Mohammed vs Phelim
Mohammed and Phelimcompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2009, Mohammed was ranked #16 and Phelim #4527 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2001, Mohammed was ranked #280 and Phelim #218 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2015, Mohammed was ranked #294 and Phelim #615 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Mohammed and Phelim over time
Mohammed and Phelim appear together in 1 published list, across 23 years of shared records. Mohammed held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Phelim in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Phelim reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Mohammed in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Mohammed and Phelim changed places 7 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1980 and 2015, ending at #294 and #615.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys23 shared years, 1980–2015
Mohammed held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Phelim in 6.
Highest recorded here: Mohammed #179 in 1998, Phelim #202 in 1980.
The order changed in 2006: Mohammed moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #448 and #403; by 2006 that had become #314 and #596.
Most recent shared year, 2015: Mohammed #294, Phelim #615.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Mohammed | Phelim |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Alternate transcription of the Arabic محمّد, traditionally interpreted as 'praiseworthy, commendable' — the same underlying name as Muhammad, spelled via a different, independently well-established transliteration. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Arabic | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /mu.ˈħam.mad/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Muhammad | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #128 (2025) | Northern Ireland · Boys #415 (2017) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Mohammed has a recorded origin (Arabic); Phelim does not have one recorded yet.
- Mohammed has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Phelim.
- A meaning is recorded for Mohammed; Phelim doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
- The available evidence gives Mohammed a "high" Data Confidence level and Phelim a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Mohammed
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #218 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #16 among boys in England and Wales, in 2008 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #128 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Phelim
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #164 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2015
Highest recorded position: #164 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2015).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2017
Most recently recorded at #415 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2017.
Northern Ireland · Boys