The first name Anwar
A boy’s name from Arabic meaning “most luminous”.
2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Arabic origin
Anwar means “most luminous” in Arabic.
Borrowed from Arabic أَنْوَر (ʔanwar, “most luminous”).
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 21 boys were named Anwar, making it the 1,307th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2006, with 32 births (#793).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Anwar with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Anwar at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 38 boys born in the United States were named Anwar, the 3,129th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1978, when 144 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Anwar in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Anwar in Indonesian too.
Famous people named Anwar
15 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Anwar al-AwlakiAmerican-Yemeni imam and suspected Islamist extremist (1971–2011)
- Anwar El GhaziDutch association football player, born 1995
- Anwar MesbahEgyptian weightlifter (1913-1998)
- Anwar WagdiEgyptian actor (1904–1955)
- Anwar Mohammed GargashEmirati politician and Minister of State of Foreign Affairs, born 1959
- Anwar ul-Haq AhadyAfghan politician, born 1951
- Anwar AkbariAfghan association football player, born 1990
- Anwar HadidAmerican model, born 1999
- Anwar ChoudhuryBritish diplomat and governor, born 1959
- Anwar SirajEthiopian association football player, born 1978
- Anwar HossainBangladeshi photographer and cinematographer (1948-2018)
- Anwar AliCricketer, born 1987
More Arabic boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Anwar mean?
- Anwar means “most luminous” in Arabic.
- What is the origin of the name Anwar?
- Borrowed from Arabic أَنْوَر (ʔanwar, “most luminous”).
- How popular is the name Anwar?
- In 2025, 21 boys born in England and Wales were named Anwar, ranking 1,307th. Its peak was 2006, with 32 births.
- Is Anwar a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 96% of the 2,864 US babies named Anwar since 1880 were boys.
- When was Anwar most popular?
- 1978 in the United States, when 144 babies were named Anwar, its highest rank at 697th.
- Is Anwar also a surname?
- Yes. Anwar is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.