Omar: Name Meaning, Origin, Popularity, & Inspiration

Boy name origins & meanings

Arabic : Long-lived; highest; follower of the prophet
Hebrew : He who speaks; bitter

What does Omar mean and stand for?

The name Omar is of Arabic origin and means "follower of the prophet" or "long-lived." It is the more modern spelling of Umur.

Syllables: 2

Boy name variations

Family name origins & meanings

Muslim (found almost exclusively among Sunni Muslims) : from an Arabic personal name of uncertain etymology. It is thought to be related to Arabic ‛āmir, which means ‘prosperous’, ‘full of life’, ‘large’, ‘substantial’. The root word ‛umr means ‘life’. ‛Umar bin al-Khạṭtāb was the second of the ‘rightly guided’ khalifs (ruled 634–44). He was known by the title al-Fārūq ‘the distinguisher’, i.e. one who distinguishes between truth and falsehood. He was one of the Companions of the Prophet Muhammad. The Persian poet ‛Umar al-Khayyām (1048–1125), also known in English as Omar Khayyam, is the author of the classic poem, the Rubaiyyat.
Catalan : topographic name for someone who lived by a group of elm trees, from the collective form of om ‘elm’.

What Does the Name Omar Mean?

The name Omar is of Arabic origin and means "flourishing" and "eloquent". Though it is most often used by Muslim families, it also appears in the Old Testament.

How Popular is the Name Omar?

Omar is the number 264 most popular boys name in the US, according to 2021 Social Security Administration data. Once rather popular, it has slowly been dropping in the ranks, losing about 10 spots each year.

However, it is the 6th most popular name on FamilyEducation.com.

Popularity of the Name Omar in the United States

According to Google search data analysis, in the last five years Omar was at its peak popularity in July 2019.

Omar was searched for most often in the following states:

District of Columbia
Minnesota
Florida
New Jersey
Maryland

Famous People Named Omar and Omar in Pop Culture

One of the oldest and most prominent Omars is poet Omar Khayyam, an inspiration to many. Other notable namesakes include actor Omar Hashim Epps, guitarist Omar Rodríguez, rapper Omar Gooding, and various athletes. Omar has also appeared in The Wire, The Safe Lands, and The Elite.