Given name & surname
Mahmoud
“one who is praiseworthy”
In English use, Mahmoud is a variant of Mahmud. One Arabic interpretation is “one who is praiseworthy.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Mahmoud is a variant of Mahmud. One Arabic interpretation is “one who is praiseworthy.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In English use, Mahmoud is a variant of Mahmud. An origin associated with Mahmud is Arabic.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1968. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Mahmoud through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 2,739
- 2,739 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2018
- 91 babies
- 2025
- 64
- #2,220 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −11%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 64 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 2,220 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 10.9% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 91 in 2018. In 2025, California and Texas shared the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (7 each). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 7,671 as a first name in 2020; 4,795 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Mahmoud’s family of names
In English usage, Mahmoud has a related form in Mohammed. In French usage, Mahmoud has a conventional equivalent in the English form Mahmood. In English usage, Mahmoud has a related form in Mahmud.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 3
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Mahmoud
- Mahmoud Ahmadinejad6th President of the Islamic Republic of Iran from 2005 to 2013born 1956
- Mahmoud Abbaspresident of the Palestinian Authority since 2005born 1935
- Mahmoud DarwishThe national Palestinian poet, and author (1941–2008)
- TrézéguetEgyptian association football playerborn 1994
- Mahmoud DahoudGerman-Syrian association football player (born 1996)
- Mahmoud JibrilLibyan politician (1952-2020)
- Mahmoud ShabestariIranian poet1287–1320
- Mahmoud al-ZaharPalestinian politician and physician; co-founder of Hamasborn 1945
- KahrabaEgyptian association football playerborn 1994
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Mahmoud, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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96% boys · 4% girls
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“the son of the fair one”
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Ayham
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Mohamud
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