ARABIC FAMILY NAMES
On your travels you’re likely to come across traditional Arabic names, so we’ve put together
this short explanation to help you understand what they mean.
First names traditionally come from Islam, and are chosen for their strong meanings. In
the Quran it says, ‘On the day of resurrection, you will be called by your names and by your
fathers' names, so give yourselves good names’. This is why most Muslim names are made up
of three parts - the given name, father's name (‘bin’ means son of, ‘bint’ means daughter of ),
and their family name.
For example, H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashed Al Maktoum is:
Mohammed
bin Rashid
(given name meaning ‘Praised One’)
(son of Rashid)
Al Maktoum
(tribe/family name)
Emiratis can also include their fathers, grandfathers, and in some cases great-grandfathers
names, so Sheikh Mohammed’s name could also be written like this.
Mohammed
(First name)
Rashid
(Father)
Saeed
(Grandfather)
Maktoum
(Great Grandfather)
Al Maktoum
(Tribe/Family)
You will also hear men being called by their eldest son's name, so a man with a son called
Ahmed could also be known as Abu Ahmed (Abu means ‘father’ of ).
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