NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Kassem

Masculine name of Arab origin meaning "generous" or "one who distributes".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2018. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Kassem is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Kassem popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2018 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3412, with 5 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2018, with 5 births.

This profile covers 9 England and Wales registrations across 2 recorded years from 2012 to 2018. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

Kassem is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.

We estimate that about 9 living people in the UK are called Kassem. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2019 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Kassem ranked #3412 for boys in England and Wales in 2018, with 5 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2018, when 5 boys were registered as Kassem.
  • About 9 living people in the UK are estimated to have Kassem as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#3412

2018

Births in 2018

5

Latest year

Peak year

2018

5 births

Estimated living

9

2026

Meaning

What does Kassem mean?

The given name Kassem has its origins in the Arabic language. It is derived from the root word "qasama," which means "to divide" or "to distribute." The name itself is a masculine form meaning "one who divides" or "distributor." Its earliest recorded usage can be traced back to the 7th century CE, during the rise of Islam in the Arabian Peninsula.

Kassem gained prominence as a personal name among Arab cultures and communities, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa. It was often bestowed upon individuals who were known for their fairness, impartiality, or leadership qualities in distributing resources or resolving disputes.

In Islamic history, there are references to individuals bearing the name Kassem. One notable figure was Kassem ibn Abbas, a revered scholar and interpreter of the Quran, who lived in the 8th century CE. His teachings and interpretations of Islamic scriptures had a significant impact on the development of Islamic jurisprudence.

Throughout the centuries, the name Kassem has been carried by various notable figures across different regions and cultures. One of the earliest recorded individuals was Kassem ibn Habib, a renowned poet and scholar from Baghdad, who lived in the 9th century CE. His contributions to Arabic literature and poetry have been widely celebrated.

Another prominent figure was Kassem al-Munajjid, a 13th-century Islamic scholar and theologian from Damascus. He was renowned for his expertise in Islamic law and his influential writings on various aspects of Islamic teachings.

In more recent history, Kassem Amin was an Egyptian intellectual and writer who lived from 1865 to 1908. He was a prominent advocate for modernization and reform in Egypt and played a significant role in shaping the country's cultural and intellectual landscape during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Kassem Soleimani, an Iranian military commander, was another notable individual with this name. He served as the commander of the Quds Force, a division of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and played a crucial role in Iran's foreign military operations until his assassination in 2020.

While these are just a few examples, the name Kassem has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, poets, military leaders, and intellectuals, across different regions and time periods, reflecting its rich historical roots and cultural significance.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Kassem over time

The chart below shows babies named Kassem registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2012 to 2018. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Kassem, the clearest high point is 2018. The latest England and Wales figure is 5 births in 2018, compared with 5 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Kassem
01345201220152018

Decades

Kassem by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Kassem was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2010s #3700 9 2

Related

Names similar to Kassem

FAQ

Kassem: questions and answers

How popular is the name Kassem in the UK right now?

In 2018, Kassem was ranked #3412 for boys in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.

When was Kassem most popular?

The peak year on record was 2018, with 5 babies registered as Kassem in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Kassem?

Masculine name of Arab origin meaning "generous" or "one who distributes".

How many people are called Kassem in the UK?

A total of 9 babies have been registered as Kassem across the 2 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.