Arabic names are used in the Arab world, as well as some other regions within the larger Muslim world. They are not necessarily of Arabic origin, though most in fact are. Compare also Persian names and Turkish names. See also about Arabic names.
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Ben HadjArabic (Maghrebi) Means "son of the pilgrim"; the title Hadj refers to a Muslim who has successfully completed the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. This surname is mainly found in Tunisia.
Benkiraneبن كيرانArabic (Maghrebi) From Arabic بْن (bn) meaning "son" combined with كِيرَان (kīrān) meaning "forges, furnaces", possibly denoting descent of a blacksmith or metalworker (chiefly Moroccan).
BennaniبنانيArabic (Maghrebi) Means "my son" in Hebrew, from בן (ben) meaning "son" and אני (ani) meaning "I, me". This is the name of a Moroccan family of Jewish origin that converted to Islam.
BennounaبنونةArabic (Maghrebi) Most likely from Arabic بن (bin) meaning "son" and the given name Nouna, which may have been derived from an Arabic word meaning "whale, big fish" or "sabre, sword". Alternately, it may be from an Arabic name for a variety of melon... [more]
Bin Ladenبن لادنArabic (Rare) Means "son of Laden", from a name derived from Arabic لدن (ladin) meaning "soft, mellow". It was most notoriously borne by Saudi terrorist Osama bin Laden (1957-2011), though it is also the surname of an wealthy upper-class Saudi family (of which the former is descended from).
BitarبيطارArabic Means "farrier, blacksmith, smith" in Arabic.
BouaziziبوعزيزيArabic (Maghrebi) Means "father of Aziz" in Arabic (chiefly Maghrebi). A notable bearer was Mohamed Bouazizi (1984-2011), a Tunisian street vendor who set himself on fire... [more]
BoucharebبوشاربArabic (Maghrebi) Means "father of the moustache" or "father of the drinker" from Arabic أَبُو (ʾabū) meaning "father" and شَارِب (šārib) meaning "moustache" or "drinker".
BouhiredArabic (Maghrebi) Meaning unknown. A notable bearer is Djamila Bouhired (1935-), an Algerian militant and nationalist who opposed the French rule over Algeria.
BoukharoubaبوخروبةArabic (Maghrebi) Meaning unknown, possibly of Kabyle origin. A notable bearer was Algerian revolutionary and President HouariBoumediene (1932-1978), who was born as Mohamed ben Brahim Boukharouba.
BoumedieneبومدينArabic (Maghrebi) Means "father of Midian" in Arabic (chiefly Algerian). A notable bearer was Houari Boumediene (1932-1978), born as Mohamed ben Brahim Boukharouba, an Algerian revolutionary who served as the second President of Algeria from 1976-1978.
BouteflikaبوتفليقةArabic (Maghrebi) Possibly means "one who makes things explode" in Algerian Arabic. A famous bearer is Abdelaziz Bouteflika (1937-), who served as president of Algeria from 1999 to 2019.
BoutellaبوتلةArabic (Maghrebi, Rare) Means "father of the mountain" or "father of the hill", from Arabic أَبُو (ʾabū) meaning "father (of)" and تَلّ (tall) meaning "hill, foothill". Two notable bearers include father and daughter Safy (1950-) and Sofia (1982-) Boutella, an Algerian singer and an Algerian-French actress, respectively.
BukhariبخاريArabic, Urdu Indicated a person from the city of Bukhara in present-day Uzbekistan, itself possibly derived from Sogdian βuxārak meaning "place of good fortune".
CawasقوسIndian (Parsi), Persian, Indian, Arabic Cawas is an Indian (Parsi) surname which means “Arch” in Persian and ultimately Arabic. John Cawas of Toofani Tarzan fame was a notable person with that surname.
ChamounشمعونArabic, Arabic (Maghrebi), Assyrian, Jewish French-influenced variant of Arabic شمعون (see Shamoun), mainly used in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and parts of North Africa. This name was borne by Lebanese president Camille Chamoun (1900-1987).
CherkaouiشرقاويArabic (Maghrebi) Derived from Arabic شَرْقِيّ (šarqiyy) meaning "eastern", denoting someone who comes from the east (chiefly Moroccan).
DjazairiArabic (Maghrebi) Derived from Arabic الجزائر (al-Jazā’ir) meaning "the islands", referring to the country of Algeria or referring to an Algerian person. This surname could be used to refer to someone from the city of Algiers, or just a general Algerian person.
EidعيدArabic Means "feast, holiday, festival" in Arabic. It is typically used to refer to the two major religious holidays observed by Muslims, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.
ElmahdyالمهديArabic (Egyptian) Means "the Mahdi" from Arabic مَهْدِيّ (mahdiyy) meaning "guided one, rightly guided". In Islam, the term refers to a figure who will restore peace to the world.
ElmalehالمالحJudeo-Spanish, Arabic From Arabic مَالِح (māliḥ) meaning "salty, savoury", probably used to refer to a salt trader.
ElmalikالمالكNorthern African, Arabic From Arabic الْمَالِك (al-mālik) meaning "the king" or "the owner" (chiefly Sudanese).
El OuafiArabic (Maghrebi) Means "the Ouafi", derived from the given name Wafi. A bearer was AhmedBoughèra El Ouafi (1898-1959), an Algerian athlete during the French rule over the country.
El-shafeiArabic It means "the intercessor (which refers to the Prophet of Islam, who will hopefully intercede on one's behalf before God on the day of judgement)".
ElsharkawyالشرقاويArabic (Egyptian) Means "the easterner, the one from the east" from Arabic شَرْقِيّ (šarqiyy) meaning "east, eastern".
FazalArabic In Islam Imam Hussain's brother (Abbas) was named Fazal, however he was not his biological brother. Imam Hasan was his biological brother. Fazal was rather referred to as Abbas, in his life (c. 566 – c. 653 CE) he was referred to as Abbas and is also referred to today as Abbas
FelembanفلمبانArabic, Indonesian Name for someone from the city of Palembang in South Sumatra, Indonesia. This name is mostly borne by Saudis of Indonesian descent.
GaddafiقذافيArabic (Maghrebi) From قذاذفة (Qadhadhfa), the Arabic name for a Berber tribe in Libya. The name possibly means "thrower, archer", from Arabic قَذَفَ (qaḏafa) meaning "to throw". A famous bearer was Muammar Gaddafi (1942–2011), a Libyan politician and revolutionary.
GharbiغربيArabic (Maghrebi) Means "westerner, one from the west" from Arabic غرب (gharb) meaning "west, occident". In Tunisia it is typically used as a name for someone originally from Algeria or Morocco (being the two westernmost countries in North Africa).
GhassanArabic (Modern) The Ghassan surname originated in the village of Furzol in eastern Lebanon. It is believed that the name came from Shefa-'Amr in Israel, and was brought by Ghassans that were fleeing the unjust rule of Ahmed al-Jazzar, the Wali of Sidon and Damascus in the late 18th century... [more]
GilaniجيلانيArabic, Urdu, Persian, Pashto Originally indicated a person from the Gilan province in Iran, or the Gelani tribe mentioned in ancient records.
GobaraجبارةArabic (Egyptian, Anglicized), Arabic In Egypt and Sudan the surname Jabbar is pronounced with a ‘G’ sound in English. It is also feminine form hence the additional ‘A’ at the end of the name.
HajحاجArabic Refers to a person who has participated in the حج (hajj), the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia that Muslims must undertake at least once in their lifetimes.
HajjحاجArabic Alternate transcription of Arabic حاج (see Haj).
HajjarحجارArabic Means "stonemason" from Arabic حَجَر (ḥajar) "stone, weight".