Muslim Boy Names
The best Muslim boy names do two things at once: they sound good today and they carry a meaning worth living up to. Here you’ll find 100+ names with meanings, from the names of prophets like Yusuf and Ibrahim to companions of the Prophet, Quranic words such as Taha and Furqan, and favorites from Turkey, Iran, South Asia and Africa.
We’ve added pronunciation for the Arabic names that English speakers often stress wrongly. For girls, see our list of Muslim girl names, or return to the main Muslim names page. Many of these also appear among Arabic boy names.
Popular Muslim boy names
These names top the charts in Muslim communities from London to Lahore to Jakarta. Most are Arabic and appear in the Quran or in Islamic history.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Muhammad | Praised, commendable | Arabic |
| Ahmad | Most praiseworthy | Arabic |
| Ali | Exalted, noble | Arabic |
| Omar | Long-lived, flourishing | Arabic |
| Yusuf | God increases (Joseph) | Arabic from Hebrew |
| Ibrahim | Father of many (Abraham) | Arabic from Hebrew |
| Adam | Of the earth | Arabic/Hebrew |
| Hamza | Strong, steadfast | Arabic |
| Zayn | Beauty, grace | Arabic |
| Ayaan | Time, era; also read as “gift of God” | Arabic/Urdu |
| Rayyan | Well-watered; gate of Paradise | Arabic |
| Musa | Moses; drawn from water | Arabic from Hebrew |
| Isa | Jesus | Arabic |
| Hasan | Handsome, good | Arabic |
| Idris | Studious (popular reading) | Arabic |
| Zakariya | God remembers | Arabic from Hebrew |
| Harun | Aaron; exalted | Arabic from Hebrew |
| Khalid | Eternal | Arabic |
| Bilal | Freshness, moisture | Arabic |
| Amir | Prince, commander | Arabic |
Arabic boy names with beautiful meanings
Each of these names expresses a virtue parents hope their son will carry.
| Name | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Karim | Generous, noble | ka-REEM |
| Rashid | Rightly guided | RAH-shid |
| Nabil | Noble | na-BEEL |
| Hadi | Guide, calm | HAA-dee |
| Mustafa | The chosen one | MUS-ta-fa |
| Tariq | Morning star; night visitor | TAA-riq |
| Samir | Companion in evening talk | sa-MEER |
| Faris | Knight, horseman | FAA-ris |
| Jamal | Beauty | ja-MAAL |
| Kamal | Perfection | ka-MAAL |
| Nasir | Helper, supporter | NAA-sir |
| Munir | Radiant, shining | mu-NEER |
| Anwar | Brighter, luminous | AN-war |
| Salim | Safe, sound | sa-LEEM |
| Rafiq | Kind companion | ra-FEEQ |
| Zaki | Pure, intelligent | ZA-kee |
| Shakir | Thankful | SHAA-kir |
| Sami | Elevated, sublime | SAA-mee |
| Imran | Prosperity; family of Imran (Quran 3) | im-RAAN |
| Mahdi | Rightly guided one | MAH-dee |
| Waleed | Newborn | wa-LEED |
| Qasim | One who divides fairly | QAA-sim |
| Hamid | Praising, grateful | HAA-mid |
| Mahmud | Praised | mah-MOOD |
| Nadir | Rare, precious | NAA-dir |
| Zahir | Bright, evident | ZAA-hir |
| Junaid | Young soldier | ju-NAYD |
| Faisal | Decisive judge | FAY-sal |
Boy names from the Quran
Names that appear in the Quran itself, either as names of people or as meaningful words.
| Name | Meaning | Quranic link |
|---|---|---|
| Taha | Opening letters of Surah 20 | Surah Taha |
| Yasin | Opening letters of Surah 36 | Surah Yasin |
| Luqman | Wise one | Surah Luqman (31) |
| Furqan | Criterion | Surah al-Furqan (25) |
| Yunus | Jonah; dove | Surah Yunus (10) |
| Sulayman | Solomon; man of peace | Quran 27 |
| Dawud | David; beloved | Quran 38 |
| Yahya | He lives (John) | Quran 19 |
| Ilyas | Elijah | Quran 37:123 |
| Nuh | Noah; rest | Surah Nuh (71) |
| Ayyub | Job | Quran 21:83 |
| Ismail | God hears (Ishmael) | Quran 2:127 |
| Yaqub | Jacob | Quran 12 |
| Uzair | Helper (identified with Ezra) | Quran 9:30 |
Names of the Prophet’s companions and early Muslims
Historical figures of early Islam make strong, meaningful namesakes.
| Name | Meaning | Namesake |
|---|---|---|
| Uthman | Young bustard (a bird) | Third caliph |
| Abu Bakr | Father of the young camel | First caliph |
| Zubayr | Strong, powerful | Az-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam |
| Talha | Acacia tree | Talha ibn Ubaydullah |
| Saad | Good fortune | Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas |
| Muadh | Protected | Mu‘adh ibn Jabal |
| Anas | Affection, companionship | Anas ibn Malik |
| Ammar | Long-lived; one who builds | Ammar ibn Yasir |
| Abbas | Stern, like a lion | Uncle of the Prophet |
| Jafar | Stream, river | Ja‘far ibn Abi Talib |
| Husayn | Little handsome one | Grandson of the Prophet |
| Salman | Safe, secure | Salman al-Farsi |
| Zayd | Growth | Zayd ibn Harithah |
| Usama | Lion | Usama ibn Zayd |
Abd names for boys
“Abd” means servant. Joined with one of the 99 names of Allah, it makes a name of humility and devotion.
| Name | Meaning | Short form |
|---|---|---|
| Abdullah | Servant of God | Abdi, Abdul |
| Abdulrahman | Servant of the Most Merciful | Abdo |
| Abdulrahim | Servant of the Most Compassionate | Rahim |
| Abdulaziz | Servant of the Almighty | Aziz |
| Abdulmalik | Servant of the King | Malik |
| Abdulkarim | Servant of the Generous | Karim |
| Abdulhadi | Servant of the Guide | Hadi |
| Abdulwahid | Servant of the One | Wahid |
Muslim boy names from Turkey, Iran, South Asia and beyond
Islam spans many cultures, and so do its names. These are widely used by Muslim families outside the Arab world. See also Turkish boy names and Persian boy names.
| Name | Meaning | Region |
|---|---|---|
| Mehmet | Turkish form of Muhammad | Turkey |
| Emir | Commander, prince | Turkey, Bosnia |
| Kerem | Generosity, nobility | Turkey |
| Ehsan | Kindness, excellence | Iran, South Asia |
| Reza | Contentment, God’s pleasure | Iran |
| Mehdi | Persian form of Mahdi | Iran |
| Arman | Ideal, hope | Iran, South Asia |
| Farhan | Joyful | South Asia |
| Irfan | Knowledge, gnosis | South Asia, Indonesia |
| Hafiz | Guardian; one who memorized the Quran | South Asia, Malaysia |
| Aiman | Blessed, fortunate | Malaysia |
| Baraka | Blessing | East Africa (Swahili from Arabic) |
| Jabari | Brave (commonly given) | East Africa |
| Moussa | Francophone form of Musa | West Africa |
| Mamadou | West African form of Muhammad | West Africa |
| Selim | Safe, sound | Turkey, Balkans |
| Emre | Friend, lover (after Sufi poet Yunus Emre) | Turkey |
How to choose an Islamic name for your son
- Pick a name with a clear, good meaning; the Prophet changed names with harsh meanings to better ones.
- Consider a prophet’s name: Yusuf, Musa and Ibrahim are recognized by Muslims, Christians and Jews alike, which helps in multicultural settings.
- Check the transliteration. Muhammad, Mohammed and Mohamed are all correct; choose the spelling your community uses.
- If you like a meaning-first approach, browse names that mean light (Nur, Munir, Anwar) or names that mean king (Malik).
- Say the full name aloud with your family name and any honorific like “Abu” your son might one day use.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular Muslim boy name?
Muhammad is the most popular Muslim boy name worldwide, and it has been among the most common names for newborn boys in England and Wales in recent years.
What are some short Muslim boy names?
Ali, Zayn, Isa, Nuh, Adam, Hadi, Sami and Zaki are short, easy to spell and have lovely meanings.
What are unique Muslim boy names from the Quran?
Luqman, Furqan, Uzair, Taha and Yasin are less common but come directly from the Quran.
Is Ayaan a Muslim name?
Yes. Ayaan is widely used by Muslim families, especially in South Asia. It is usually explained as “time” or “era,” and popularly as “gift of God.”
Can Muslim boys have non-Arabic names?
Yes. Any name with a good meaning is acceptable, which is why Turkish, Persian, Urdu, Malay and Swahili names are common among Muslims.