RNA – According to the Census Bureau of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Islamic names, especially the names of the prophets and the Shi’a imams, are the most popular among the citizens of the former Soviet country, where atheism was forced on the traditionally Shi’a Muslim people for more than 70 years.
The name of Imam Ali, the first Imam (infallible leader) of Shi’a Muslims (Əli in Azerbaijani), as well as other Islamic names including Yusif, Məhəmməd and Hüseyn are the most popular names among boys in Azerbaijan. It has been reported that since April 2015, 1,377 newborn boys have been named “Yusif” alone.
Yusif has been a popular name for several years among Azerbaijani parents.
Among the most popular female names is name of the daughter of the Holy Prophet of Islam (S), Lady Fatimah al-Zahra. Since the beginning of 2015, 1,356 baby girls have been named Zəhra in Azerbaijan.
The most popular girls’ names this year have been Nuray, Fatimə, Eylin, and Zeynəb.
111/112