Declining since 2016, #703 for boys today.
Popularity of Ahmed since 1929
Babies named Ahmed per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1920s | 6 |
| 1930s | 8 |
| 1940s | 31 |
| 1950s | 80 |
| 1960s | 221 |
| 1970s | 676 |
| 1980s | 1,436 |
| 1990s | 2,703 |
| 2000s | 4,477 |
| 2010s | 5,219 |
| 2020s | 2,425 |
Meaning & origin
Ahmed has been a consistent presence in American baby-name charts since 1929, with its peak in 2015 when it first entered widespread use among U.S. families. By 2025, the name had fallen to rank 703, reflecting a declining trajectory that began around 2016. The name is most popular in Minnesota, New York, and Maryland, states with significant Somali and other Muslim immigrant communities. Its enduring appeal across the Arabic-speaking world and among Muslim families in the West makes it a cross-cultural staple.
Ahmed is a masculine name derived from the Arabic triconsonantal root ḥ-m-d, connoting praise or thanks. It is a Quranic name, borne by the Prophet Muhammad in a verse that refers to him as Ahmad. The name has been widely used across the Islamic world for over a millennium.
Where Ahmed is most popular
Births per 100,000 boys by state. Press play or drag the slider to watch it move across the decades. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
“Ahmed” around the world
Where Ahmed lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
435
babies in 2024
Ireland
16
babies in 2025
Quebec
26
babies in 2025
Sources: INSEE (France) · CSO Ireland (Ireland) · Retraite Québec (Quebec).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Ahm, A.J., Hammi
Sibling names for Ahmed
Names that share Ahmed's style, for a brother or sister.
Sisters: Fatima, Layla, Zara, Noor, Amira, Aminah, Asma, Madina, Rahma, Syeda, Aaminah, Asmaa, Maimouna, Maryama, Nazia, Shakila, Aaisha, Aamna, Faduma, Fadumo, Halima, Hodan, Ikran, Mariem, Meryem, Mumtaz, Rehana, Sagal, Samreen, Shukri, Sidrah, Zaineb, Zenab, Idil, Ayeisha, Bilan, Erum, Fardowsa, Farhiya, Haleemah, Nafisah, Nasteho, Nimco, Nimo, Ramsha
Brothers: Mohamed, Ali, Hasan, Omar, Yusuf, Abdirahman, Abdul, Abdullah, Mahmoud, Syed, Abdulaziz, Abdullahi, Abdulrahman, Said, Waleed, Yousif, Abdalla, Abdelrahman, Abdulahi, Abdulla, Abid, Hanad, Liban, Mahamed, Md, Mostafa, Moustapha, Muhamed, Murtaza, Osama, Owais, Salih, Sufyan, Abdiaziz, Abdikadir, Abdinasir, Abdou, Abdur, Allah, Burhan, Hussam, Ibrohim, Mohamedamin, Mohamud, Mubashir, Muneeb, Mustapha, Saim, Shahzaib, Sudais, Umer, Yahye, Dahir, Mohanad, Abdelaziz, Abdi, Abdifatah, Abdimalik, Abdirahim, Abdirizak, Guled, Habeeb, Mussa, Mustaf, Sajad, Yousof
Names like Ahmed
Names whose popularity has moved with Ahmed's over the last 50 years.
