Imam
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- ee-MAHM
- Origin
- Arabic
- UK rank, 2025
- #5,065 for boys
Imam is a boys' name of Arabic origin, meaning “leader; one who stands in front”. In 2025 it ranked 5,065th for boys in the UK (3 babies).
What does Imam mean?
Arabic
“leader; one who stands in front”
In Islam an imam leads congregational prayer; in Shia Islam the title also honours the Prophet's descendants who led the community.
Is Imam a girl's or a boy's name?
Imam is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 3 boys in the UK. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Imam in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #5,065among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 3about 1 in 100,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Rising fastup 233% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 3 boys in the UK were named Imam, making it the 5,065th most popular name for boys. Its busiest year was 2002, with 6 boys.
Half of all the boys named Imam in the UK since 1996 were born between 2005 and 2021. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
Among boys in 2025, it was 4,974th in England and Wales.
Imam in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3 | #5,065 |
| 2024 | 3 | #5,198 |
| 2023 | 4 | #4,335 |
| 2022 | 3 | #5,017 |
| 2021 | 4 | #4,188 |
| 2020 | 0 | – |
| 2019 | 3 | #4,913 |
| 2018 | 0 | – |
| 2017 | 0 | – |
| 2016 | 6 | #3,241 |
| 2015 | 0 | – |
| 2014 | 5 | #3,529 |
| 2013 | 0 | – |
| 2012 | 0 | – |
| 2011 | 5 | #3,446 |
| 2010 | 3 | #4,865 |
| 2009 | 0 | – |
| 2008 | 5 | #3,305 |
| 2007 | 0 | – |
| 2006 | 0 | – |
| 2005 | 3 | #3,992 |
| 2004 | 5 | #2,691 |
| 2003 | 0 | – |
| 2002 | 6 | #2,106 |
| 2001 | 0 | – |
| 2000 | 0 | – |
| 1999 | 0 | – |
| 1998 | 0 | – |
| 1997 | 0 | – |
| 1996 | 4 | #2,442 |
Names like Imam
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Muhammad Umar Ahmed Arham Hamza Ibrahim Raheem Amir Musa Zayaan Zayd Abdullah
More Arabic names
Layla Mohammed Lyla Mohammad Zara Aaliyah Amira Fatima Ali Yahya Zayn Aisha Omar Zahra Kairo Safa
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland) and Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Imam: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/imam, updated 20 October 2026.