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Muhammad makes top 10 list of baby names in US for first time 

December 6, 2019 at 3:45 pm

A new born baby in hospital in South Carolina, US on 6 December 2019 [Sloan Poe/Flickr]

Considered the most popular boys’ name in the world, Muhammad has now made the list of top ten baby names for boys in the US for the first time. According to the parenting website BabyCenter’s annual list, Muhammad along with the girls name Aaliyah (Arabic for “exalted”) have replaced Mason and Layla (Arabic for “night”) in tenth place on the list. Sophia remains the most popular name for girls, however, with Liam climbing to the number one spot for boys.

Muhammad, which means “praiseworthy”, is the name of the Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him) whom Muslims believe to be the final messenger of God. It has been rounded out to the latest list due in part to the variations in its spellings, such as Mohammad, Mohammed, or Muhamad.

“Muhammad’s been rising on BabyCenter top baby name lists around the world, so we knew it would soon break into the U.S. top 10,” explained Linda Murray, BabyCenter’s global editor in chief, in a press statement. “Muslim families often choose Muhammad for firstborn sons to honor the prophet and bring blessings to the child.”

The name Muhammad has long been popular in the UK, having been the most popular boys’ name in Britain for the last three years, however, research officially lists Oliver as the most popular, due to the disparity in spelling of Muhammad mentioned earlier. It is also officially the most popular boys’ name in the capital London.

The name Muhammad remains the most popular name in Israel overall, although the Jerusalem Post cited one report suggesting this is starting to decline.

Earlier this year it was reported that Muhammad entered the top 20 names list in France, with the French National Centre for Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE) saying the name’s popularity had doubled between 1998 and 2018.

READ: Mohammad is the most popular boys name in Israel