boy's name
Omar
OH-mar
- Origin Arabic
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 134,259
the United States
#260
2025 births
Omar is a boy's name of Arabic origin meaning "flourishing" or "long-lived." It comes from the root ʿ-m-r, concerning life and prosperity, and belonged to the second caliph of Islam.
- Omar is a name of Arabic origin.
- Peaked in 2007, when 3,223 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 2,487 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Omar over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 124 |
| 1890s | 142 |
| 1900s | 116 |
| 1910s | 656 |
| 1920s | 819 |
| 1930s | 519 |
| 1940s | 491 |
| 1950s | 739 |
| 1960s | 1,943 |
| 1970s | 9,372 |
| 1980s | 13,809 |
| 1990s | 23,848 |
| 2000s | 28,224 |
| 2010s | 17,960 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 8,132 |
What Omar means
Omar means thriving, long-lived or populous. The Arabic root concerns life, habitation and flourishing together — the same root gives words for building and for inhabiting a place.
Where Omar comes from
Omar transliterates the Arabic ʿUmar, from the root ʿ-m-r, which carries senses of life, long life and prosperity — it also produces ʿamara, to build or inhabit. Umar ibn al-Khattab was the second caliph, whose conquests took Islam across Persia, Syria and Egypt, and who is a central figure in Sunni tradition. Separately, Omar Khayyám's Rubáiyát, in Edward FitzGerald's 1859 translation, made the name familiar in English long before Muslim migration to Britain and America. An unrelated Hebrew Omar appears in Genesis.
Omar in use
Our data shows Omar falling, peaking in 2007, at 157 in England and Wales. It first appears in our records in 1880 — considerably earlier than most Arabic names on this site, which reflects the FitzGerald translation rather than any community of use.
How popular is Omar?
In 2025, Omar was given to 1,333 babies in the United States, ranking #260 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Omar is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Omar
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Omar also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Omar over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Omar
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Omar in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Omar
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Omar — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Omar
What does the name Omar mean?
Omar means "flourishing" or "long-lived," from the Arabic root ʿ-m-r.
Who was Umar in Islam?
The second caliph, whose conquests carried Islam across Persia, Syria and Egypt. He is a central figure in Sunni tradition.
Why does Omar appear in English records so early?
Edward FitzGerald's 1859 translation of Omar Khayyám's Rubáiyát made the name familiar in English long before significant Muslim migration.
How popular is the name Omar?
In 2025, Omar was given to 1,333 babies in the United States, ranking #260 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Omar a girl's or a boy's name?
Omar is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Omar?
Omar has 2 syllables.
When was Omar most popular?
Omar peaked in 2007, when 3,223 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Omar?
Omar is usually shortened to Om.
Is Omar a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Omar currently ranks #123 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.