The first name Mahmud
A boy’s name from Arabic meaning “praised”, “laudable”, “to praise”.
2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Arabic origin
Mahmud means “praised”, “laudable”, “to praise” in Arabic.
Transliteration of Arabic مَحْمُود (maḥmūd, literally “praised, laudable”), the passive participle of the Form I verb حَمِدَ (ḥamida, “to praise”), from the triconsonantal root ح م د (ḥ m d). The name Muhammad comes from the same root, and has a similar meaning.
More names that mean famous.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 5 boys were named Mahmud, making it the 3,684th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2003, with 10 births (#1,513).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Mahmud with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Mahmud at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 5 boys born in the United States were named Mahmud, the 13,191st most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 2022, when 19 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.
Mahmud in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Nicknames and spellings
Other spellings and forms
- Mahmut
- Mahmoud
- Mahmood
- Mahmout
- Mehmud
- Mehmood
- Mehmut
Famous people named Mahmud
17 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Mahmud al-Kashgari11th-century Turkic scholar and lexicographer, 1029–1073
- Abu-Mahmud Khujandi10th-century Persian astronomer and mathematician, 940–1000
- Mahmud Shah Durrani1801 to 1803 and 1809 to 1818
- Mahmud TarziAfghan politician, secular activist and journalist (1865–1933)
- Mahmud TaymurEgyptian writer (1894–1973)
- Mahmud Yalavach13th century Muslim administrator, 1150–1254
- Mahmud Fahmi al-NuqrashiEgyptian politician (1888-1948)
- Mahmud al-MuntasirFormer Prime Minister of Libya (1903-1970)
- Mahmud QurbanovAssociation football player from Azerbaijan, born 1973
- Mahmud Khalji15th-century sultan of the Malwa Sultanate, died 1469
- Mahmud Shah8th Sultan of Malacca, 1400–1528
- Mahmud ibn MuhammadBey of Tunis (1814-1824)
More Arabic boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Mahmud mean?
- Mahmud means “praised”, “laudable”, “to praise” in Arabic.
- What is the origin of the name Mahmud?
- Transliteration of Arabic مَحْمُود (maḥmūd, literally “praised, laudable”), the passive participle of the Form I verb حَمِدَ (ḥamida, “to praise”), from the triconsonantal root ح م د (ḥ m d). The name Muhammad comes from the same root, and has a similar meaning.
- How popular is the name Mahmud?
- In 2025, 5 boys born in England and Wales were named Mahmud, ranking 3,684th. Its peak was 2003, with 10 births.
- Is Mahmud a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 244 US babies named Mahmud since 1880 were boys.
- When was Mahmud most popular?
- 2022 in the United States, when 19 babies were named Mahmud, its highest rank at 5,146th.
- What are other spellings of Mahmud?
- Mahmut, Mahmoud, Mahmood, Mahmout, Mehmud and Mehmood.
- Is Mahmud also a surname?
- Yes. Mahmud is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.