Muhammad (Arabic: محمد) is the primary transliteration of the Arabic given name, مُحَمَّد, from the triconsonantal root of Hamad; Praise that comes from the Arabic passive participle and triconsonantal root of Ḥ-M-D (Praise); hence Praised, or praiseworthy. 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.
The name Muḥammad is the strictest and primary transliteration of the Arabic given name, محمدﷺ, 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: [mæˈħæmːæd], while in exclusively religious contexts, talking about Islam: IPA: [moˈħæmːæd].
The name has one of the highest spelling variants in the world. Other Arabic names from the same root include Mahmud, Ahmed, Hamed, and Hamid.
The name may be abbreviated to Md., Mohd., Muhd.,Mhd., 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.
According to the sixth edition of The Columbia Encyclopedia (2000), Muhammad is probably the most common given name [in the world], including variations. It is estimated that more than 150 million men and boys in the world bear the name Muhammad.
According to official statistics, Muhammad was the most popular baby boys' name in four regions of England and Wales in 2013, including in London and the West Midlands. It was also claimed that Muhammad is Britain’s most popular boy’s name, however that is based on combining 14 spelling variations such as Mohammed, but not combining the spelling variants of other popular British names such as Ollie and Olly.
Mohammed and Mohamed were the first most popular baby name in Département Seine-Saint-Denis (2002, 2008) and in Marseilles (2007, 2009), France. Similarly, since 2008 it is the most popular baby boy name in Brussels and Antwerp, Belgium's most Muslim populated cities.
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.
In 2009 Mohamed, the most common spelling variant, was ranked 430th in the US. According to the Social Security Administration, Mohammad was ranked 589th, Mohammed 633rd, and Muhammad the 639th most popular first name for newborns in 2006. 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.
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 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 Nur, Mayor of Mogadishu
Mohamed Ofkir (born 1996), Norwegian footballer
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
Askia Mohammad Benkan, ruled the Songhai Empire from 1531 to 1537
Askia Mohammad I (c. 1442-1538), king of the Songhai Empire (1493–1528)
Mohammad Ahsan, Indonesian badminton player
Mohammad Ali Jinnah (1876–1948), born into British India, helped found Pakistan, acting as its Governor-General
Mohammad Amin Fatemi, Afghan physician
Mohammad Asghar (born 1945), Welsh politician
Mohammad Ashraful (born 1984), Bangladeshi cricketer
Mohammad Azharuddin, Former Indian cricket captain
Mohammad Azizi, Iranian footballer
Mohammad Bakri, Israeli Arab actor
Mohammad Barghouti, Palestinian politician
Mohammad Dawran, Afghan military personnel
Mohammad Farid, Egyptian political figure
Mohammad Hatta, first Vice President of Indonesia
Mohammad Hejazi, Iranian general
Mohammad Hisham Mahmoud Mohammad Abbas (1963–), Egyptian musician
Mohammad Hossein Shahriar (1906–1988), Iranian poet, writing in Persian and Azerbaijani
Mohammad Hussain (disambiguation), several people
Mohammad Jasmir Ansari, Indian politician
Mohammad Kaif (1980–), Indian cricketer
Mohammad Khadem, Iranian wrestler
Mohammad Khatami (1943–), the President of Iran, 1997 to 2005
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 Reza Sharifinia, Iranian actor and film director
Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi as the last Shah of Iran
Mohammad Sadli, Indonesian politician
Mohammad Saleh (born 1946), second Deputy Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Indonesia for judicial affairs
Mohammad Sidique Khan (1974–2005), English suicide bomber in the 7/7 attacks
Mohammad Taghi Bahar (1886–1951), Iranian poet, politician, mathematician, logician, journalist, essayist, and historian
Mohammad Toaha, Bangladeshi politician
Mohammad Va'ez Abaee-Khorasani (1940?–2004), Iranian cleric and reformist politician
Mohammad Yousuf, Pakistan Test cricketer
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 Emwazi, ISIL member
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 Al-Marwani, Saudi Arabian basketball 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 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 Alaim, Bosnian football goalkeeper
Muhamed Haneef, Indian physician
Muhamed Keita, Norwegian football striker
Muhamed Amin Zaki, Kurdish writer
Muhamed Zulić, Croatian politician
Muhammad Ma Jian, Chinese Muslim Confucian and Islamic scholar
Muhammad Nur Aziz Wardana, Indonesian basketball player
Muhammad Amin Bughra Emir of the First East Turkestan Republic
Muhammad Ali (1942–2016), 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 Baqir Majlisi a very powerful Iranian Twelver Shi'a cleric, during the Safavid era.
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, 2013–Present
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 Rizvi, Islamic scholar, born in Saran district, Bihar
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
Muhammad Subhan Qureshi (born 1959), biologist from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Muhammadu Buhari, Military Head of State 1983-1985, Chairman PTF and President of Nigeria since May 29, 2015
Muhammad (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 Akagündüz, Austrian footballer
Muhammet Demir, Turkish footballer
Muhammet Hanifi Yoldaş, Turkish footballer
Muhammet Kızılarslan, Turkish skier
Muhammet Özdin, Turkish footballer
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
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
Mohd Mohamed, Qatari basketball player
Anisa Mohammed, West Indian cricketer
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)
Muhammad Ali
Mohammad-Reza
Mohammad Taqi (disambiguation), several people
