By: Raymond Ibrahim – Raymond Ibrahim; raymondibrahim.com

Newborn baby Muhammads are taking Western Europe by storm—with Berlin being the latest target.  According to a May 8, 2023

  • The first name Mohammed has gained popularity in Germany in the past year….  In Berlin, Mohammed was the most popular first name for boys in 2022. Last year he had ranked third…. In Bremen, the first name Mohammed has moved up from third place to second place…. In Hesse, too, the name of the Muslim prophet is on the rise. There he fought his way from eighth to third place.

This trend is occurring all throughout Western Europe.  Muhammad is the most popular name in the United Kingdom;  in major Belgian cities—including Brussels, the EU capital; in Oslo, the capital of Norway; and in the Netherlands’ largest cities, including Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht.

This is to say nothing of other Arabic/Muslim names, which are also topping the charts of newborn baby names. According to a 2015 report, in the UK,

There is a surge in Arabic names generally, with Nur a new entry in the girls’ top 100, jumping straight to number 29, and Maryam rising 59 places to number 35. Omar, Ali, and Ibrahim are new to the boys’ top 100.

Even in the United States, in 2019, Muhammad made the list of top 10 baby names. “Arabic names are on the rise this year,” the BabyCenter said, “with Muhammad and Aaliyah entering the top 10 and nudging Mason and Layla off.”

All this may seem innocuous enough.  After all, what’s in a name?


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