The world’s most common first name revealed by official registry data

Choosing a baby’s name often feels like navigating a minefield of meanings, sounds and family traditions. My neighbor’s wife spent nights scrolling through forums, haunted by the fear they’d pick a name no one could pronounce. Yet, according to Forebears, an onomastic database aggregating registries from 103 countries, one first name emerges as truly universal, with over 150 million bearers worldwide¹—a testament to centuries of cultural reverence and demographic weight.

Mohamed Tops the List for Boys

Topping the charts is Mohamed—along with its variants Muhammad, Mohammad and Muhammed—meaning “praised” in Arabic. This choice pays homage to one of history’s most influential figures. According to Pew Research Center, there were an estimated 1.9 billion Muslims globally in 2020², helping fuel Mohamed’s dominance from Morocco to Malaysia. I’ve watched it play out at family gatherings in London, where three toddlers answering to “Muhammad” paused mid-play when called together—a charming snapshot of the name’s cultural significance in action.

Data from Forebears shows variants of Muhammad rank among the top male names in countries as varied as Egypt, Pakistan and Indonesia.

Marie’s Waning Reign for Girls

On the girls’ side, Marie—and its cousins Maria, Maryam and María—once dominated charts. However, in France, Marie slipped to 109th place by 2022³, even as Maria remains widely used in Spanish-speaking regions. I remember meeting three Marias at a Quebec café last summer; each shared a different family story behind her name, a testament to its enduring heritage.

Did you know? The name Maria derives from the Hebrew name Miryam, which may mean “beloved” or “rebellious”—its exact origin remains debated⁴.

How Faith Shapes Naming Trends ?

These patterns highlight how tradition and faith still guide our choices, even in an age of inventively spelled monikers. Whether honoring religious figures or preserving family legacy, these staple names knit individual stories into a wider tapestry of identity.

In a world that prizes diversity, Mohamed and Marie remind us that some links transcend borders. As parents weigh syllables and meanings, they’re also participating in a shared human narrative—stretching back through generations and reaching forward to the children who will carry these names next.

Footnotes :

1. Baby names: Is Muhammad the most popular?, BBC News, https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-45638806

2. The Future of World Religions: Population Growth Projections, 2010–2050, Pew Research Center, https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2015/04/02/religious-projections-2010-2050/

3. Popular Names in France 2022, Behind the Name, https://www.behindthename.com/top/lists/france/2022

4. Maria (given name), Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_(given_name)