The name Muhammad broke all records of popularity in the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Region. For the third year in a row, this is what Ugra's parents most often call their son. URA.RU correspondent examined what is the cause of this phenomenon.
The name Muhammad has become most popular among children in the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Region
In the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Region, the Arabic word Muhammad has become the most popular since the beginning of 2025 – this is how parents often call their newborn son. Since the beginning of the year, 339 Muhammads have been born in the area. In second place in popularity is the name Mikhail, in third place is Alexander, according to the registry office website.
It is noteworthy that in 2024, the name Muhammad is the most fashionable. About 400 newborns were named this way in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Region last year. And this trend has been observed since 2023.
Name meaning
Translated into Russian, Muhammad means “praised.” It was worn by a Muslim prophet. According to Islam, Muhammad received divine revelations through the angel Jibril.
It is worth noting that, but according to open sources, only 11% of the population of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Region identify themselves as Muslims. In the world, the name Muhammad is considered the most popular.
Political scientists link this trend to money
According to political scientist and leader of the Beer Lovers Party, Konstantin Kalachev, the popularity of the name Muhammad among newborns in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Oblast is related to its financial attractiveness for migrants to give birth in the district for child welfare. The Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Region is considered a rich region, where money and the number of benefits are much higher. At the same time, Kalachev noted that Ugra women often enter into fake marriages with foreigners.
And the imam of the mosque believes that the problem is the development of Islam
However, not everyone shares this opinion. The imam of the Surgut mosque, Rustam Hazrat, believes that the name Muhammad became popular in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Region due to the growth of Islam. In addition to the arrival of many natives of Central Asia to this district – from Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, who received citizenship, the number of Muslims is also increasing. According to the Muslim leader, this is currently a common trend worldwide and Islam is on the rise.
