It’s both. It came from Islam and Arabic. How it got to be a black name, and how Islam got to have a foothold among American black people, and what portion of black people have it as an Islamic name vs as a black name, I don’t even begin to claim to know.
One thing that’s not spoken about, but is clearly going on, is how prevalent Islam is among white Americans at this point. We know about John Brennan. He’s surely not the only one.
It’s both. It came from Islam and Arabic. How it got to be a black name, and how Islam got to have a foothold among American black people, and what portion of black people have it as an Islamic name vs as a black name, I don’t even begin to claim to know.
One thing that’s not spoken about, but is clearly going on, is how prevalent Islam is among white Americans at this point. We know about John Brennan. He’s surely not the only one.