Jump to content

Osama (name)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Osama
GenderMale
Language(s)Arabic
Origin
Word/nameArabic
Meaning"Famed as a lion"
Region of originMiddle East and North Africa
Other names
Alternative spellingOsamah, Oussama, Usama, Usaamah

Osama (Arabic: أسامة, romanizedUsāma), also spelt Osamah, Oussama, Usama, and other variants, is an Arabic masculine given name.

The name derives from the same stem of the noun اسم ism "name", and means more or less "the one with a name"; it also has the additional meaning of "lion", the lion being considered as an animal with fame (compare the Latin name Augustus, meaning "majestic"). The root is derived from Proto-Semitic *šim-, from Proto-Afroasiatic *(ʔi-)sim- ("name").[1] Osama is one of several Arabic names denoting some aspect of the lion.[2][3]

The name has declined drastically in popularity in Britain since 2001, mainly due to negative associations with al-Qaeda's general emir Osama bin Laden.[4]

People with the given name

[edit]

Osama

[edit]

Osamah

[edit]

Oussama

[edit]

Usama

[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Osama". Behind the Name. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  2. ^ Kseroof, Ola (5 February 2017). "Arabs Love Lions So Much They Name Their Sons After Them in 15 Different Ways". Stepfeed. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  3. ^ G.L. (10 May 2011). "O Graceful Lion, Son of Opium". Language (blog). The Economist. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  4. ^ Powell-Smith, Anna (25 April 2012). "What does 15 years of baby name data tell us about modern Britain?" – via www.theguardian.com.