Amir
Meaning of Amir
Amir, pronounced ah-MEER, traces a dual lineage: from classical Arabic amīr, “commander” or “prince,” and from modern Hebrew ʾāmīr, “treetop” or “crown of grain.” The convergence of these meanings—authority on one hand, elevation and vitality on the other—imbues the name with a layered symbolism that resonates across cultures. Historically employed as a noble title throughout the Islamic world before becoming a personal name, Amir carries enduring associations with leadership, dignity, and aspirational ascent. Its adoption in the United States illustrates a measured rather than meteoric rise: first recorded in the national top-1000 in 1954, it advanced through the latter half of the twentieth century, entered the top-200 in 2014, and secured a top-100 position by 2024. Such longitudinal steadiness, coupled with the name’s crisp two-syllable structure and familiar yet distinctive sound, supports its appeal to parents seeking a succinct appellation that signals both cross-cultural breadth and quiet gravitas.
Pronunciation
Arabic
- Pronunced as ah-MEER (/aˈmiːr/)
Hebrew
- Pronunced as ah-MEER (/aˈmir/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
States Popularity Chart
Notable People Named Amir
| Amir Iqbal Khan is a British former professional boxer who won Olympic silver at 17 and later became a WBA world champion at 22. |
| Tengku Amir Hamzah, an Indonesian poet and National Hero from the Langkat royal family, joined the nationalist movement, served the new republic in Langkat after independence, and was killed in the 1946 social revolution. |
| Amir Khusrau was an Indo Persian Sufi poet, musician, and scholar of the Delhi Sultanate era. |
| Amir Kabir, Mirza Taghi Khan Farahani, served as early chief minister to Naser al-Din Shah Qajar and is remembered as Iran’s first reformer, founding modern institutions, fighting corruption, suppressing Babism, and ultimately being exiled and killed in 1852. |
| Amir Mansour is an American heavyweight boxer who debuted in 1997, served eight and a half years in prison after his first nine fights, and returned to the ring in 2010. |
| Amir Zaki is a Southern California American artist known for hybridized photographs that explore authenticity and the local landscape, widely exhibited and held by major museums including the Whitney and LACMA. |
| Amir Mirza Hekmati is a US Marine veteran arrested in Iran in 2011 on spying charges, whose death sentence was overturned before his 2016 release in a prisoner swap, after which he sued for compensation and won a default judgment against Iran. |
| Amir Garrett is an American baseball pitcher and free agent who played college basketball at St Johns, was drafted by the Reds in 2011, debuted in 2017, and has pitched in MLB for the Reds, Royals, and Angels. |
| Amir Taheri is an Iranian born Europe based journalist and author who covers Middle East politics and Islamic terrorism and chairs Gatestone Institute in Europe. |
| Amir Jalla Johnson is an American former NBA player and coach now on the LA Clippers player development staff, previously a G League Ignite assistant, and a 2005 second round Pistons pick who also played for the Raptors, Celtics, and 76ers. |
| Amir Or is an Israeli poet, novelist, and essayist whose work appears in over 50 languages. |
| Amir Valle Ojeda is a Cuban journalist and critic who, after criticizing the Fidel Castro regime, was barred from returning to Cuba in 2006 and settled in Berlin to continue his work. |
| Amir Naderi is an Iranian film director, screenwriter, and photographer best known for The Runner and Vegas Based on a True Story. |
| Amir Alexander is a historian and author who explores how mathematics both shapes and is shaped by culture and history. |
| Amir John Haddad is a German Spanish flamenco guitarist and multi-instrumentalist who played oud, bouzouki, and guitar with Radio Tarifa for nearly a decade and earned a 2004 Latin Grammy nomination for Best Folk Album. |
