Meaning: Its source is an Arabic expression meaning "Praiseworthy."

Popularity: The name Mohamed ranked 477th in popularity for males of all ages in a sample of 2000-2003 Social Security Administration statistics and 974th in popularity for males of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.

Though this name appears on the 1990 U.S. Census lists, it is used by only a small percentage of the general population.

Narrative: This name, which comes in a number of forms, is one of the most popular in the Arabic-speaking world. The most famous bearer of the name was the 7th-century religious leader whom Moslems believe was the last prophet and messanger of God.

The term Islam is derived from an Arabic expression that means ''submission (to the will of God).'' Islam is a system of not only religious beliefs, but also social and personal practices.

The millions of people who follow Islam all around the world are known as Moslems. In their daily prayers, they declare two fundamental articles of their faith: La ilaha illa-l-Lan, ''No god but Allah,'' and Muhammadun rasulu-l-Lah, ''Muhammad is the messenger of God.''