Amir
Meaning of Amir
Amir is an Arabic name derived from the root amara, meaning to command. It means prince, commander, or leader, and it began as a title for a military or political leader. In Hebrew, Amir is a separate name usually explained as treetop or sheaf of grain; the two names share a sound but not an origin. English usage most often treats Amir as Arabic, and the name remains common in the Middle East and South Asia.
It is pronounced ah-MEER in both Arabic and Hebrew, so English speakers use a single form. Ameer is also a variant spelling.
Among the best-known bearers are the British boxer Amir Khan, an Olympic silver medalist and former world champion, and Amir Khusrau, the Indo-Persian Sufi poet, musician, and scholar of the Delhi Sultanate. Khan is a modern sporting figure; Khusrau is a historical literary one.
In the United States, Amir has risen sharply. It ranked No. 551 in 1995, peaked at No. 95 in 2024, and in 2025 ranked No. 105 with 3,297 babies. It remains a familiar name, though not a top-tier one.
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 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 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. |
