Muhammad, a name whose syllables move like slow incense through a cedar-shaded Kyoto temple, springs from the Arabic root ḥ-m-d—“to praise”—and thus carries the meaning “praiseworthy,” a mantle worn first and foremost by the Prophet whose life reshaped the desert winds and, in time, the world’s horizons. In his honor the name spread eastward as steadily as ripples across a moonlit koi pond, gathering countless spellings yet keeping its quiet core of reverence intact. To many parents it evokes devotion, steadiness, and a gentle but unbreakable sense of purpose, much like the disciplined grace of a samurai in springtime snow. Though its ranking in American nurseries has climbed gradually, year after year, Muhammad remains at once familiar and singular, a timeless lantern whose steady glow can guide a child toward humility amid triumph and dignity amid doubt.
| Muhammad Ali was an American boxer and social activist, a global icon known as the Greatest and widely regarded as the finest heavyweight of all time. |
| Bangladeshi economist Muhammad Yunus founded Grameen Bank, pioneered microcredit, won the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize as the first Bangladeshi laureate, and has been the fifth chief adviser of Bangladesh since 2024. |
| Muhammad Abduh was an Egyptian Islamic scholar, judge, and Grand Mufti who was a central figure in the Arab Nahda and Islamic Modernism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. |
| Muhammad al-Baqir - Muhammad ibn Ali al Baqir, a descendant of Prophet Muhammad and the fifth Shia Imam, succeeded Ali al Sajjad, was followed by Jafar al Sadiq, and earned the title al Baqir for his renowned scholarship. |
| Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri - Muhammad Tahir ul Qadri is a Pakistani Canadian Islamic scholar and former politician who founded Minhaj ul Quran International and Pakistan Awami Tehreek. |
| Muhammad Asad, an Austro-Hungarian Muslim polymath born in modern day Ukraine, worked as a journalist, traveler, writer, political theorist, and diplomat. |
| Muhammad Husayn Tabataba'i - Allameh Muhammad Husayn Tabatabai was a leading Iranian Shia scholar and philosopher, famed for his 27 volume Quran commentary Tafsir al Mizan and honored with a namesake university in Tehran. |