Omar Name Meaning: Origin, Popularity & Nicknames

What Does Omar Mean?

Omar has a few different meanings depending on the origin you use. In Arabic, this name can mean long-lived and flourishing. In the name’s Germanic origins, Omar means wealthy spear.

What is the Origin of the Name Omar?

Omar has an Arabic origin. The name gained popularity after the second caliph of Islam, Umar ibn al-Khattab experienced military success and helped the emergence of Islam.

The name may also be a derivative of Ottomar, a Germanic boy name.

How Popular is the Name Omar?

Besides countries where Islam is a popular religion, Omar is also a popular name in Spanish-speaking countries, Nordic countries, and Iceland.

As far as popularity in the United States, Omar did not have much consistent popularity until the late 1950s. From the late 1800s to the mid-1900s, the name yo-yoed repeatedly between the top 350 names for men and the top 800 names.

In 1957 Omar was the 853rd most popular name in the U.S. From this point, it steadily rose in popularity until it reached 173rd most popular in 1979. The name plateaued in popularity at this level, slightly rising and dipping until 2007 when it was the 131st most popular name in the United States.

After that, the name started steadily declining in popularity. By 2021, Omar was the 264th most popular name in the United States ⁽¹⁾.

How Do I Pronounce Omar?

Pronounce Omar as “Oh-mahr.”

Is Omar a Boy or Girl Name?

Omar has historically been the first name for boys, but nothing is stopping you from putting a feminine spin on it to create a distinct variation for your child.

Variations of Omar

As a simple name, Omar lends itself well to variation. Some of these variations are simple spelling adjustments, while many variations come from different cultures.

• Umar
• Omer
• Umer
• Omari
• Onur
• Uner
• Unur
• Oner
• Umur
• Umari
• Omere
• Omare
• Umare
• Ouwmar
• Umere
• Oumar
• Yamar
• Omyr
• Umaru
• Omarr

Nicknames for Omar

Since Omar is a simple name, you may think that it does not have much potential for nicknames. However, there are quite a few fun nicknames you can derive from Omar. These names may come from the name Omar itself. However, they can also expand significantly on the name. For example, Omar Sonar is a more whimsical nickname, while Om comes from the spelling of the name.

• Om
• Mar
• Mari
• Oma
• Rara
• Omri
• Mori
• Mo
• Momo
• O
• Mora
• Ora
• Romar
• Omar Sonar
• Omarys
• Omarz
• Aromar
• Autonomar

Similar Names to Omar

Perhaps you enjoy some parts of the name Omar, but you do not want to choose that name for your child. If you are looking for similar names, there are a few elements you should look for. Consider names with similar origins, comparable sounds in common, or that experience similar levels of popularity.

• Amir
• Ammar
• Emir
• Meir
• Ali
• Amina
• Adem
• Aman
• Ibrahim
• Yusuf
• Yakub
• Abel
• Aaron
• Elliot
• Evan
• Ezra
• Ivan
• Otis
• Owen
• Enzo

Middle Names for Omar

The simplicity of Omar means that you can be as restrained or ostentatious with the middle name as you want. While you can choose any middle name, certain names suit Omar particularly well. For example, consider pairing Omar with names with common sounds, origins, and popularity levels.

• Ignatius
• Mattias
• Mason
• Miles
• Melbourn
• Milo
• Nadeem
• Nasir
• Nur
• Naim
• Ramid
• Rashad
• Ruhi
• Samir
• Wazir
• Idris
• Oliver
• Orion
• Orson
• James

Sibling Names for Omar

When it comes to picking a name for Omar’s sibling, you can try a few approaches. You may like names with prominent vowels or Arabic origin. The bottom line is that you want to choose sibling names that work well with Omar, but that stand on their own.

• Zara
• Leila
• Esther
• Zayna
• Alya
• Azra
• Esme
• Eva
• Farrah
• Noor
• Joelle
• Maha
• Mona
• Nadia
• Nathalie
• Rita
• Salma
• Tamara
• Yasmin
• Zoraida

Famous People Named Omar

From important religious figures to athletes and artists, there is an abundance of namesakes for a child named Omar. These Omar namesakes come from all over the world, including Europe, the Middle East, and the United States of America.

• Omar ibn al-Khattab: Second Rashidun caliph of Islam.
• Omar Sharif: Egyptian actor.
• Omar Abu-Riche: Syrian poet.
• Omar Ahmed: Kenyan boxer.
• Omar Atlas: Venezuelan professional wrestler.
• Omar “Cuco” Banos: Chicano singer-songwriter.
• Omar Benson Miller: American actor.
• Omar Bravo: Mexican football player.
• Omar Chaparro: Mexican actor.
• Omar Epps: American actor.
• Omar Faruk Tekbilek: Turkish flutist and musician.
• Omar ibn Said: West African/ American Scholar.
• Omar Infante: Venezuelan baseball player.
• Omar Khayyam: Persian poet, scientist.
• Omar Naber: Slovenian singer.
• Omar Pineiro: American rapper.
• Omar Pound: British author.
• Omar Ragnarsson: Icelandic media personality.
• Omar Sivori: Argentine-Italian football player.
• Omar Sy: French actor.

Omar in Popular Culture

There are more than a few famous fictional Omar’s, with the perhaps most notable being Omar Little from the HBO show “The Wire,” but he isn’t the one only. Check out this list of Omar’s we’ve compiled from film, literature, and music, and see how many you can recognize.

• Omar Little: The Wire.
• Omar Yussef: Matt Rees novels.
• Omar Suarez: Scarface.
• Omar Harrak: The Dulvey Saga.
• Omar’s Got a Problem: Eddie From Ohio.
• Omer ben Salaad: The Adventures of TinTin.
• Planet Omar: Aisha Saeed.
• A Tale of Two Omars: Omar Sharif Jr.
• Omar: Palestinian film.

Omar FAQs