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'''Understanding customs used in surnames and given names can help you identify your ancestors in records. Learn to recognize name variations and see clues in names.''' | |||
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Arabic is the official language of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Mauritania, Sudan, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, and the language of religion for | |||
Muslims. | |||
==Online Tools== | |||
*[https://surnames.behindthename.com/names/usage/arabic Arabic Surnames] at Behind the Name | |||
*[https://www.behindthename.com/names/usage/arabic Arabic Given Names] at Behind the Name | |||
*[http://heraldry.sca.org/names/arabic-naming2.htm Period Arabic Names and Naming Practices (2nd edition)] by Da'ud ibn Auda (David B. Appleton), 2003 - article | |||
*[https://www.familysearch.org/en/surname Surname experience] at FamilySearch - search by surname to learn its meaning and origin | |||
==Surnames== | ==Surnames== | ||
Because so many components can be used (or not) in a name, the same man may be called: | |||
::Ahmad Husain | |||
::Ahmad Husain Muhammad | |||
::Ahmad bin Husain bin Muhammad | |||
::Ahmad Husain Muhammad ibn Sa’ud AL-TIKRITI | |||
::Ahmad Husain AL-TIKRITI | |||
::Abu Muhammad Ahmad Husain | |||
::Abu Muhammad (unlikely on official documents) | |||
------------- | |||
===Basic Components=== | |||
Assume a man is called Saleh ibn Tariq ibn Khalid al-Fulan. | Assume a man is called Saleh ibn Tariq ibn Khalid al-Fulan. | ||
*Saleh is his personal name, and the one that his family and friends would call him by. | *Saleh is his '''personal name''', and the one that his family and friends would call him by. | ||
*'''ibn and bin translates as "son of";;;, so Tariq is Saleh's father's name. | *'''ibn and bin translates as "son of";;;, so Tariq is Saleh's father's name. | ||
*ibn Khalid means that Tariq is the son of Khalid, making Khalid the grandfather of Saleh. | *ibn Khalid means that Tariq is the son of Khalid, making Khalid '''the grandfather''' of Saleh. | ||
*al-Fulan would be Saleh's family name.<br> | *al-Fulan would be Saleh's '''family name'''.<br> | ||
Hence, Saleh ibn Tariq ibn Khalid al-Fulan translates as "Saleh, son of Tariq, son of Khalid; whom is of the family of al-Fulan." | Hence, Saleh ibn Tariq ibn Khalid al-Fulan translates as "Saleh, son of Tariq, son of Khalid; whom is of the family of al-Fulan." | ||
<br> | <br> | ||
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If Saleh marries '''a wife (who would keep her own maiden, family, and surnames'''), their children will take Saleh's family name. Therefore, their son Mohammed would be called Mohammed ibn Saleh ibn Tariq al-Fulan. | If Saleh marries '''a wife (who would keep her own maiden, family, and surnames'''), their children will take Saleh's family name. Therefore, their son Mohammed would be called Mohammed ibn Saleh ibn Tariq al-Fulan. | ||
<ref>"Arabic name", in Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_name, accessed 9 March 2021.</ref> | |||
===Al- or El-=== | |||
*A family name frequently begins with AL-, or EL-, e.g. AL-QADHAFI,nbut the family name can also be written without it, i.e. QADHAFI. | |||
*Some family names are derived from geographical place names, e.g. AL-TIKRITI (from Tikrit), AL-BAGHDADI (from Baghdad), AL-MASRI (‘the Egyptian’), and can indicate a family’s origins. | |||
<br> | |||
===Even More Components=== | |||
The following components may also be included in a full version of an Arabic name: | |||
:a. '''ancestral name: derived from an honoured ancestor''', this name typically begins with Al- or ibn: e.g. Al-Husain, ibn Sau’d; | |||
:b. honorific title as parent: Abu… (N. Africa Bu / Bou) meaning ‘father of…’ and Umm… meaning ‘mother of…’ can be added to the beginning of a name '''in conjunction with the name of the individual’s eldest child, usually the eldest son''': | |||
:::::Abu Muhammad - ‘father of Muhammad’ | |||
:::::Umm Muhammad - ‘mother of Muhammad’. | |||
:c. '''"Abu"''' can also be used as part of a name to signify possession of a quality or feature, e.g. Abu al-Fadl (‘father of merit’). | |||
==Given Names== | |||
*An Arab typically has just one personal name. This may be simple, e.g. Husain, Muhammad, or may be a compound. | |||
*Compound names should not be separated, e.g: | |||
:*a. names beginning with Abd / Abd al / Abdul (‘servant/servant of’) combined with one of the names of Allah (‘God’): e.g. | |||
:::Abd Ullah / Abdullah | |||
:::Abd al-Rahman / Abdul-Rahman | |||
:::Abd al-Aziz / Abdul-Aziz; | |||
:*b. names ending in al-din / ad-din / el-din / eddin / uddin (‘of the religion’): e.g. Noor-al-din / Nooreddin; | |||
:*c. names ending in -allah (‘God’): e.g. Habiballah / Habib-allah. | |||
===Naming Patterns=== | |||
{| class="wikitable" | |||
! Namesake<ref>Marefa contributors, "علم_الأنساب," in ''Marefa.org'', https://www.marefa.org/%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%85_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%86%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%A8, 22 December 2022.</ref> !! Child | |||
|- | |||
| Paternal grandfather || 1st son | |||
|- | |||
| Maternal grandfather || 2nd son | |||
|- | |||
| Father || 3rd son | |||
|- | |||
| Father's oldest brother || 4th son | |||
|- | |||
| Maternal grandmother || 1st daughter | |||
|- | |||
| Paternal grandmother || 2nd daughter | |||
|- | |||
| Mother || 3rd daughter | |||
|- | |||
| Mother's oldest sister || 4th daughter | |||
|} | |||
===Arab Christian=== | ===Arab Christian=== | ||
To an extent Arab Christians have names indistinguishable from Muslims, except some explicitly Islamic names, e.g. Muhammad. Some common Christian names are: | To an extent Arab Christians have names indistinguishable from Muslims, except some explicitly Islamic names, e.g. Muhammad. Some common Christian names are: | ||
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:*Abd al-Masiḥ (masc.) / Amat al-Masiḥ (fem.) ("Servant of the Messiah") | :*Abd al-Masiḥ (masc.) / Amat al-Masiḥ (fem.) ("Servant of the Messiah") | ||
*Derivations of Maseeḥ ("Messiah"): Masūḥun ("Most Anointed"), Amsāḥ ("More Anointed"), Mamsūḥ "Anointed" and Musayḥ "Infant Christ". The root, M-S-Ḥ, means "to anoint" (as in masah) and is cognate to the Hebrew Mashiah. | *Derivations of Maseeḥ ("Messiah"): Masūḥun ("Most Anointed"), Amsāḥ ("More Anointed"), Mamsūḥ "Anointed" and Musayḥ "Infant Christ". The root, M-S-Ḥ, means "to anoint" (as in masah) and is cognate to the Hebrew Mashiah. | ||
===Muhammad=== | |||
Such is the popularity of the name Muhammad throughout parts of Africa, Arabia, the Middle East, South Asia and Southeast Asia, it is often represented by the abbreviation '''"Md.", "Mohd.", "Muhd.", or just "M."'''. In India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines, due to its almost ubiquitous use as a first name, a person will often be '''referred to by their second name:''' | |||
*Md. Dinar Ibn Raihan | |||
*Mohd. Umair Tanvir | |||
*Md. Osman | |||
==For Further Reading== | |||
*[http://heraldry.sca.org/names/arabic-naming2.htm Period Arabic Names and Naming Practices (2nd edition)] by Da'ud ibn Auda (David B. Appleton), 2003 - article | |||
*[https://www.fbiic.gov/public/2008/nov/Naming_practice_guide_UK_2006.pdf '''A GUIDE TO NAMES AND NAMING PRACTICES, UK Names Guide'''] | |||
*''Arabic Personal Names'', US Central Intelligence Agency. Washington ,DC, 1964. {{FSC|746570|item|disp=FS Catalog book 960 D4a}}; '''''Online at:''''' {{FSDL|971291}}. | |||
==References== | |||
<references/> | |||
[[Category:Naming Customs]] | |||