Oslo: Muhammad most popular boy's name

Oslo: Muhammad most popular boy's name

Statistics Norway published the most popular names for boys and girls in Oslo in 2008.  Muhammad has been the top name for several years now.

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120 boys were named Mohammad last year.  The name was written in many different ways, but these are added together in the statistics.  In 2007 Mohammad was also the most popular boy's name in the capital.

Outside the capital, however, very few were named Mohammad.  Just 56 boys got this name in the rest of the country.

Statistics Norway says that it's not a new phenomenon that many choose to name their son after the prophet Mohammad, but don't know why it's so popular.

"I tried to talk to people of Pakistani origin and got two different stories.  Some said that Mohammad is considered as a type of title.  Some said that it's relatively religious.  The more modern use it like a name like we're used to," says Jørgen Ouren of Norway Statistics to Østlandssendingen.

The next most popular boy's name in Oslo was Jakob.  76 boys got this name.

By girls Sara and Sofie are the most popular names.  75 and 73 girls got these names respectively in 2008.

Source: Nettavisen (Norwegian)

See also: Oslo: Muhammad most popular boy's name

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