CALGARY - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has met his namesake - a Syrian baby boy named after him by a refugee couple who were resettled in Canada.

Mr Trudeau was seen cradling two-month-old Justin-Trudeau Adam Bilal as he spoke to the baby's parents at an annual rodeo event in the Canadian city of Calgary on Saturday (July 15).

Their meeting was captured by Mr Trudeau's photographer and shared on his Twitter.

In the photos, the 45-year-old Canadian leader was seen looking on smiling as the baby - the son of Syrian refugees Afraa Hajj Hammoud and Mohammed Belal - slept soundly in his arms.

The couple arrived in Canada in February 2016 after fleeing war-torn Damascus. They now call Calgary home.

According to the BBC, the couple had chosen to name their newborn after Mr Trudeau as a gesture of appreciation to their adopted country.

As of January this year, more than 40,000 Syrian refugees have been resettled in Canada since Mr Trudeau took office in November 2015, the BBC reported.

Ms Hammoud told Canadian broadcaster CBC meeting the man who inspired her son's name and gave them their new life in Canada was an amazing experience.

"I can't believe that I met the Prime Minster Justin Trudeau," she said. She added that Mr Trudeau told her at the meeting: "I appreciate that you named him after my name."

Mr Trudeau is known for his welcoming immigration policies.

After US President Donald Trump in January first announced his travel ban barring immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries, Mr Trudeau struck a decidedly different tone on his Twitter. "To those fleeing persecution, terror & war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength #WelcomeToCanada," he posted.

The Syrian family are not the only ones to name their baby after the Canadian prime minister.

The Huffington Post Canada reported that several Syrian refugee families who have resettled in Canada have also named their newborns after Mr Trudeau.