Hussein

حُسَيْن

Boy Arabic /hoo-SAYN/ #1610 in 2023

Hussein is a boy name of Arabic origin.

Meaning of Hussein

Affectionate diminutive of Hasan: "little handsome one, little good one." Name of the Prophet's second grandson, martyred at Karbala — the central figure of Shia remembrance.

Arabic root: ḥ-s-n — (ح-س-ن, beauty) — diminutive form

Regional variants

Particularly revered among Shia Muslims (Ashura commemorates his martyrdom). "Hussein" is the dominant US spelling; "Husayn" is the academic transliteration.

Popularity of Hussein

Popularity, 1967–2023

108 births in 2023

1967 2023

3,218 U.S. births recorded from 1967–2023.

Peak year

2015

135 babies

First recorded

1967

56 years of history

Recent trend

Falling

Last 5 yrs vs. prior 5

Variants & nicknames

HusaynHussainHusain

Famous people named Hussein

Husayn ibn Ali (martyr of Karbala)
King Hussein of Jordan

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About this page

Popularity counts come from the U.S. Social Security Administration's national dataset. Meaning and cultural context drawn from classical sources: Lisan al-Arab, Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Qur'an and Sunnah. If you spot an error, please let us know.