DJ Khaled's Baby Alam & Other Muslim Boy Names With Great Meanings
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At the 2020 Grammys, DJ Khaled announced that he had just welcomed a baby boy named Alam (which means “the world”) — but he’s far from the only fan of the beautiful Arabic name with Muslim roots. After all, Islam is one of the world’s largest religions, with over 1.8 billion followers; that’s about 24% of the world’s population. Muslims live across the globe, from North America to Southeast Asia, spanning hundreds of countries, cultures and languages. And Muslim names, as a result, reflect this vast global diversity.
The most common one, Mohammed (and its numerous variant spellings including Mohammad, Muhammed and Muhammad) is the most popular baby boy name in the world — and one made famous by a certain boxing legend, who was born Cassius Marcellus Clay but changed his name to Muhammad Ali after converting to Islam.
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But contrary to popular belief, Muslim names aren’t only in the Arabic language like Alam is — even though, yes, Arabic is the language of the holy Quran. What all Muslim names do have in common is that they follow specific religious guidelines. For example:
· Muslim names can’t indicate that you worship someone other than Allah, or God in Islam.
· In Islam, it’s forbidden to choose a name that has an offensive, disagreeable or unpleasant meaning.
· Muslim names are required to have noble meanings and be associated with virtuous and pious things.
In many Islamic cultures, it’s believed that one’s name can inspire them to live a life of greatness; that’s why it’s so important for many Muslims around the world to focus on the meaning of a name. It’s not just what you call your child — it’s a reflection of their personality and their good deeds to come.
We’ve gathered some of the most beautiful Muslim boy names with inspiring and honorable meanings.
Aabid – Worshiper
Aadil – Just, upright
Aalam (or Alam) – The world
Aamir – Civilized
Aayan – God’s gift
Abdul Lateef – Servant of the kind
Adam – The first human
Ahmad – Most highly adored
Aiman – Fearless
Ali – Noble, sublime, fourth caliph of Islam
Amin – Faithful
Aqeel – Wise, Intelligent
Arslan – Lion
Asher – Wise, knowledgeable
Aydin – Brilliant
Basaam – Smiling
Behr – Sea, wave
Bilal – The prophet’s muezzin
Cal – Courageous
Cale – To be faithful
Cheherazad – Of noble countenance
Daanish – Wisdom, learning, science
Daniyal – Intelligent
Dawid – Prince
Deen – Religion
Ehsan – Powerful
Eijaz – Miracle
Emran – Progress, achievement
Fahad – Panther, leopard
Faisal – Judge
Faris – Perceptiveness
Furozh – Light
Fuwad – Heart
Ghazzal – Name of a reciter of Quran
Gulshan – A flower garden
Haamid – Praising
Hamza – Strong, steadfast
Haris – Guardian, watchman
Hasan – To be beautiful
Haseeb – Noble
Ibraheem (also: Abraham) – A prophet’s name
Idrees (also: Idris) – A prophet’s name
Iesa (also: Jesus) – A prophet’s name
Izzat – High rank, honor
Jamaal – Beauty
Javier – Month of January
Juma’ – Friday
Junaid – Soldier, warrior
Kamal – Perfection
Kamran – Successful, blessed
Kareem – Generous
Khalid – Eternal
Kinza – Hidden treasure
Latif – Fine, Gentle, refined
Lu’ay – Shield
Maaz – Brave man
Mahad – Great, nice
Malik – Master
Masoud – Happy, lucky
Mika – Cool, sweet, intelligent
Muhammad – The most praised one
Mustafa – Chosen
Nabeel – Noble, distinguished
Nadeem – Companion, friend
Naveed – Glad tidings
Nooh (also: Noah) – A prophet’s name
Noori – Shining
Omar – Life
Parvez – Success
Qadi – Judge
Qays – Firm
Rami – Archer
Rayan – Splendor
Reza – Wish
Rohaan – Spiritual, kind-hearted
Salmaan – Safe
Sami – Elevated, sublime, supreme
Samir – Entertaining companion
Shahid – Witness
Shahzad – Prince
Shayan – Worthy, deserving
Shehryaar – Sovereign
Syed – Always in control
Talal – Nice, admirable
Tariq – Name of a star
Tobias – Born with a star
Urooj – Ascension
Usman – Name of the third caliph
Vakar – Respect
Waqas – Warrior
Wasay – Unlimited
Wasim – Good-looking
Xander – Splendid
Xavier – Bright
Yasir – Wealthy
Yusr – Ease, convenience
Yusuf (also: Joseph) – A prophet’s name
Zahid – Devoted to God
Zain – Handsome, beautiful
Zakariya (also: Zechariah) – A prophet’s name
Zeeshan – Dignified, respected
Zia – Wise
A version of this story was originally published in September 2019.
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