Muhammad (name)

Muhammad (Arabic: محمد‎) is the primary transliteration of the Arabic given name, مُحَمَّد‎, from the triconsonantal root of Ḥ-M-D; Praise and becomes conjugated to Muhammad, which means "The Most Praised One". It is the name of the Islamic prophet. Throughout the Muslim world, it is popular to name a male child after him. This name and its variant transliterations are among the most popular names in the world.

Lexicology

The name Muḥammad is the strictest and primary transliteration of the Arabic given name, محمد, that comes from the Arabic passive participle and triconsonantal root of Ḥ-M-D (Praise); hence Praised, or praiseworthy. However, its actual pronunciation differs colloquially, for example, in Egyptian Arabic: IPA: [mæˈħæmmæd], while in exclusively religious contexts, talking about Islam: IPA: [moˈħæmmæd].

The name has one of the highest spelling variants in the world.^[2] Other Arabic names from the same root include Mahmud, Ahmed, Hamed, and Hamid.

Transliterations

The name may be abbreviated to Md., Mohd., Muhd., or simply M. because of its utmost meaning, its popularity has meant that it can become hard to distinguish people when there is a multitude with the same name, in some cases it may be to keep a personal name less tied to a religious context. This is only done if the person has a second given name, Some men who have Muhammad (or variant) as a first name choose not to use it, as it is such a common name. Instead they use another given name. For example, Anwar Sadat, Hosni Mubarak, Siad Barre, Zia-ul-Haq, Ayub Khan and Nawaz Sharif use their second given name.

Statistics

According to the sixth edition of The Columbia Encyclopedia (2000), Muhammad is probably the most common given name [in the world], including variations.^[3] It is estimated that more than 150 million men and boys in the world bear the name Muhammad.^[4]

Muhammad was the most common baby boy name in England and Wales in 2009, 2011 and 2012 and the second most popular in 2007 and 2010, combining 14 spelling variations. ^[5][6]

Mohammed and Mohamed were the first most popular baby name in Département Seine-Saint-Denis (2002, 2008)^[7] and in Marseilles (2007, 2009), France.^[8] Similarly, since 2008 it is the most popular baby boy name in Brussels and Antwerpen, Belgium's most Muslim populated cities. ^[9]

In May 2006, it was reported that statistics indicate that some 8,928 Danish Muslims carry the name Muhammad and that in 2004 alone, 167 new-born babies were registered.^[10]

In 2009 Mohamed, the most common spelling variant, was ranked 430th in the US.^[11] According to the Social Security Administration, Mohammad was ranked 589th, Mohammed 633rd, and Muhammad the 639th most popular first name for newborns in 2006.^[12] In the 1990 United States census, the Muhammad variant of the spelling was ranked 4,194 out of 88,799 for people of all ages.^[13][14]

Given name

Mohamad

• Mohamad Aziz, Malaysian politician
• Mohamad Bazzi, Lebanese-American award-winning journalist
• Mohamad Jawad Chirri, American imam
• Mohamad Elzahabi, Lebanese militant
• Mohamad Nor Ismail, Malaysian footballer
• Mohamad Kasebi, Iranian actor
• Mohamad Zbida, Syrian footballer

Mohamed

• Mohamed Abdelaziz (1947–), exiled president of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (Western Sahara) since 1982
• Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed (1962–), Prime Minister of Somalia
• Moustafa Ahmed Mohamed Hassan Amar (1966–), Egyptian musician and actor
• Mohamed Amsif (1989–), Moroccan footballer
• Mohamed Anwar el-Sadat (1918–1981), Egyptian politician and President from 1970 to 1981
• Mohamed Atta (1968–2001), Egyptian Islamist terrorist and ringleader of the hijackers of American Airlines Flight 11 in the September 11 attacks
• Mohamed ElBaradei (1942–), Director General of the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency
• Mohamed Siad Barre (1919/1921?–1995), President of Somalia from 1969 to 1991
• Mohamed Elsayed, Egyptian boxer
• Mohamed Fadl, Egyptian footballer
• Mohamed Farah, British Somali runner
• Mohamed Fakhir, Moroccan footballer
• Mohamed al-Fayed (1929–), Egyptian-born, British-based multi-millionaire
• Mohamed Fayez, Emirati footballer
• Mohamed Hamri, Moroccan painter
• Mohamed Harbi, Algerian historian
• Mohamed Fouad Abd El Hamid Hassan (1961–), Egyptian musician
• Mohamed Henedi, Egyptian comedy actor
• Mohamed Ibrahim (disambiguation), several people
• Mohamed Jama, Somali kickboxer
• Mohamed Kamal Fadel, Polisario Front diplomatic
• Mohamed Osman Jawari, acting President of Somalia and incumbent Speaker of the Parliament of Somalia
• Mohamed Osman Mohamud, Somali-born terrorist who nearly set off a bomb in Oregon
• Mohamed Mrsal, Libyan basketball player
• Mohamed Namiz, Sri Lankan cricketer
• Mohamed Namiz, Sri Lankan cricketer
• Mohamed Nur, Mayor of Mogadishu
• Mohamed Salama Badi, Sahrawi ambassador to East Timor
• Mohamed Salem, Algerian footballer
• Mohamed al-Shehhi, Emirati footballer
• Mohamed Sissoko, Malian footballer
• Mohamed El-Tabii, Egyptian journalist
• Mohamed El Yaagoubi, Moroccan footballer
• Mohamed Yehia Zakaria (born 1938), Emirati of Egyptian origin pioneer of the beverage industry in the Arab world
• Mohamed Zidan, Egyptian footballer

Mohammad

• Mohammad Azharuddin, Former Indian cricket captain
• Mohammad Bilal subhani (1992–), business tycoon
• Mohammad Hisham Mahmoud Mohammad Abbas (1963–), Egyptian musician
• Mohammad Ahsan, Indonesian badminton player
• Mohammad Asghar (born 1945), Welsh politician
• Mohammad Ashraful (born 1984), Bangladeshi cricketer
• Askia Mohammad I (c. 1442-1538), king of the Songhai Empire (1493–1528)
• Mohammad Azizi, Iranian footballer
• Mohammad Taghi Bahar (1886–1951), Iranian poet, politician, mathematician, logician, journalist, essayist, and historian
• Mohammad Bakri, Israeli Arab actor
• Mohammad Barghouti, Palestinian politician
• Askia Mohammad Benkan, ruled the Songhai Empire from 1531 to 1537
• Mohammad Dawran, Afghan military personnel
• Mohammad Farid, Egyptian political figure
• Mohammad Amin Fatemi, Afghan physician
• Mohammad Ghannai, Jordanian footballer
• Mohammad Hatta, first Vice Presiden of Indonesia
• Mohammad Hejazi, Iranian general
• Mohammad Hussain, Pakistani cricketer
• Mohammad Kaif (1980–), Indian cricketer
• Mohammad Khadem, Iranian wrestler
• Mohammad Sidique Khan (1974–2005), English suicide bomber in the 7/7 attacks
• Mohammad Khatami (1943–), the President of Iran, 1997 to 2005
• Mohammad Va'ez Abaee-Khorasani (1940?–2004), Iranian cleric and reformist politician
• Mohammad Ali Jinnah (1876–1948), born into British India, helped found Pakistan, acting as its Governor-General
• Mohammad Laeeq, Pakistani cricketer
• Mohammad Mahseiri (died 2013), Jordanian politician
• Mohammad Mokri, Kurdish scholar
• Mohammad Najib Abdul Razak, Malaysian Prime Minister
• Mohammad Najibullah (1947–1996), President of Afghanistan from 1987 to 1992. He was assassinated in 1996
• Mohammad Nami, Saudi footballer
• Mohammad Navazi, Iranian footballer
• Mohammad Nazir, Pakistani cricketer
• Mohammad Oraz, Kurdish mountain climber
• Mohammad Panjali, Iranian footballer
• Mohammad Rafique (born 1970), Bangladeshi cricketer
• Mohammad Sadli, Indonesian politician
• Mohammad Hossein Shahriar (1906–1988), Iranian poet, writing in Persian and Azerbaijani
• Mohammad Toaha, Bangladeshi politician
• Mohammad Yousuf, Pakistan Test cricketer

Mohammed

• Mohammed Ajeeb, British politician
• Mohammed Atef, Egyptian al-Qaeda chief
• Mohammed Awad, Iraqi politician
• Mohammed El-Bakkar, Lebanese tenor
• Mohammed Dib (1920–2003), probably Algeria's most prolific and well-known writer
• Mohammed Fahim, Former Afghan vice-president
• Mohammed George, British actor
• Sayed Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim (1939–2003), assassinated Iraqi Shia
• Mohammed Saeed Harib, United Arab Emirati animator
• Mohammed Hussain, Indian field hockey player
• Mohammed Abed al-Jabri, Moroccan writer
• Mohammed Al-Kandari, Kuwaiti politician
• Mohammed Kumalia, Nigerian politician
• Mohammed bin Laden (1895?–1968), Yemeni immigrant to Saudi Arabia, and wealthy investor, businessman and patriarch of the bin Laden family
• Mohammed Manga, Senegalese football player
• Mohammed VI of Morocco (1963–), King of Morocco from 1999
• Mohammed Mossadegh (1882–1967), prime minister of Iran from 1951–1953
• Mohammed Said Nabulsi (1928–2013), Jordanian banker, economist and politician
• Mohammed Omar (1959–), Afghanistan's Talibani de facto Head of State from 1996–2001
• Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi (1919–1980), the second and last Shah of Iran, ruling from 1941 until 1979
• Mohammed al-Qahtani, Saudi Arabian held at Guantanamo Bay thought to be a 20th hijacker suspect
• Mohammed Rafi (1924–1980), Indian Bollywood playback singer
• Mohammed Al-Salhi, Saudi Arabian middle distance runner
• Mohammed Adil Shah, Sultan of Bijapur
• Mohammed Nadir Shah (1880–1933), King of Afghanistan from 1929 until his assassination in 1933
• Mohammed Zahir Shah (1914–), the last King of Afghanistan from 1933 to 1973
• Mohammed Racim, Algerian artist
• Mohammed Sheikh, English cricketer
• Mohammed Timoumi, Moroccan footballer
• Mohammed Haydar Zammar, German al-Qaeda recruiter

Muhamad

• Muhamad Ali Aman, Southeast Asian politician
• Muhamad Salih Dilan, Kurdish Poet
• Muhamad Radhi Mat Din, Malaysian football assistant coach
• Muhamad Khalid Jamlus, Malaysian footballer
• Muhamad Kanan, Israeli Arab politician
• Muhamad Aly Rifai, Arab American Internist and Psychiatrist

Muhamed

• Muhamed Alaim, Bosnian football goalkeeper
• Muhamed Haneef, Indian physician
• Muhamed Keita, Norwegian football striker
• Muhamed Amin Zaki, Kurdish writer
• Muhamed Zulić, Croatian politician

Muhammad

• Muhammad Ma Jian, Chinese Muslim Confucian and Islamic scholar
• Muhammad Amin Bughra Emir of the First East Turkestan Republic
• Muhammad Ali (1942–), American heavyweight boxing champion
• Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas (1931–), Malaysian philosopher
• Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr (631–658), Son of Abu Bakr, raised by Ali
• Muhammad bin Nayef (1959–), Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia
• Muhammad al-Baqir 676–743 Shī‘ah Imām
• Muhammad Ali Bogra (1909–1963), Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1953–1955
• Muhammad of Ghor (1162–1206), Persian conqueror and sultan between 1171 and 1206
• Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq (1924–1988), ruled Pakistan from 1977 to 1988 under martial law
• Muhammad Iqbal (1877–1938), poet born into the British Raj, considered one of the founding fathers of Pakistan
• Muhammad El-Amin (born 1987), American professional basketball player
• Muhammad al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya (?–1350), Sunni Islamic scholar
• Muhammad Naeem Noor Khan, Pakistani al-Qaeda operative
• Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi (~780–~850) Persian mathematician
• Sultan Muhammad of Khwarezmia (?–1220), last ruler of Khwarezmia
• Muhammad al-Mahdi (869–?), Last Twelver Shī‘ah Imām
• Muhammad ibn Maslama (589–666)
• Muhammad Naguib (1901–1984), first President of Egypt, in 1953
• Muhammad Ali Pasha (1769–1849), viceroy of Egypt, sometimes considered the founder of modern Egypt
• Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri (1947–), Muslim scholar, professor, poet and politician
• Dwight Muhammad Qawi (1953–), former world boxing champion
• Muhammad ibn Zakariya al-Razi (865–925), Alchemist, physician, and philosopher
• Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi (1207–1273), Persian poet and Sufi mystic from Balkh, now in Afghanistan
• Muhammad Suheimat, Jordanian military general and a statesman
• Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan 1990–1999
• Muhammad ibn Talha, son of the prominent Muslim general Talha ibn Ubayd-Allah
• Muhammad al-Taqi (811–835), Twelver Shī‘ah Imām
• Muhammad ibn Tughj al-Ikhshid (882–946), autonomous ruler of Egypt 935–946, founder of the Ikhshidid dynasty
• Muhammad Rafiq Tarar (1929–), President of Pakistan 1998–2001
• Muhammad al Warraq (800?–?), 9th Century skeptical scholar and critic of Islam
• Muhammad Yunus (1940–), Nobel Laureate and founder of the Grameen Bank
• Muhammad ibn Zayd (died 900), emir of Tabaristan
• Muhammad Muhammad Taib, Malaysian politician
• Muhammad V of Kelantan, Sultan of Kelantan; Deputy King of Malaysia

Muhammed

• Muhammed (571–632), the Prophet of Islam
• Muhammed al-Ahari, American essayist
• Muhammed Amin Andrabi, Indian academic
• Muhammed Emin Zeki Bey, Kurdish historian
• Muhammed Yusuf Khan, Indian military leader
• Muhammed Latif, Iraqi major general
• Muhammed Mansooruddin, Bengali author
• Muhammed Suiçmez (1975–), German musician
• Muhammed Taib, Saudi Arabian lawyer
• Muhammed Tokcan, Turkish hijacker of the Avrasya in 1996
• Muhammed Hamdi Yazır, Turkish philosopher and theologian

Muhammet

• Muhammet Akagündüz, Austrian footballer
• Muhammet Demir, Turkish footballer
• Muhammet Hanifi Yoldaş, Turkish footballer
• Muhammet Kızılarslan, Turkish skier
• Muhammet Özdin, Turkish footballer

Surname

• Binyam Mohamed, Ethiopian detained in Guantanamo Bay between 2004 and 2009
• Clara Muhammad, born Clara Evans, wife of Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad
• Elijah Muhammad (1897–1975), born Elijah Poole, African American religious leader
• Ghulam Mohammad (disambiguation), various people
• Idris Muhammad, born Leo Morris, American musician
• Kenny Muhammad, beatboxer
• Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (1964 or 1965–), Confessed mastermind of numerous terror plots, including the September 11 attacks and others
• John Allen Muhammad, born John Allen Williams, American spree killer
• Amina Mohamed, Somali lawyer, diplomat and politician
• Hussein Mohamed, Somali entrepreneur
• Mike Mohamed, American football player
• Muhsin Muhammad, American football player
• Ramzi Mohammed, Somali bomber in the failed 21 July 2005 London bombings
• Ruby Muhammad, American centenarian
• Shabazz Muhammad (born 1993), American basketball player
• Umar Muhammad (born 1975), American football player

Patronymics

• Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Hazm (?–?), Scholar
• Fatimah bint Muhammad (disputed–632), The Prophet's daughter
• Ibrahim ibn Muhammad (?–?), The Islamic Prophet's son
• Qasim ibn Muhammad (?–605), The Islamic Prophet's son
• Zainab bint Muhammad, The Islamic Prophet's daughter
• Ruqayyah bint Muhammad, The Islamic Prophet's daughter
• Umm Kulthum bint Muhammad, The Islamic Prophet's daughter
• Mahathir Mohamad (born 1925), Malaysian politician; Prime Minister of Malaysia (1981–2003)

Derived names

• Muhammad Ali
• Mohammad-Reza
• Mohammad Taqi (disambiguation), several people

See also

• Ma, surname used by some Chinese Muslims instead of Muhammad
• Mehmed, a Turkish form of Muhammed
• Mohd, shortened version of Muhammad used in South Asia
• Arabic name
• Turkish name
• Mohammadi (disambiguation)
• Muhammad (disambiguation)

References

Look up Muhammad in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.