Usamah
A masculine name of Arabic origin meaning "fortunate, prosperous".
Name Census estimates that about 41 living Americans carry the first name Usamah. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Usamah today is around 29 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Usamah births was 1998 (12 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Usamah. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Usamah. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
41
~ 1 in 8,359,862 Americans
Peak year
1998
12 babies that year
Average age
29
years old
2001 SSA rank
#9,188
Tracked since 1992
Popularity
Usamah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Usamah from the 1990s through to the 2000s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 30 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1990s peak, Usamah remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Usamah 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 Usamah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Usamah
The name Usamah is of Arabic origin and is derived from the root word "samah," which means "elevation" or "loftiness." It is a masculine name that has been popular among Muslims for centuries.
One of the earliest and most significant historical references to the name Usamah is found in the life of Usamah ibn Zayd, a companion of the Prophet Muhammad and a renowned military leader in the 7th century CE. He was entrusted with leading an army against the Byzantine Empire, making him one of the youngest commanders in Islamic history.
Another noteworthy figure with the name Usamah is Usamah ibn Munqidh, a 12th-century Syrian poet, author, and prince. He is best known for his memoir, "Kitab al-I'tibar," which provides valuable insights into the social and political landscape of the Crusades era.
In the realm of Islamic scholarship, Usamah ibn Ladin al-Andalusi was a prominent 11th-century jurist and theologian from Andalusia (modern-day Spain). His works, particularly in the field of Islamic jurisprudence, had a significant influence on the development of Islamic thought in the region.
During the Mamluk Sultanate in Egypt and Syria (13th-14th centuries), Usamah ibn Abi al-Fida was a renowned historian and geographer. His book, "Al-Mukhtasar fi Akhbar al-Bashar," is considered a valuable source for the history of the Mamluk period.
In more recent times, Usamah bin Laden, the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, gained notoriety for his role in the September 11th attacks in the United States in 2001. Despite his controversial legacy, the name Usamah remains widely used in the Arab and Muslim world.
The name Usamah has a rich history and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including military leaders, scholars, authors, and historical figures. Its meaning and significance have resonated across different cultures and time periods, reflecting the diverse and multifaceted nature of names and their origins.
People
Usamah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Usamah as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with U
Other first names starting with U with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Usamah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Usamah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 41 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Usamah 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 8,359,862 US residents.
Is Usamah a common name?
We classify Usamah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 51.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 42 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Usamah most popular?
The single biggest year for Usamah was 1998, when 12 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Usamah is about 29 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Usamah a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Usamah 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.