Osama
An Arabic name meaning "lion" or "brave courageous person".
Name Census estimates that about 935 living Americans carry the first name Osama. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Osama today is around 29 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Osama births was 1999 (65 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Osama. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
935
~ 1 in 366,582 Americans
Peak year
1999
65 babies that year
Average age
29
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,118
Tracked since 1968
Popularity
Osama: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Osama from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 419 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Osama by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Osama during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Osamas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 7 states and territories. California, New York, Texas recorded the most babies named Osama, while Virginia, Michigan, Illinois recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 29 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Osama
The name Osama is of Arabic origin, derived from the root word "sama" which means "to be elevated" or "to rise up". It has been in use since ancient times, particularly in the Arab world and regions influenced by Islamic culture.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Quran, where it is mentioned as a name for the Prophet Muhammad's uncle, Osama ibn Zayd. He lived in the 7th century CE and was a revered military commander who led an army against the Byzantine Empire.
In the 8th century CE, Osama ibn Munqidh was a famous Arab poet and warrior from Syria. He is known for his literary works, including his memoir "Kitab al-I'tibar" which provided insights into the Crusades and the political landscape of the time.
Another notable figure bearing the name Osama was Osama ibn Idris, who lived in the 9th century CE. He was a renowned mathematician and astronomer from Morocco, and his contributions to the field of celestial mechanics were significant.
In the 11th century, Osama ibn Munqidh, a Syrian prince and warrior, gained fame for his military exploits during the Crusades. He is also remembered for his literary works, which included accounts of his interactions with the Crusaders and his observations on their culture and customs.
Osama al-Ghazali, a prominent Islamic scholar and mystic, lived in the 12th century CE. He was a prolific writer and is widely regarded as one of the most influential thinkers in Islamic philosophy and Sufism.
These are just a few examples of the historical figures who bore the name Osama, which has been a part of Arabic and Islamic cultures for centuries. The name has a rich heritage and has been associated with various fields, including religion, literature, science, and warfare.
People
Osama + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Osama as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with O
Other first names starting with O with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Osama: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Osama?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 935 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Osama going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 366,582 US residents.
Is Osama a common name?
We classify Osama as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 961 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Osama most popular?
The single biggest year for Osama was 1999, when 65 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Osama is about 29 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Osama a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Osama in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.