UK boy's name
Mahmoud
An Arabic name meaning "praiseworthy" or "laudable".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Mahmoud is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Mahmoud popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1162, with 24 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 24 births.
This profile covers 452 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, 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.
Mahmoud is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 464 living people in the UK are called Mahmoud. 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 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Mahmoud ranked #1162 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 24 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2024, when 24 boys were registered as Mahmoud.
- • Mahmoud ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #614 in 2023.
- • About 464 living people in the UK are estimated to have Mahmoud as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1162
2024
Births in 2024
24
Latest year
Peak year
2024
24 births
Estimated living
464
2026
Meaning
What does Mahmoud mean?
The name Mahmoud originates from the Arabic language and culture. It is derived from the Arabic root word "hamd" which means "praise" or "to praise." The name Mahmoud is a compound word formed by combining the word "hamd" with the Arabic definite article "al," resulting in the name "al-Mahmoud," which translates to "the praised one."
The name Mahmoud has a rich historical and religious significance within the Islamic tradition. It is mentioned in the Quran, the central religious text of Islam, where it is used as one of the attributes of God, referring to Him as "the Praised One." This association with divine praise has contributed to the name's popularity among Muslims throughout history.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mahmoud can be found in the biography of the Prophet Muhammad, where it is mentioned as the name of one of his companions, Mahmoud ibn Maslamah. This companion played a significant role in the early days of Islam and participated in several important battles alongside the Prophet.
Throughout history, there have been numerous notable figures who bore the name Mahmoud. One of the most famous was Mahmoud of Ghazni (971-1030 CE), a Sultan of the Ghaznavid Empire who ruled over parts of modern-day Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran. He was known for his military conquests and his patronage of the arts and literature.
Another prominent figure was Mahmoud Shabistari (1288-1320 CE), a Persian poet and Sufi mystic who wrote the famous work "The Secret Garden," a poetic masterpiece that explores the spiritual journey towards union with the divine.
In the Ottoman Empire, Mahmoud I (1696-1754 CE) was a notable Sultan who reigned from 1730 to 1754. He is remembered for his efforts to modernize the Ottoman military and administration, as well as his patronage of the arts and architecture.
Mahmoud Sami Al-Barudi (1839-1904 CE) was an Egyptian poet and writer who played a significant role in the literary renaissance of the 19th century. His works, particularly his poetry, were instrumental in reviving the Arabic language and promoting a sense of cultural identity among Arab nations.
Mahmoud Darwish (1941-2008 CE) was a renowned Palestinian poet and author who became a prominent literary voice for the Palestinian cause. His poetic works, which explored themes of exile, occupation, and national identity, gained widespread acclaim and influenced generations of Arab writers and intellectuals.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Mahmoud over time
The chart below shows babies named Mahmoud registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Mahmoud, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 24 births in 2024, compared with 24 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Mahmoud by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Mahmoud 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #1336 | 98 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1446 | 172 | 10 |
| 2000s | #1324 | 140 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1284 | 42 | 4 |
Geography
Where Mahmoud is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Mahmoud. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Mahmoud ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #614 in 2023.
Across the UK
Mahmoud in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#614 in 2023
4 years of NRS records, 15 total registered
Related
Names similar to Mahmoud
- Matthew 80,931
- Mohammed 74,321
- Muhammad 72,235
- Max 59,807
- Michael 47,075
- Mason 38,935
- Mohammad 25,910
- Morgan 15,994
- Muhammed 11,527
- Mark 11,336
- Marcus 11,257
- Maxwell 10,006
FAQ
Mahmoud: questions and answers
How popular is the name Mahmoud in the UK right now?
In 2024, Mahmoud was ranked #1162 for boys in England and Wales, with 24 births registered.
When was Mahmoud most popular?
The peak year on record was 2024, with 24 babies registered as Mahmoud in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Mahmoud?
An Arabic name meaning "praiseworthy" or "laudable".
How many people are called Mahmoud in the UK?
A total of 452 babies have been registered as Mahmoud across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 15 more in Scotland.
Where is Mahmoud most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Mahmoud ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #614 in 2023. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
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.