Mohammad tops list of names given to boys born in 2013

AMMAN – Mohammad was the most common name in Jordan for boys born in 2013, while Jana topped the list among girls, according to official figures. 

A report prepared by the Department of Statistics (DoS) listed Mohammad as the most popular name in the Kingdom, with 10,951 counts, followed by Ahmad (5,135) and Omar (3,736). 

Jordanians prefer to name their sons after the prophet, with some 12 per cent of baby boys born last year being named Mohammad. 

DoS figures indicate that around 178,000 babies were delivered in 2013: 91,000 boys and 87,000 girls. 

Jana was the most popular name for girls born in Jordan last year, with 2,429 counts followed by Lian (2,306) and Leen (2,006), according to DoS. 

The list of the 10 most popular names for boys included Yousef, Abdul Rahman, Abdullah, Ameer, Rayan, Karam and Zaid. 

The list for girls included Joud, Sarah, Remas, Hala, Joury, Salma and Noor. 

The name Mohammad is not only popular in Jordan and Islamic countries, as British media reports cited official data in the UK that revealed the name was also the most popular name for baby boys in England and Wales, when its three main spelling variations are counted. 

It is also the most common name for men in Oslo, Norway’s capital, according to news reports, with more than 4,800 men and boys in the city called Mohammad. 

Mohammad is believed to be the most popular name in the world, with an estimated 150 million men and boys bearing the name, according to web sources.