Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD/PARIS: It may come as a surprise to some but ‘Muhammad’ remained the second-most popular boy name in the Netherlands in 2022.
The name was given to 671 baby boys in the Netherlands in 2022, according to data released by Dutch Social Insurance Bank. The Netherlands has seen controversies over blasphemy and freedom of speech, even then the name ‘Muhammad’ continues to gain popularity among parents in the European country.
Netherlands and blasphemy controversy
In 2018, the country was at the centre of a controversy involving blasphemy when a local politician Geert Wilders was acquitted of inciting hatred for leading a chant calling for fewer Muslims.
Regardless of the reasoning behind the name’s popularity, it is clear that ‘Muhammad’ is a strong and enduring name that has captured the hearts of many parents in the Netherlands. It will be more interesting to see if the trend continues in the coming years.
