The name Mohammed is the most common name in Sudan, according to Global Statistics.
Derived from the Arabic root ḥ-m-d (to praise), Mohammed means “praiseworthy” or “commended” in Arabic.
As the name of the Prophet of Islam, it symbolises religious respect, often chosen to honour the Prophet.
Due to the translation from Arabic (محمد), there are over 50 ways to spell it – Muhammad, Mohammad, or Mohamed, with Muhammed and Mohamed commonly used in the region to represent the same name. In Türkiye, Mohammed is known as Mehmet.
Mohammed is widely considered the most popular male name in the world, with hundreds of millions of people using it, largely due to its popularity in Muslim-majority countries. In many Muslim families, it is a tradition to name a first-born son Mohammed to honour the Prophet. In recent years, men who are named Mohammed will go by Mo or Moe especially in the West.
Mohammed is also the most common name in Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Nigeria, and Saudi Arabia. The name is rising in popularity in the West, often listed among the top boys’ names in cities like London, Berlin, and in countries such as England and Wales, according to the BBC.
While Global Statistics reports that Oliver is the most common name in the UK, Mohammad overtook Noah in 2023 to become the most popular boy’s name, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), as reported by the BBC and The Guardian.
According to the genealogy portal Forebears, nearly 3 million Sudanese are named Mohammed. Ahmed is the second most common name in Sudan (1.2 million). Ahmed is often considered an esoteric name of the Prophet Muhammad, mentioned in the Quran (61:6).
This is followed by Khalid (over 500,000), Ali (over 490,000), and Omer (over 430,000). Other common names include Mustafa, Ibrahim, Osman, Hassan, Yousif, Adam, and Yasir.
Forebears also reports that Sara is the most common female name in Sudan, with over 350,000 people bearing the name.
