Male names
A working reference list with meanings and notes.
This is an alphabetical reference of common Arabic male names. For how Arabic names work as a system — kunya, nasab, nisba, laqab — see how Arabic names are structured. For the question of why "Mohammed" and "Muhammad" and "Mohamed" are all the same name, see transliteration. English transliterations vary by country and family; multiple common spellings are shown where they exist.
A
Aamir / Amir — "prince, commander"
عامر / أمير
ʿaamir / amiir
Root ʿ-m-r ("to inhabit, prosper") and a-m-r.
Abbas — "stern, lion"
عبّاس
ʿabbaas
Uncle of the Prophet Muhammad.
Abd al-Karim / Abdul Karim — "servant of the Generous"
عبد الكريم
ʿabd al-kariim
One of many ʿabd-form names; see names of God.
Abd al-Rahman / Abdul Rahman — "servant of the Compassionate"
عبد الرحمن
ʿabd ar-raHmaan
Among the most common.
Abdullah — "servant of God"
عبد الله
ʿabd allaah
Universal across the Muslim world.
Adham — "deeply black, of pure descent"
أدهم
adham
Particularly Egyptian.
Adnan — "settler"
عدنان
ʿadnaan
A traditional ancestor name.
Ahmad / Ahmed — "most praised"
أحمد
aHmad
Root H-m-d, same as Muhammad.
Ali — "high, exalted"
علي
ʿalii
Cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet; central in Shia tradition.
Amin — "trustworthy"
أمين
amiin
Root a-m-n, "to be safe, faithful."
Anas — "friendly, sociable"
أنس
anas
Anwar — "luminous"
أنور
anwar
Root n-w-r ("light").
Asad — "lion"
أسد
asad
Ashraf — "most noble"
أشرف
ashraf
Root sh-r-f.
Ayman — "right-handed, fortunate"
أيمن
ayman
B
Bashir — "bringer of good news"
بشير
bashiir
Root b-sh-r.
Basim — "smiling"
باسم
baasim
Bilal — "moisture, freshness"
بلال
bilaal
Bilal ibn Rabah, the first muezzin.
Burhan — "proof, demonstration"
برهان
burhaan
D
Daoud / Dawud — "David"
داوود
daawuud
The biblical/Quranic David.
F
Faiz / Fayez — "victorious"
فائز / فايز
faa'iz / faayiz
Root f-w-z.
Faris — "horseman, knight"
فارس
faaris
Same root that gave Spanish alférez.
Faruq / Farouk — "one who distinguishes truth from falsehood"
فاروق
faaruuq
An epithet of the caliph Umar.
Fawzi — "victorious, triumphant"
فوزي
fawzii
Firas — "perspicacious, lion"
فراس
firaas
Fuad — "heart"
فؤاد
fu'aad
G
Ghassan — "youthful prime"
غسّان
ghassaan
Name of a pre-Islamic Arab tribe.
Ghazi — "warrior, conqueror"
غازي
ghaazii
H
Hadi — "guide"
هادي
haadii
Also a divine name.
Haitham — "young hawk"
هيثم
haytham
Ibn al-Haytham, 11th-c. polymath.
Hakim — "wise"
حكيم
Hakiim
Root H-k-m.
Halim — "patient, gentle"
حليم
Haliim
Hamdan — "praised"
حمدان
Hamdaan
Common Gulf name.
Hamid — "praiser, praising"
حامد
Haamid
Hamza — "lion"
حمزة
Hamza
Uncle of the Prophet Muhammad.
Hani — "happy, contented"
هاني
haanii
Harith — "plowman, cultivator"
حارث
Haarith
Haroun / Harun — "Aaron"
هارون
haaruun
Biblical Aaron; also caliph Harun al-Rashid.
Hashim — "crusher [of bread, for pilgrims]"
هاشم
haashim
Great-grandfather of the Prophet.
Hassan / Hasan — "good, handsome"
حسن
Hasan
Grandson of the Prophet.
Hatim — "decisive"
حاتم
Haatim
Hatim al-Tai, pre-Islamic byword for generosity.
Hisham — "generous, magnanimous"
هشام
hishaam
Hudhayfa / Hudayfa — "small Hudhayl tribesman"
حذيفة
Hudhayfa
Husayn / Hussein — "small Hasan, beautiful"
حسين
Husayn
Grandson of the Prophet, central to Shia tradition.
I
Ibrahim — "Abraham"
إبراهيم
ibraahiim
Common across all Abrahamic religions.
Ihsan — "excellence, charity"
إحسان
iHsaan
Used for both genders in some regions.
Imad — "support, pillar"
عماد
ʿimaad
Imran — "prosperous"
عمران
ʿimraan
Father of the Virgin Mary in Quranic tradition.
Ishaq — "Isaac"
إسحاق
isHaaq
Ismail / Ismael — "Ishmael"
إسماعيل
ismaaʿiil
Son of Ibrahim; ancestor of the Arabs in tradition.
Iyad — "support, generosity"
إياد
iyaad
J
Jamal — "beauty"
جمال
jamaal
Egyptian pronunciation: Gamal.
Jamil — "beautiful"
جميل
jamiil
Jasim — "great, large"
جاسم
jaasim
Common Gulf name.
Jibril / Gibreel — "Gabriel"
جبريل
jibriil
The angel.
K
Kareem / Karim — "generous"
كريم
kariim
Among the divine names.
Khalid / Khaled — "eternal"
خالد
khaalid
Khalid ibn al-Walid, 7th-c. general.
Khalil — "friend, beloved"
خليل
khaliil
Epithet of Ibrahim: khaliil allaah.
L
Latif — "subtle, gentle"
لطيف
laTiif
Among the divine names.
Luqman — "wise"
لقمان
luqmaan
A Quranic figure.
M
Mahdi — "rightly guided"
مهدي
mahdii
Eschatological figure in Shia tradition.
Mahir — "skilled"
ماهر
maahir
Mahmoud / Mahmud — "praised"
محمود
maHmuud
Same root as Muhammad.
Majid / Majed — "glorious"
ماجد
maajid
Malik — "king"
مالك
maalik
Founder of the Maliki school of law.
Mansour / Mansur — "victorious"
منصور
manSuur
Marwan — "hard stone"
مروان
marwaan
Mazen / Mazin — "rain cloud"
مازن
maazin
Mohammad / Muhammad / Mohamed — "praised"
محمّد
muHammad
Most common male name globally.
Munir — "luminous"
منير
muniir
Mustafa / Moustapha — "chosen"
مصطفى
muSTafaa
Epithet of the Prophet.
N
Nabil — "noble"
نبيل
nabiil
Nadim — "drinking companion, intimate"
نديم
nadiim
Naim / Naeem — "comfortable, blissful"
نعيم
naʿiim
Najib / Najeeb — "noble, of distinguished birth"
نجيب
najiib
Nasir / Nasser — "victorious, helper"
ناصر
naaSir
Nizar — "small"
نزار
nizaar
A pre-Islamic ancestral name.
Nouh / Nuh — "Noah"
نوح
nuuH
O
Omar / Umar — "long-lived"
عمر
ʿumar
Second caliph.
Osama / Usama — "lion"
أسامة
usaama
Othman / Uthman — third caliph's name
عثمان
ʿuthmaan
Founder of the Ottoman dynasty was Osman, the Turkish form.
Q
Qais / Qays — "firm, hard"
قيس
qays
Qays of Layla and Majnun.
Qasim — "distributor"
قاسم
qaasim
Son of the Prophet who died in infancy.
R
Rachid / Rashid — "rightly guided"
راشد / رشيد
raashid / rashiid
Rafiq / Rafik — "companion, friend"
رفيق
rafiiq
Rami — "marksman"
رامي
raamii
Riyad / Riyadh — "gardens"
رياض
riyaaD
Plural of rawDa; also the Saudi capital.
S
Saad — "happiness, good fortune"
سعد
saʿd
Sabri — "patient"
صبري
Sabrii
Saeed / Said — "happy"
سعيد
saʿiid
Sajid — "one who prostrates"
ساجد
saajid
Salah — "righteousness"
صلاح
SalaaH
Salah al-Din (Saladin).
Saleem / Salim — "safe, sound"
سليم
saliim
Saleh / Salih — "righteous"
صالح
SaaliH
A Quranic prophet.
Salman — "safe"
سلمان
salmaan
Salman al-Farisi.
Sami — "exalted, sublime"
سامي
saamii
Samir — "evening companion"
سمير
samiir
Shakir — "thankful"
شاكر
shaakir
Shareef / Sharif — "noble"
شريف
shariif
Sulaiman / Suleiman — "Solomon"
سليمان
sulaymaan
T
Tahir — "pure"
طاهر
Taahir
Talal — "elegance, beauty"
طلال
Talaal
Talib — "seeker, student"
طالب
Taalib
Tamir — "rich in dates"
تامر
taamir
Tariq — "morning star, one who knocks"
طارق
Taariq
Tariq ibn Ziyad, conqueror of al-Andalus; Gibraltar bears his name.
Tawfiq — "success, divine help"
توفيق
tawfiiq
W
Walid — "newborn, child"
وليد
waliid
Wasim — "handsome"
وسيم
wasiim
Y
Yahya — "John (the Baptist)"
يحيى
yaHyaa
Yaqub / Yacub — "Jacob"
يعقوب
yaʿquub
Yasin / Yassin — "O human one"
ياسين
yaasiin
From the opening letters of Surat Ya-Sin.
Yaser / Yasser — "easy, prosperous"
ياسر
yaasir
Yousef / Yusuf — "Joseph"
يوسف
yuusuf
Yunus / Younes — "Jonah"
يونس
yuunus
Z
Zaid / Zayd — "growth, abundance"
زيد
zayd
Zayd ibn Haritha, adopted son of the Prophet.
Zayn / Zein — "beauty, ornament"
زين
zayn
Ziyad — "increase, abundance"
زياد
ziyaad
Zuhair — "small flower"
زهير
zuhayr