9 children per Muslim woman compared with 2.2 per non-Muslim woman, while the global Muslim median age in 2020 was 24 compared with 33 for non-Muslims. Source: Pew Research Center · Pew demographic summary

These are global averages, not descriptions of every Muslim-majority country, Muslim community or individual family. Naming practices and demographic patterns vary considerably by place. Even so, a frequently chosen name used across a very large and relatively young population can produce very large absolute numbers, especially when compound forms and local variants are also common.

Migration, identity, and family heritage

In diaspora communities, names can carry an extra layer of meaning. For families living as minorities in non-Muslim countries, choosing Muhammad may be a way to preserve faith, heritage and cultural continuity. ONS has suggested that some Muslim parents in England and Wales may choose the name as a reminder of heritage in a non-Muslim country. Source: Office for National Statistics

At the same time, name choices are personal and sometimes complicated. Academic research on Muslim naming in European countries shows that some families also think carefully about how a name will be received in wider society. Some choose strongly identifiable Muslim names, some choose names that travel more easily across cultures, and some use one official name with a shorter everyday name. These patterns are not contradictions. They show that names sit at the meeting point between family love, religious meaning, social belonging and practical life. They should not be read as evidence that every Muslim family uses the name for identical reasons.

Why the name remains popular with modern parents

Muhammad remains popular because it does many things at once. It honours a revered religious figure. It carries a positive meaning. It connects a child to a global faith community. It feels familiar across generations. It can be used alone or as part of a longer name. It can adapt across languages without losing its core identity.

For many parents, that combination is powerful. Some names are chosen because they sound modern. Some are chosen because they are rare. Muhammad is different. It is often chosen because it feels timeless, meaningful, respectful and rooted.

Common misconceptions about the name Muhammad

Misconception 1: It is only popular because of recent immigration

Migration has influenced name rankings in countries such as England and Wales, but it is not the whole story. ONS historical data shows that Mohammed entered the top 100 in England and Wales in 1924, which means the name has had a long-standing presence in the data. Its modern rise is better understood as a mixture of long-term community presence, demographic change and continued cultural preference.

Misconception 2: All spellings should automatically be counted as one name

For cultural discussion, it can make sense to talk about the Muhammad family of names. For official statistics, it is more complicated. Registries usually count the exact name written on a birth certificate. That keeps the data consistent, but it also splits related variants. A good analysis should show both the official exact-spelling result and the wider family of variants where possible, without presenting a Baby Name Popularity subtotal as an official combined rank.

Misconception 3: Muhammad is always used as the everyday name

In some families it is. In others, Muhammad may be part of a compound name, while another part of the name is used day to day. Naming customs vary by country, language and family. That is one reason full-name data from countries such as Indonesia cannot be compared too simply with first-name-only rankings in England and Wales.

FAQ: Muhammad name popularity

Why is Muhammad such a popular name?

Muhammad is popular because religious reverence, cultural continuity and demographics reinforce one another. Many Muslim families choose the name to honour the Prophet Muhammad, while the size and younger age profile of the global Muslim population amplify its absolute use across countries and generations.

What does Muhammad mean?

Muhammad is an Arabic name commonly explained as meaning praised, praiseworthy, or much praised. Its religious association gives it even deeper significance for many Muslim families.

Is Muhammad the most popular baby name in the world?

It is not possible to prove a single harmonised worldwide number-one ranking, because countries count names differently, spellings are often separated, and some datasets use full-name strings rather than first names. The defensible conclusion is that Muhammad is among the world’s most widely used male naming traditions.

Why are there so many spellings of Muhammad?

The original name is Arabic. When it is written in Latin-script languages it can be transliterated in several ways, which is why spellings such as Muhammad, Mohammed, Mohammad, Mohamed and Muhammed appear in official records.

Are Mohammed and Mohammad the same name as Muhammad?

In everyday and cultural discussion they are usually treated as variants of the same Arabic name. In official baby-name statistics they are counted separately when the registered spelling differs.

Where is the name Muhammad most popular?

Official data shows especially strong use in England and Wales, Scotland and among Muslim boys in Israel. Related forms also have major population-wide presence in Turkey, while Indonesian registration reporting shows Muhammad frequently used at the start of compound full names.

Is Muhammad only a first name?

No. Muhammad can be a standalone first name or one element in a compound or multi-part name, such as Muhammad Ali or Muhammad Al Fatih. Naming customs vary by country, language and family.

Sources used for this article

The most important point when writing about Muhammad’s popularity is to be careful with claims. The evidence strongly supports the name’s global significance, but exact worldwide totals are difficult because spellings, scripts, registration systems and naming customs differ from country to country.

• Office for National Statistics: Baby names statistics, boys (England and Wales dataset, including 2025)
• Office for National Statistics: The popularity of the name Muhammad, Mohammed, Mohammad
• National Records of Scotland: Babies’ First Names 2025
• U.S. Social Security Administration: Change in name popularity
• U.S. Social Security Administration: Names with little change in popularity
• U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names data limitations
• Turkish Statistical Institute: Most given newborn baby names
• Turkish Statistical Institute: Most used names in the population
• Israel Central Bureau of Statistics: Names given to babies in 2024
• Indonesian government reporting on popular baby names in 2024
• Pew Research Center: Muslim population change, 2010 to 2020
• Pew Research Center: Islam was the world’s fastest-growing religion from 2010 to 2020
• Cambridge University Press: Arabic and Onomastics