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.
AnbarعنبرArabic Means "amber" in Arabic (see English name Amber). Notable actress Nihal Anbar was born in 1960.
AounعونArabic (Mashriqi), Arabic (Maghrebi) Derived from a French-influenced variant of a given name based on the Arabic noun عون (aun) meaning "help, aid". This surname is more commonly used by Maronite Christians in Lebanon. A notable bearer is the former Lebanese president Michel Aoun (1933-).
ArfaouiعرفاويArabic (Maghrebi) Possibly derived from Arabic عَرَفَ (ʿarafa) meaning "to know" or أَرْفَع (ʾarfaʿ) meaning "high, lofty, elevated" (chiefly Tunisian).
ArousiJewish, Hebrew, Judeo-Arabic, Arabic Yemenite Jewish and Arabic name possibly deriving from Arabic words aroosi, "bridal, relating to a wedding", rousi, "groom". El Aroussi, a variant, is found densely in Morocco and Francophone populations (France, Canada).
AudiArabic (Mashriqi) Lebanese and Palestinian surname. Believed to have originated from the Arabic word "al-'awdi," which means "the one who returns."
AwadعوضArabic Refers to a person who makes "Oud", an oriental musical instrument.
AwadعوادArabic Occupational name for a player or maker of lutes, ultimately derived from Arabic عود ('ud) meaning "oud, lute".
AyariعياريArabic (Maghrebi), Persian Derived from Arabic عَيَّار (ʿayyār) or Persian عیار (ayyâr) meaning "vagabond, loafer, idler" (chiefly Tunisian).
BanjarبنجرArabic From the name of the Banjar people, itself derived from Javanese mbanjarke meaning "separate, rearrange, organize". This surname is borne by people of Indonesian ancestry in Saudi Arabia.
BantanبنتنArabic From the name of the Indonesian province of Banten, originally indicating a person originally from that region.
BedwaniArabic (Egyptian) Possibly derived from bedouin, the term for a wandering tribe of arabs.
BedwaniArabic (Egyptian, Rare) Possibly derived from the English word bedouin, that comes from the Arabic badawī, which means "desert dweller". ... [more]
BenبنArabic (Maghrebi) Maghrebi variant of Arabic بْن (bn), a form of اِبْن (ibn) meaning "son (of), offspring". It is often used as a prefix for other Maghrebi patronymic names (such as Benali "son of Ali 1" or Ben Amor "son of Amor").
Ben Aliبن عليArabic (Maghrebi), Comorian Maghrebi transcription of Arabic بن علي (bin Ali) meaning "son of Ali 1". A notable bearer was Zine El Abidine Ben Ali (1936-2019), who served as the president of Tunisia from 1987 to 2011.
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.
BostanبوستانTurkish, Persian, Arabic Derived from Persian بوستان (bostan) meaning "garden". Perhaps someone who works or lives near a garden or an orchard.
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.
BoulahrouzبولحروزArabic (Maghrebi), Berber Means "father of Lahrouz", possibly an Arabic given name of unknown meaning. It is chiefly used in Algeria and Morocco. The retired Dutch soccer player Khalid Boulahrouz (1981-) is a famous bearer of this name.
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.
BourasبوراسArabic (Maghrebi) Means "father of the head" from Arabic أبو (abu) meaning "father" and رأس (ras) meaning "head, leader, chief".
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.
BugisبوقسIndonesian, Arabic From the name of the Bugis people, itself derived from the endonym Ugi' of uncertain meaning. This surname is common among people of Indonesian ancestry in Saudi Arabia.
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).
CharArabic French-influenced spelling of Shaar. Borne by both Muslims and Christians.
CherkaouiشرقاويArabic (Maghrebi) Derived from Arabic شَرْقِيّ (šarqiyy) meaning "eastern", denoting someone who comes from the east (chiefly Moroccan).