The story of the name, from the sources
Ahmad comes from hamd, praise, and Lisan al-Arab defines praise as the opposite of blame. Ibn al-Qayyim explains that Ahmad is a superlative: the one who praises God the most.
“Praise is the opposite of blame”
Ahmad is a superlative: the one who praises God the most
Lisan al-Arab · vol. 3, p. 155 · Zad al-Ma’ad · vol. 1, p. 87
The name is in the Quran, in Surah al-Saff, in the words of Jesus, peace be upon him. And in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, the Prophet, peace be upon him, says: I am Muhammad, and I am Ahmad.
﴿وَمُبَشِّرًا بِرَسُولٍ يَأْتِي مِن بَعْدِي اسْمُهُ أَحْمَدُ﴾
Surah al-Saff 61:6
“I am Muhammad, and I am Ahmad…”
Quran text: Tanzil Project · Sahih al-Bukhari 4896 · Sahih Muslim 2354
Yet before Islam the name was rare. Al-Zabidi writes in Taj al-Arus that no one was known to bear the name Ahmad before the Prophet, peace be upon him. And in al-Isaba, Ibn Hajar's great book of the people of the Prophet's time, there are only three entries named Ahmad, and each one is in doubt.
“No one was known to bear the name Ahmad before him ﷺ”
al-Zabidi, Taj al-Arus
only 3 entries
in Ibn Hajar’s al-Isaba, and each one is in doubt
Taj al-Arus · vol. 8, pp. 38–45 · al-Isaba · vol. 1, pp. 185–186
Then the name spread. We counted the narrators in two books written a century and a quarter apart. In Ibn Sa'd, who died in the year two hundred and thirty, one narrator in ninety is named Ahmad. In al-Aghani, whose author died in three hundred and fifty-six, one in thirteen.
Narrators named Ahmad, by our count:
1 in 90
in Ibn Sa’d (d. 230 AH)
1 in 13
in al-Aghani (d. 356 AH)
Ismuka count: 2,513 narrators in al-Tabaqat and al-Aghani