At a glance
- In short
- Qasim (kah-seem) springs from a proud Arabic root meaning “one who distributes” or “generous spirit.”
- U.S. rank 2025
- #2,304 of boy names (outside the top 1,000)
- Babies in 2025
- 60 (<0.01% of boys)
- Trend
- Rising #3,136 in 2020 to #2,304 in 2025
- Peak
- #2,304 in 2025
- First recorded
- 1977
Meaning of Qasim
Qasim (kah-seem) springs from a proud Arabic root meaning “one who distributes” or “generous spirit.” It paints a picture of open hands and warm hearts. In Islamic tradition, it honors Qasim, the Prophet Muhammad’s son—a reminder that greatness can bloom from small, kind deeds. In the U.S., Qasim has held a steady spot near the 868th rank in 2024, with around fifty families choosing it each year for decades. Its three syllables flow like a spicy salsa beat on a warm evening—simple, memorable, full of soul. Choosing Qasim feels like planting a seed of generosity that grows alongside a boy’s big heart. And with a name that literally means “distributor,” he might get plenty of practice handing out extra high-fives before he even learns two-plus-two.
How to pronounce Qasim
Arabic
- Pronounced kah-seem /qɑːˈsiːm/
Popularity of Qasim in the U.S.
Qasim was the #2,304 boy name in the U.S. in 2025, with 60 babies. It first appears in the records in 1977.
- Rank among U.S. boy names (right scale, #1 at the top)
Year-by-year table, 1977–2025 48 rows
| Year | Babies | Rank | vs previous year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 60 | 2,304 | ▲ 140 |
| 2024 | 56 | 2,444 | ▲ 131 |
| 2023 | 51 | 2,575 | ▼ 12 |
| 2022 | 53 | 2,563 | ▲ 256 |
| 2021 | 44 | 2,819 | ▲ 317 |
| 2020 | 36 | 3,136 | ▼ 580 |
| 2019 | 51 | 2,556 | ▼ 139 |
| 2018 | 54 | 2,417 | ▲ 255 |
| 2017 | 46 | 2,672 | ▲ 489 |
| 2016 | 36 | 3,161 | ▼ 12 |
| 2015 | 36 | 3,149 | ▼ 220 |
| 2014 | 39 | 2,929 | ▲ 935 |
| 2013 | 26 | 3,864 | ▼ 150 |
| 2012 | 28 | 3,714 | ▲ 171 |
| 2011 | 26 | 3,885 | ▼ 432 |
| 2010 | 31 | 3,453 | ▼ 54 |
| 2009 | 32 | 3,399 | ▲ 424 |
| 2008 | 27 | 3,823 | ▲ 817 |
| 2007 | 20 | 4,640 | ▼ 535 |
| 2006 | 23 | 4,105 | ▼ 786 |
| 2005 | 30 | 3,319 | ▲ 49 |
| 2004 | 28 | 3,368 | ▼ 324 |
| 2003 | 31 | 3,044 | ▲ 406 |
| 2002 | 25 | 3,450 | ▼ 307 |
| 2001 | 28 | 3,143 | ▲ 7 |
| 2000 | 27 | 3,150 | ▼ 47 |
| 1999 | 26 | 3,103 | ▼ 392 |
| 1998 | 30 | 2,711 | ▲ 550 |
| 1997 | 22 | 3,261 | ▼ 59 |
| 1996 | 22 | 3,202 | ▲ 101 |
| 1995 | 20 | 3,303 | ▲ 608 |
| 1994 | 16 | 3,911 | ▲ 109 |
| 1993 | 15 | 4,020 | ▲ 852 |
| 1992 | 11 | 4,872 | ▼ 641 |
| 1991 | 13 | 4,231 | ▲ 762 |
| 1990 | 10 | 4,993 | ▲ 622 |
| 1989 | 8 | 5,615 | ▲ 811 |
| 1988 | 6 | 6,426 | ▼ 967 |
| 1987 | 7 | 5,459 | ▼ 1,002 |
| 1986 | 9 | 4,457 | ▼ 124 |
| 1985 | 9 | 4,333 | ▲ 1,982 |
| 1984 | 5 | 6,315 | ▼ 2,431 |
| 1983 | 10 | 3,884 | ▼ 192 |
| 1982 | 11 | 3,692 | ▼ 280 |
| 1981 | 12 | 3,412 | back (not recorded in 1980) |
| 1979 | 9 | 4,068 | ▼ 998 |
| 1978 | 13 | 3,070 | ▲ 316 |
| 1977 | 11 | 3,386 | new |
Qasim by state
Notable people named Qasim
- Syed Qasim Mahmood was a Pakistani writer, editor and encyclopedist who published 211 books through his publishing companies.
- Qasim Rashid is a Pakistani-born American author, activist, attorney, and Democratic political candidate.
- Qasim Tawfiq is a Jordanian novelist and short story writer who retired from banking in 2013 to focus on writing.
- Qasim Mahmoud, known as Qasim Zwea, was an Iraqi football forward who represented Iraq from 1957 to 1968.