Walk into any room on the planet, shout "Mohammed!" and statistically speaking, you've got better odds of someone turning around than with any other name. With approximately 133,349,300 people bearing the name Mohammed (or one of its many spelling variations), it's officially the most common first name in the world—and it's not even close. Second-place Maria trails with 61 million bearers, less than half Mohammed's total.

Why One Name Dominates the Globe

The name's overwhelming popularity stems from its religious significance in Islam. Mohammed means "praiseworthy" in Arabic and honors the Prophet Muhammad, Islam's founding figure. For Muslims worldwide, naming a son Mohammed is both a spiritual tribute and a cultural tradition that spans continents and centuries.

With Islam being the world's second-largest religion (and fastest-growing), comprising about 1.8 billion followers, the math adds up. An estimated 150 million men and boys have been given this name, and that number grows daily as Mohammed consistently ranks among the top baby names in dozens of countries.

The Spelling Situation

Part of what makes tracking this name fascinating is its many faces. Depending on where you are in the world, you might encounter:

Muhammad – Common in Pakistan and South Asia
Mohammed – Popular in the Middle East
Mohamed – Frequently used in North Africa
Mohammad – Another widespread variation

These aren't different names—they're different transliterations of the same Arabic name. When statisticians count all variations together, Mohammed's dominance becomes even more apparent.

Recent Milestones

In 2023, Mohammed made headlines when the UK's Office for National Statistics reported it as the most popular baby name for boys in England and Wales. That year saw 4,177 boys registered with the spelling "Muhammad" alone. When you count all four major spelling variations, 7,362 babies were born with the name—roughly one in every 42 boys.

This wasn't a fluke. Mohammed has been climbing baby name charts across Europe, North America, and beyond for decades. It's now a top-10 name in numerous countries spanning four continents.

Where Mohammed Rules

Pakistan takes the crown for the highest proportion of Mohammeds, with 7.06% of the entire population bearing the name. Indonesia and Malaysia follow close behind, reflecting the name's stronghold in the world's most populous Muslim-majority nations.

But you'll find Mohammeds everywhere—from Brooklyn to Birmingham, Jakarta to Johannesburg. The name's global reach reflects both historical Islamic expansion and modern migration patterns.

The Competition

So who else is in the running? After Mohammed and Maria, the top names include Nushi (55.9 million), Jose (29.9 million), and Wei (17.1 million). Regional favorites like John, David, and Ana also make strong showings, but none come close to Mohammed's staggering numbers.

Interestingly, if you measure by frequency rather than total count—meaning how often a name appears per capita—Maria edges ahead at 1:119 compared to Mohammed's 1:160. But in absolute numbers, Mohammed remains the undisputed heavyweight champion of human names.

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