Netherlands: Mohamed most popular name in major cities

Netherlands: Mohamed most popular name in major cities

Over the past year, there were quite a few stories regarding the issue of whether Moroccans in the Netherlands are being 'forced' by the Dutch and Moroccan authorities to give their babies Moroccan-approved names.  Most Moroccans in the Netherlands are Berber, yet the Moroccan government only allows Arab names. 

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Mohamed is by far the most popular name for babies in the four major cities in the Netherlands.  Unlike what is often reported, the name of the Muslim prophet is also in the national top twenty.

This according to data from the Dutch national security (SVB) provided upon request by elsevier.nl.

The issue is now topical again now that parliament members Geert Wilder and Sietse Fritsma (PVV) asked questions in parliament regarding a report in the Daily Telegraph which said that in 2050, a fifth of the residents of Europe will be Muslim.

One of the questions was what is the most popular baby names in the four major cities and nationally, referring to the high birthrate among immigrants.

According to the SVB data it appears that in the four major cities - Amsterdam, Rotterdam, the Hague and Utrecht - Mohamed (and its variations - Mohammed and Muhammed) is by far the name most given to boys.

In the Hague they're even in places 1, 2 and 5 in the top five.  The name was given three times as often in 2008 as the next most popular boy's name: Jayden.

The name is also very popular in Amsterdam. In the capital Mohamed and Mohammed take the 1st and 4th places.  Rayan, Adam and Max follow at a great distance.

In Rotterdam Jayden is the name most loved by parents, but if the different spellings are added together, this name is once again number one.

In Utrecht, the fourth city of the Netherlands, Mohammed is also on top, but is followed immeidately by Adam, Lucas, Stijn and Daan.

Despite it's popularity, the name did not get into the national top twenty in the past, but this is due to the various ways in which the name is spelled.  If the four most popular variations of the name are put together, the name of the propphet is at 16th place, just under Luuk, and above traditional Dutch names such as Gjis and Jan.

Source: Elsevier (Dutch)

See also:
* Netherlands: PVV concerned about growth of Muslim population
* More on demographics
* Netherlands: Moroccan babies get only names approved by Morocco

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