Web Guide: Encyclopedia

Arabic name

Table of contents 1 Introduction 2 A Simple Example 3 Name Length 4 Family Names 5 Naming Females

Introduction

Arabs use a very sophisticated naming system, most don't just have first/middle/last names, but a full chain of names. This system is still in use in many arab countries.

A Simple Example

Lets assume somebody is named mohammed bin abdulla bin omar bin othman al-ali

We notice the use of the optional word "bin", sometimes spelled "ben" which means "son of"

That means his name translates to mohammed son of abdulla son of omar son of othman al-ali.

It means his first name is mohammed, his father's first name is abdulla, his grandfather's first name is omar, his great grandfather's first name is othman and his family name is al-ali

Name Length

A name can be described to any precision required, some people carry the exact same sequence of names up to the fourth or fifth level, so they use that as a full name, others just use first/last or first/father/last

Family Names

Arabs have a tribal way of describing family, a person could have two or three family names, each one of them is a smaller group within the larger one.

Naming Females

Women and girls are still named the same way, but they substitute the word bin with bint (daughter of) after their first name, the sequence then continues with her father,...etc.

Elsewhere

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