100 Common Arabic Last Names Or Surnames With Meanings

Arabic last names of people are based on their tribe, clan, place, and origin of the family. They may also depend on the minority group of the family. Many Arabic surnames have ‘Al-‘ at the beginning, which means, ‘The-.’ For example, ‘Al-Saud’ will mean ‘The Saud family.’

In Arabic nations, such as Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon, the last names also descend from the family profession or business that has run through generations. For example, ‘Al Tajir’ means ‘The Merchant.’

If you wish to know more interesting facts about surnames, read on. This post has a list of Arabic surnames with their origin and meanings.

Popular Arabic Last Names Or Family Names

1. Abadi

The surname Abadi runs in the families whose ancestors belonged to the Abbad tribe. It means ‘endless’, ‘eternal’.

2. Abaza

The surname Abaza is related to the native ethnic group Abazin of the Northwest Caucasus. Additionally, the Abaza language is common in the Russian autonomous republic of Karachay-Cherkessia, the Caucasus mountains, and in a few parts of Turkey.

3. Abdallah

The surname Abdallah translates to ‘Servant of God’ in Arabic. Abd stands for servant, and Allah stands for God.

4. Abulafia

The last name Abulafia is also written as Abolafia or Abū l-ʿāfiya in Arabic and means ‘father of health.’ This Sephardic Jewish surname originated in spain.

5. Ahmad

The name in Arabic is translated to ‘the praised one’.

6. Ajam

This surname is also used as Ajami and means ‘mute’. However, the name originally denotes someone who is a non-Arab or one who does not speak Arabic as their mother tongue, and thus also means ‘foreigner.’

7. Ali

The surname Ali means someone ‘high’, ‘lofty’, or a ‘champion’. It was also the name of the fourth caliph of the Islamic world.

8. Amin

The surname means ‘the truthful’ or ‘trustworthy’. The name is usually prefixed with Al, i.e., Al-Amin.

9. Asghar

The name Asghar is derived from Azhar, which means ‘shining’, ‘radiance’, ‘luminosity’, ‘clarity’ or ‘brilliance’.

10. Ayad

The surname Ayad means ‘the hands with power’. The name signifies the blessings, and the power to achieve things in life.

11. Aziz

The surname Aziz in Arabic means ‘the dearest one’. It is often associated with the servant of God who is the dearest, the most precious and devoted. In Hebrew, the name means ‘might’, ‘strength’ and ‘power’. Aziz is one of the 99 names of Allah.

12. Badawi

The last name Badawi is given to children born in the Bedouin tribe. Bedouin are a group of ethnic Arab tribes and clans who live in the desert. Badawi means ‘desert dweller’.

13. Badr

This is an Arabic surname derived from the given name Badr meaning ‘full moon.’ The name finds itself associated with the ecclesiastical full moon which appears on the 14th day of the lunar calendar.

14. Baghdadi

This last name runs in the families who originated from the city of Baghdad in Iraq. One of the meanings of Baghdad is ‘bestowed by God’.

15. Bakir

In Arabic, Bakir means ‘dawn’, ‘early’ or ‘something that happens before the time’.

16. Barakat

This Arabic name is both a given name and a surname. It is derived from the plural form of the name Barak or Barakah which means ‘blessing.’

17. Bashar

Bashar stands for ‘the bringer of good tidings’.

18. Basma

The name Basma, also spelled Basmah, is derived from the Arabic word Basama meaning ‘smile.’ The name Basma is also used as a feminine given name and is most commonly found across Egypt.

19. Bilal

This last name signifies ‘moistness’ or the ‘flow of water’. It also means ‘the victorious one’.

20. Bukhari

This surname is also a given name and is commonly used as Al-Bukhari in Arabic and means ‘one from Bukhara’ (a city in Uzbekistan). This name is common in South Asian countries and is famously associated with an Islamic scholar Muhammad al-Bukhari.

21. Burhan

The last name Burhan is an adjective in Arabic used to describe one of the many qualities of Prophet Muhammed. The name means ‘the one with the proof’ or the ‘knowledgeable one’.

22. Dabbas

The Arabic last name Dabbas means ‘maker or seller of syrup (molasses).’ It is commonly used in Jordan.

23. Darwish

The name Darwish has many meanings in different cultures – Arab, Persian, Hewbrew, etc. Darwish means ‘roaming’, ‘exploring’ or ‘wandering’.

24. Dawoud

Dawoud originated from Hebrew and is an Arabic variation of the English name David. The name is mentioned in the Quran and means ‘a beloved friend’.

25. Din

This last name is a romanization of the Chinese last name Lin, which is predominantly used in the Philippines. The surname Lin means ‘forest’ in Chinese

26. Ebeid

Ebeid is also pronounced as Ubayd. It means ‘the devoted servant of God’ or the ‘worshiper of God.’

27. Fadel

The surname means ‘virtue’ or ‘someone gracious and divine’.

28. Faez

Faez means ‘victory’. The name is derived from another name Faza, which means ‘the successful and victorious one’. The name is sometimes used as Fayez.

29. Faheem

The surname is masculine in nature and means ‘perceptive’ or ‘intelligent’. The name is mentioned in the Quran as Fahm, which means ‘understanding’.

30. Faizan

Faizan can be spelt in multiple ways. However, in Arabic, the name means ‘the generous one’ or ‘the ruler’.

31. Faris

The last name is a variant of the name Faris meaning ‘horseman’ or ‘knight’ in Arabic. It is most common in Ethiopia.

32. Farahat

The name Farhat has several meanings in different cultures. The name is commonly found in Arab communities originating from Persia. In Arabic, the name means ‘splendor’ and ‘status’.

33. Farouq

Farouq means ‘the redeemer’ or ‘the one who differentiates between the right and wrong’. The surname is often related to families who are the descendants of Umar ib’n al-Khattab, the fourth caliph of the Islamic world.

34. Farsi

The surname is given to children whose families originated from the country of Persia. Farsi means ‘the Persian’.

35. Fasih

The surname Fasih in Arabic means ‘eloquence’. The name is prefixed with Al, i.e., Al-Fasih, which stands for ‘the eloquent one’.

36. Fasil

It means ‘the distinguishing’ or ‘the unique one’. It is often prefixed with Al, i.e., Al-Fasil.

37. Fayed

The surname Fayed in Arabic means ‘the winner’ or ‘the benefiter’.

38. Gaddafi

The surname originated from the Libyan Berber tribe called Qadhadhfa. The name means ‘the archer’ or ‘the thrower’.

39. Ghazali

The last name Ghazali personifies a ‘philosopher’, ‘saint’ or a ‘mystic person’.

40. Ghazawwi

The surname is usually given to people belonging to the families originating from the city of Gaza in Palestine. It means, ‘the one from Gaza’.

41. Ghulam

Ghulam is a common name in many languages and cultures. The name means the ‘young servant of god’. It signifies devotion to god.

42. Habib

It means ‘beloved’ or ‘friend’. The last name is often used as an honorary title for someone who is respectable. It is a popular surname in the Arab world.

43. Hadi

The name Hadi is derived from one of the 99 names of Allah, Hidayah. The name means the ‘guide to righteousness’.

44. Hadid

The meaning of the surname is ‘iron’. The patronymic name is attached with Al to form a surname, i.e., Al Hadid. The name, when considered as a family name, becomes Al Hadidiy.

45. Hafeez

The name Hafeez means ‘the guardian’ or ‘the protector’.

46. Hakim

It means ‘the healer’ or ‘the doctor’. The name originated from the Arabic title given to doctors and physicians during the middle ages. It is also given to people whose family profession is healing.

47. Halabi

This Jewish locational surname means ‘Aleppine’ in Arabic. It is used to refer to a person from the Syrian city of Aleppo.

48. Hamadani

The surname Hamadani is an Arabic attributive title denoting an origin from the Iranian province of Hamadan. It is derived from the Arabic root word Hamida meaning ‘to praise.’ Thus the name means ‘the praised one.’

49. Hamdi

The surname means ‘praiseworthy’. The name is the Quranic term for persons highly praised by Allah.

50. Harb

This Arabic surname means ‘war.’ A prominent person bearing this last name is Abu Sufyan ibn Harb who was the opponent of Prophet Muhammad and later became one of his companions.

51. Hariri

The surname is given in families whose profession involves manufacturing and trading silk. The name is extracted from the word Harir, which means ‘silk’.

52. Hashim

The surname is derived from Prophet Mohammed’s great-grandfather. He had the habit of crushing bread before distributing it among the pilgrims. Hence, Hashim means ‘the crusher of bread’.

53. Hasnawi

The surname is also spelled Hasnaoui. The name often runs in families from Algeria.

54. Hassan

This versatile surname is also used as a given name Hasan meaning ‘handsome’ or ‘favorable,’ or ’‘benefactor.’ Hassan enjoys widespread popularity not only within the Arab world and also the Muslim world.

55. Hatem

Hatem is also spelled as Hatim. It means ‘decisive’ and ‘determined’. The surname is very popular in the Arab Muslim world.

56. Hijazi

The surname Hijazi runs in families who originated from the Hejaz region in Saudi Arabia. It means ‘the one from Hejaz’.

57. Hilal

The surname has its origins in Arabic. It is also used as a given name for boys in Arabic and girls in Turkish. The name Hilal means ‘crescent moon.’

58. Hussein

Hussein was the name of the grandson of Prophet Mohammed, the son of Fatimah and Ali (the fourth caliph of the Islamic World). It means ‘to be handsome or beautiful’.

59. Haqq

The surname Haqq, also spelled as Haq, is an Arabic elemental name meaning ‘truth.’ It is often used as the suffix within the last name Al-Haqq due to its association with the Islamic God.

60. Ibrahim

The surname originated from one of the prophets of Islam, Prophet Ibrahim. The name means, ‘the father of all’ or ‘the exalted father’.

61. Iqbal

This popular last name means ‘one with strength’ in Arabic. Several well-known scholars, poets, politicians, and intellectuals have this name.

62. Irfan

Irfan means ‘the one filled with knowledge’. It also means ‘awareness’ and ‘constant learning’.

63. Isa

Isa is an Arabic variant of Jesus and Yasu (Judaism). Isa was one of the prophets who came before Prophet Mohammed. The name means ‘ice’ or ‘iron’. The name can also be used as Iza.

64. Ishak

This Arabic surname is also a given name meaning ‘one who laughs.’ It is predominantly found in Indonesia.

65. Ismat

The name signifies ‘purity’, ‘chastity’, ‘innocence’, ‘perfection’, ‘flawlessness’ and ‘impeccability’. Ismat can also be used as Esmat.

66. Issawi

Issawi means ‘soft’, ‘gentle’ and ‘tender’.

67. Jabal

This last name refers to ‘great height’. Jabal is often associated with a mountain.

68. Jabir

The name has several spellings – Geber, Gabir, Jaber, etc. Jabir means, ‘the comforter’.

69. Jalal

The surname appears in the Quran often to describe the greatness of Allah. The name means ‘might’, ‘strength’, ‘power’, ‘glory’ and ‘superiority’.

70. Jameel

Jameel means ‘handsome’ and ‘beautiful’.

71. Jawahir

The last name refers to ‘jewelry’, ‘precious stones’, ‘gold’, and ‘precious metals’.

72. Jaziri

It means ‘self-confidence’ and ‘independence’. The surname personifies a positive and practical personality.

73. Kader

The surname refers to someone who is ‘capable’. It also means ‘powerful’ and ‘ambitious’.

74. Karim

This surname is also a given name. It means ‘the generous’ and ‘the noble’. It is also one of the 99 names of Allah.

75. Kashif

This last name means the person who discovers, reveals, pioneers or uncovers. The name signifies observance, intellect, and sharpness.

76. Kassab

Kassab refers to the bread-winner or earner of the family.

77. Kazem

The name Kazem has different pronunciations and spellings. The name signifies ‘control over anger’.

78. Khalid

The surname Khalid is also a popular given name for boys. It means ‘eternal’ in Arabic.

79. Khayat

Khayat, also spelled as Khayyat, is an Arabic occupational surname that means ‘tailor.’

80. Laghmani

It means the ‘one born at nightfall’. The surname also signifies peace and silence.

81. Maarouf

Maalouf is derived from another word Maayuf, which means the ‘one who stands out in the crowd’.

82. Maamoun

The last name refers to a person notable for their trustworthiness and honesty.

83. Mohammed

The last name Muhammed comes from the last prophet of Islam, Prophet Muhammed. The name means ‘praise-worthiness’, and ‘laudability’.

84. Mahmoud

This Arabic surname is derived from the name Muhammed.

85. Malek

This Arabic surname is also spelled as Malik and means ‘king’ or ‘owner’. This name derives from al-Malik which is one of the 99 names of Allah.

86. Marwan

Marwan is derived from the stone Marou, which was used to start a fire in ancient times. The name also signifies ‘leadership and strength’.

87. Mufti

In Arabic, Mufti refers to a ‘legal advisor’ or ‘counselor’. The name originated from the Arabic title given to legal advisors back in the middle ages.

88. Mughrabi

This surname runs in families who speak Magrabi Arabic. The language is spoken by the arab-berber tribes.

89. Mustafa

The name Mustafa is one of the many names given to Prophet Muhammed. The name means ‘the chosen one’ or ‘the appointed one’.

90. Nabih

The name means ‘being aware and vigilant’. It also signifies ‘honor’.

91. Nader

The surname means ‘exceptional’, ‘extraordinary’, ‘unique’ or ‘rarity’.

92. Nagi

The name Nagi or Naji was actually given to Prophet Muhammed for his devotion to Allah. He was called the friend of Allah. Nagi means the ‘closest friend’ in Arabic.

93. Nahdi

Nahdi is a common surname in the Arab world. It means ‘a strong tree’ in Arabic.

94. Najdi

The surname Najdi runs in families who originated in the Najd region in Arabia.

95. Najafi

The surname Najafi is derived from the Arabic word Najafa meaning ‘elevated place.’ The name also means chandelier.

96. Najm

Najm means ‘star’.

97. Najjar

This surname is derived from the profession of carpentry. Al-Najjar means ‘the carpenter’.

98. Noor

Noor means ‘divinity’ or ‘light’. It also personifies outward and inward beauty gained from devotion to god.

99. Othman/ Uthman

Osman means the ‘devoted servant of God’. The name is popular in the Arabic and Urdu-speaking countries.

100. Qadir

The name Qadir means ‘competent’, ‘powerful’ or ‘capable’.

101. Qasim

Qasim is one of the epithets of Prophet Muhammed. The name means ‘the one who distributes’. It can be associated with kindness and charity.

102. Qurashy

The surname is derived from the tribe of Quraish in Makkah in the era of Prophet Muhammed. The Quraish tribe included rich and prosperous businessmen. The last name is given to the descendants of the tribe.

103. Rafiq

Rafiq means a ‘close friend’ ‘companion’ or a ‘follower of God’.

104. Rahim

One of the 99 names of Allah, Rahim means ‘the merciful’ or ‘the forgiving’.

105. Rahman

The last name has its roots in Arabic culture. It means “merciful”, “King”, “gracious,” or “Lord.”

106. Rajab

Derived from the Islamic calendar, Rajab is the seventh month in the calendar and means ‘to respect’.

107. Ramadan

Ramzan or Ramadan is derived from the Islamic calendar and means ‘to be alive’. The month of Ramadan is a holy month for Muslims.

108. Ramzi

The surname means ‘quiet’, ‘reserved’ or ‘demure’. The name also means a ‘sign’ given by Allah.

109. Rashid

This, again, is one of the 99 names of Allah. The name signifies ‘right direction’ and ‘truth’.

110. Rasul

This last name is used both as a given name in Arabic and means ‘prophet’ or ‘messenger.’

111. Reza

The last name Reza means the ‘approval of Allah’. It means that God is content and pleased with the actions and decisions of the followers. The name is most commonly used by the Shia Muslims. The name is used in Pakistan, however, the Arabic word is Reda.

112. Sader

The name Sader in Arabic means ‘broad-chested’, ‘strength’, ‘courage’ or ‘fore-fronted’.

113. Sojood

Sajjad refers to the ‘devoted worshiper of Allah’.

114. Saleh

This surname means ‘pious’ or ‘virtuous’ in Arabic. Also spelled as Salih, the name is associated with an early Arabian prophet.

115. Thaqqaf

In Arabic, Saqqaf means ‘cleverness’ or ‘intelligence’.

116. Shaaban

The last name Shaban derives from the Arabic word Sha’aba and means ‘scatter,’ ‘dispersion,’ or ‘separation.’ It is associated with the eighth month of the Islamic calendar.

117. Shariq

The surname means the ‘bright shining star’ or ‘a person of exemplary character’. It also means a ‘devoted companion’.

118. Sheikh

This surname commonly signifies a political or spiritual leader of the community and thus means ‘chieftain’ or ‘head.’

119. Sultan

This surname is so common that everyone hears it at some point in their lives. Sultan is a title given to the rulers. It means ‘highness’ or ‘the ruler.’

120. Taleb

Taleb was the name of an uncle of Prophet Muhammed. The surname means a ‘devoted student’ or ‘a seeker of knowledge’.

121. Tawfiq

The name means an opportunity or chance to gain knowledge or succeed in life.

122. Wahed

Wahed is one of the 99 names of Allah. The name means ‘the only one’. It also translates to number one in Arabic.

123. Yasin

Yasin is one of the chapters in the Holy Quran. The name means ‘wealth’ or ‘richness’. It is also one of the names of the Prophet.

124. Yusuf

Yusuf is a common Arabic, Hebrew, and Aramaic name. The name means ‘god increases’ the strength, power, influence and devotion.

125. Zaman

This name refers to ‘a person of the era, times or age’.

Discover More Names

When you have to choose a name for your baby, a few hundreds of names may not be just enough. Keep digging our mine of baby names until you find that one precious gem.