Muhammad cracks top 10 US baby name list for first time

In the boy’s category, Muhammad rose four spots from the 2018 list to crack the top 10.

By World Israel News Staff

Elijah and Layla have indeed been knocked off and replaced by Muhammad and Aaliyah in BabyCenter’s top 10 U.S. baby names for 2019.

In the boy’s category, Muhammad rose four spots from the 2018 list to crack the top 10. Muhammad means “praised one” in Arabic and was the name of the prophet in the Islamic faith who founded the religion in the seventh century.

“Muhammad’s been rising on BabyCenter top baby name lists around the world, so we knew it would soon break into the U.S. top 10,” says Linda Murray, BabyCenter’s global editor in chief in a press release.

“Muslim families often choose Muhammad for firstborn sons to honor the prophet and bring blessings to the child. The name also has multiple spellings, and that helps a name get into the top 10.”

Layla held the 10th spot in the girl’s category in 2018 but was knocked off by Aaliyah in this year’s list. Aaliyah is derived from the Arabic name “Ali” which means “exalted.”

“Popular baby names can settle in for years without much movement on the list. Then suddenly we see major shifts,” Murray said. “With 2020 on the horizon and a new decade afoot, parents are choosing a fresh crop of names.”

A Hebrew name placed third in this year’s boys category.

Noah, which means “rest” and “comfort ” in Hebrew was also the name of the Biblical character who was commanded by God to build an ark to survive the great flood.

A Hebrew name in this year’s girl’s category came in at six.

Isabella is a variation of Elizabeth and means “devoted to God” in Hebrew.