Quran comes from Arabic al-Qur'an, meaning 'the recitation' or 'that which is read aloud.'
Quran — also rendered as Qur'an, Koran, or Kuran — derives from the Arabic root q-r-ʾ (قرأ), meaning "to recite" or "to read aloud." The word refers, of course, to the central sacred text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be the verbatim word of God as revealed to the Prophet Muhammad through the angel Jibril over approximately 23 years beginning around 610 CE. The text's name thus carries within it the act of its own transmission: it is, literally, "the recitation."
As a given name, Quran has been used in some Muslim communities as an expression of profound reverence — naming a child for the scripture itself is understood as a blessing and a spiritual aspiration. The practice of giving names drawn from or directly referencing sacred texts is ancient; across cultures, naming children for scripture signals that their life is consecrated to something larger than themselves. In African-American Muslim communities in particular, Quran has appeared as a first name since at least the mid-20th century, reflecting the naming creativity and spiritual identity that emerged from the Nation of Islam and orthodox Sunni conversions alike.
The name carries enormous weight and is chosen with corresponding seriousness. For parents who select it, the name is both a daily invocation and a reminder — to the child and everyone they meet — of where their family's deepest values are anchored.