Ahmad
Ahmad was the 669th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 407 babies. Its best year was 2001, when it ranked 386th with 662 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 104 places. More babies were named Ahmad in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning most praiseworthy (Arabic) · Arabic, Persian
Say it AH-mahd /ˈɑmɑd/
- Rank in 2025
- #669 boys, down 44 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 407boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2001662 babies
- Total since 1880
- 20,366babies recorded
What does the name Ahmad mean?
Ahmad is an Arabic and Persian boys' name meaning "most praiseworthy," according to Wiktionary. It is the elative (comparative and superlative) form of hamid, praiseworthy, from the root ḥ-m-d, to praise, the same root as Muhammad. Wiktionary lists many spellings, including Ahmed, Ahmet and Achmed, and records the name in languages such as Hausa and Malay, where it was borrowed from Arabic. In the US Ahmad has been used since 1950.
أَحْمَد (Arabic, “most praiseworthy”)ح م د (Arabic, “root: praise”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Ahmed, Ahmet, Muhammad, Hamid, Mahmoud.
See also: Arabic names, names that mean fame.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Ahmad' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Muhammad', DMNES (Durham University)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Ahmad popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 18 since 1977.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #669 | 407 |
| 2020 | #625 | 429 |
| 2010 | #523 | 494 |
| 2000 | #454 | 526 |
| 1990 | #560 | 327 |
| 1980 | #556 | 238 |
| 1970 | #1,192 | 48 |
| 1960 | #1,772 | 21 |
| 1950 | #3,691 | 5 |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Ahmad, counting every spelling?
Ahmad is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #410 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #669 for Ahmad on its own. Together these spellings went to 789 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ahmad | 407 | #669 | 2,033 |
| Ahmed | 382 | #703 | 2,002 |
| Ahmaad | — | — | 29 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Ahmad?
407 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Ahmad (0.11 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Ahmad born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 21 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Ahmad.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Ahmad?
About 19,800 people born in the US named Ahmad are alive today, with a median age of 22; half are between 12 and 32. That makes Ahmad mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Ahmad by state
How common Ahmad was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Louisiana (2.9×), Illinois (2.5×), Michigan (2.5×), Maryland (2.5×), Virginia (2.4×). In 22 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Ahmad: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Ahmad, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Ahmad · Sibling names for Ahmad
Questions about the name Ahmad
What does Ahmad mean?
Ahmad means “most praiseworthy (Arabic)” (Arabic, Persian origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Ahmad?
Ahmad was the 669th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 407 babies. Its best year was 2001, when it ranked 386th with 662 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 104 places. More babies were named Ahmad in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Ahmad a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Ahmad in the US.
Where is Ahmad most popular?
In 2021–2025, Ahmad was most common in Louisiana (0.68 per 1,000 boys), followed by Illinois and Michigan.