Libya Naming Customs: Difference between revisions
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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.''' | '''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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==Online Tools== | ==Online Tools== | ||
*[https://surnames.behindthename.com/names/usage/arabic | *[https://surnames.behindthename.com/names/usage/arabic Arabic Surnames] at Behind the Name | ||
*[https://www.behindthename.com/names/usage/arabic | *[https://www.behindthename.com/names/usage/arabic Arabic Given Names] at Behind the Name | ||
*[http://heraldry.sca.org/names/arabic-naming2.htm | *[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 | *[https://www.familysearch.org/en/surname Surname experience] at FamilySearch - search by surname to learn its meaning and origin | ||
==Arabic Naming Customs== | ==Arabic Naming Customs== | ||
===Surnames=== | ===Surnames=== | ||
Because so many components can be used (or not) in a name, the same man may be called: | Because so many components can be used (or not) in a name, the same man may be called: | ||
{{Block indent|Ahmad Husain|2}} | |||
{{Block indent|Ahmad Husain Muhammad|2}} | |||
{{Block indent|Ahmad bin Husain bin Muhammad|2}} | |||
{{Block indent|Ahmad Husain Muhammad ibn Sa’ud AL-TIKRITI|2}} | |||
{{Block indent|Ahmad Husain AL-TIKRITI|2}} | |||
{{Block indent|Abu Muhammad Ahmad Husain|2}} | |||
{{Block indent|Abu Muhammad (unlikely on official documents)|2}} | |||
------------- | ------------- | ||
====Basic Components==== | ====Basic Components==== | ||
| Line 51: | Line 57: | ||
====Even More Components==== | ====Even More Components==== | ||
The following components may also be included in a full version of an Arabic name: | The following components may also be included in a full version of an Arabic name: | ||
{{Block indent|a. '''ancestral name: derived from an honoured ancestor''', this name typically begins with Al- or ibn: e.g. Al-Husain, ibn Sau’d;}} | |||
{{Block indent|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''':}} | |||
{{Block indent|Abu Muhammad - ‘father of Muhammad’|5}} | |||
{{Block indent|Umm Muhammad - ‘mother of Muhammad’.|5}} | |||
{{Block indent|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=== | ===Given Names=== | ||
*An Arab typically has just one personal name. This may be simple, e.g. Husain, Muhammad, or may be a compound. | *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: | *Compound names should not be separated, e.g: | ||
{{Block indent|*a. names beginning with Abd / Abd al / Abdul (‘servant/servant of’) combined with one of the names of Allah (‘God’): e.g. }} | |||
{{Block indent|Abd Ullah / Abdullah|3}} | |||
{{Block indent|Abd al-Rahman / Abdul-Rahman|3}} | |||
{{Block indent|Abd al-Aziz / Abdul-Aziz;|3}} | |||
{{Block indent|*b. names ending in al-din / ad-din / el-din / eddin / uddin (‘of the religion’): e.g. Noor-al-din / Nooreddin;}} | |||
{{Block indent|*c. names ending in -allah (‘God’): e.g. Habiballah / Habib-allah.}} | |||
====Naming Patterns==== | ====Naming Patterns==== | ||
{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
| Line 92: | Line 98: | ||
*Use of European names, especially French, Greek and, to a lesser extent, Spanish ones (in Morocco). This has been a relatively recent centuries-long convention for Christian Arabs, especially in the Levant. For example: Émile Eddé, George Habash, Charles Helou, Camille Chamoun. | *Use of European names, especially French, Greek and, to a lesser extent, Spanish ones (in Morocco). This has been a relatively recent centuries-long convention for Christian Arabs, especially in the Levant. For example: Émile Eddé, George Habash, Charles Helou, Camille Chamoun. | ||
*Names in honor of Jesus Christ: | *Names in honor of Jesus Christ: | ||
{{Block indent|*Abd al-Yasuʿ (masc. ) / Amat al-Yasuʿ (fem.) ("Servant of Jesus")}} | |||
{{Block indent|*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==== | ====Muhammad==== | ||
| Line 102: | Line 108: | ||
===For Further Reading=== | ===For Further Reading=== | ||
*[http://heraldry.sca.org/names/arabic-naming2.htm | *[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'''] | *[https://www.fbiic.gov/public/2008/nov/Naming_practice_guide_UK_2006.pdf '''A GUIDE TO NAMES AND NAMING PRACTICES, UK Names Guide'''] | ||
*''Names of People: Their Meanings and Reasons for Usage (in Arabic)'', by 'Abbas Kathim Murad. 1984. '''''Online at''''': [https://archive.org/details/20240329_20240329_1643/mode/2up Archive.org]. | |||
**''أسماء الناس: معانيها وأسباب التسمية بها'', عباس كاظم مراد. 1984. | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
[[Category:Libya]] | [[Category:Libya]] | ||
Latest revision as of 19:48, 19 August 2025
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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. |
Online Tools[edit | edit source]
- Arabic Surnames at Behind the Name
- Arabic Given Names at Behind the Name
- Period Arabic Names and Naming Practices (2nd edition) by Da'ud ibn Auda (David B. Appleton), 2003 - article
- Surname experience at FamilySearch - search by surname to learn its meaning and origin
Arabic Naming Customs[edit | edit source]
Surnames[edit | edit source]
Because so many components can be used (or not) in a name, the same man may be called:
Basic Components[edit | edit source]
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.
- 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.
- al-Fulan would be Saleh's family name.
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."
The Arabic for "daughter of" is bint. A woman with the name Fatimah bint Tariq ibn Khalid al-Goswami translates as "Fatimah, daughter of Tariq, son of Khalid; whom is of the family al-Goswami."
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. [1]
Al- or El-[edit | edit source]
- 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.
Even More Components[edit | edit source]
The following components may also be included in a full version of an Arabic name:
Given Names[edit | edit source]
- 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:
Naming Patterns[edit | edit source]
| Namesake[2] | 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[edit | edit source]
To an extent Arab Christians have names indistinguishable from Muslims, except some explicitly Islamic names, e.g. Muhammad. Some common Christian names are:
- Arabic versions of Christian names (e.g. saints' names: Buṭrus for Saint Peter).
- Names of Greek, Armenian, and Aramaic or Neo-Aramaic origin.
- Use of European names, especially French, Greek and, to a lesser extent, Spanish ones (in Morocco). This has been a relatively recent centuries-long convention for Christian Arabs, especially in the Levant. For example: Émile Eddé, George Habash, Charles Helou, Camille Chamoun.
- Names in honor of Jesus Christ:
- 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[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
- Period Arabic Names and Naming Practices (2nd edition) by Da'ud ibn Auda (David B. Appleton), 2003 - article
- A GUIDE TO NAMES AND NAMING PRACTICES, UK Names Guide
- Names of People: Their Meanings and Reasons for Usage (in Arabic), by 'Abbas Kathim Murad. 1984. Online at: Archive.org.
- أسماء الناس: معانيها وأسباب التسمية بها, عباس كاظم مراد. 1984.
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ "Arabic name", in Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_name, accessed 9 March 2021.
- ↑ 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.