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

Osama
GenderMale
Language(s)Arabic
Origin
Word/nameArabic
MeaningOne of the lion attributes; feline, predator
Region of originMiddle East and North Africa
Other names
Alternative spellingOsama, Osamah, Oussama, Usama, Usaamah

The name derives from the Arabic stem اسم A-S-M Alif Sin Mim "name" and means more or less "the one with a name". It is one of the Arabic male given names for "lion", the lion being considered as an animal with fame. From this point of view, sama is equivalent of the Latin name Augustus, "majestic". In Hebrew the root is reduced to שם from Proto-Semitic *šim-, from Proto-Afroasiatic *(ʔi-)sim- ("name"), [1] each denoting some aspect of the animal.[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

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Osama

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Osamah

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Oussama

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Usama

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See also

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References

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  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.