A Name Story by Houdhoud
أُسَامَة
Usama
u-SAA-mah
“Lion.”
About Usama
Usama is a Muslim baby boy's name meaning "lion" — an Arabic name carried for centuries across the Muslim world.
One of the many classical Arabic words for lion. Borne by Usama ibn Zayd, a companion of the Prophet ﷺ who was appointed to lead a Muslim army while still in his teens.
A classical name across the Arab world; Oussama in the Maghreb.
Origin & roots
Origin
Arabic
Gender
Boy
Also spelled
Osama, Oussama, Usamah
Root letters
In Arabic, root letters are the seed that gives a word its meaning. Every word built from them inherits that family of meaning — and Usama is one such word.
Across history
Who has carried Usama before.
- Usama ibn Zayd (c. 615–673 CE), companion of the Prophet ﷺ
How to say it
Stressed syllable in capitals
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Common questions about Usama
- What does the name Usama mean?
- Usama (أُسَامَة) means "Lion". One of the many classical Arabic words for lion. Borne by Usama ibn Zayd, a companion of the Prophet ﷺ who was appointed to lead a Muslim army while still in his teens.
- Is Usama a name from the Qur'an?
- Usama does not appear directly in the Qur'an in our verified records, though it is an Arabic name long carried across the Muslim world. We only list a Qur'anic verse when it's verified against the Tanzil corpus.
- Is Usama a boy or a girl name?
- Usama is traditionally a boy's name.
- Where does the name Usama come from?
- Usama is an Arabic name, built on the root letters ʾ-S-M. A classical name across the Arab world; Oussama in the Maghreb.
- How is Usama spelled?
- Usama is the most common English spelling. The same Arabic name (أُسَامَة) is also written Osama, Oussama, and Usamah. They are one name, not different names — the spelling only reflects how each family or country transliterates the Arabic.
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