Mohammed may top list of boys' names in the UK
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...6/nboys106.xml
Mohammed could soon become the most popular boy’s name in the country, as more and more Muslim parents choose to name their sons after the Islamic Prophet.
When all the different spellings of the name are added up, the name was second only to Jack in last year’s registration of boys’ births.
The name of the Prophet was given to 6,010 babies last year, compared to 6,928 children who were called Jack.
Officially the name did not appear in the list of top ten boys’ names published by the Office of National Statistics, because the total number of registrations is split into 16 different spelling variations.
But when added together the name has eclipsed Thomas, which now lies in third place at 5,921 registrations, and Joshua, which lies in fourth with 5,808 registrations.
The frequency of the name increased by 12 per cent between 2005 and 2006. If it were to increase at the same rate, while the number of registrations of Jacks stayed the same, it will be the most popular boy’s name in the UK in 2008. The name entered the top 30 in 2000.
Demographic experts say high fertility rates among Muslims compared to the British population as a whole are driving the increase.
Inayat Bunglawala, assistant secretary-general of the Muslim Council of Britain, explained why the name was so popular.
He said: "Muslims from all backgrounds tend to be immensely proud of the Prophet Muhammed and his achievements and feel strongly that they should respect and honour him.
"Naming their children Muhammed is one prominent way of demonstrating their love for him and I am sure there is also an element of hoping and praying that the child will be blessed and will come to embody some of the noble characteristics of the Prophet."
Reaz Ahmed, from the Islamic Community Centre in Tottenham, north London, said many felt by naming their son Mohammed they were showing Allah they loved the Prophet even more than their own flesh and blood.
He said: "In the Koran the Prophet said, 'If you do not love me more than your parents or your children, or anybody else in the world, then your faith will not be fulfilled.’
"Naming your son after the Prophet is therefore a matter of faith and respect."
As a result the name Mohammed has come to dominate the market in Muslim’s boys’ names in a way that does not happen among the non-Muslim population.
Similarly, there is no dominant Muslim name for girls. The most popular girl’s name given by Muslim parents last year - Aisha, meaning “wife of the Prophet” - only made it to 110th place.
Mohammed means "one who is praiseworthy". Boys are often given it as a prefix to honour the Prophet, but are known by another middle name in their day-to-day lives.
The spelling Mohammed is by far the most popular variation, with 2,833 registrations last year. The spelling Muhammad is the second most popular, with 1,422 registrations.
Mufti A**ul Barkatullah, formerly senior imam at the Finchley mosque in north London, explained that different spellings indicated the geographical origins of families.
He said: "When you get the UK, it is essentially about translating the sound of the Arabic into English. A non-Arab Muslim would have the name ending in -ed while an Arab Muslim would adopt the -ad ending."
Although Muslims only account for about three per cent of the UK’s population, or about 1.8 million people, their birth rate is about three times higher than the national average, say demographers.
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Originally Posted by Act of God
Somethings going on??? Maybe the rioting and burning cars did make a point after all.
