Arabic Last Names
Fixed family surnames are fairly recent in much of the Arab world. Traditionally a person was known by a chain of names — their own, then “son of” (ibn) their father and grandfather — plus a tribe, hometown or trade. When governments introduced civil registries in the 19th and 20th centuries, many of those descriptors became the Arabic last names families carry today. This list covers more than 110 of them, with meanings and the regions where they are most common.
You will notice that many surnames are simply first names (Hassan, Saleh, Nasser); our Arabic boy names list explains their meanings in more detail. For related family names, see Turkish last names, Persian last names and our broader last names section.
Most common Arabic surnames
These family names appear across many Arab countries and in large diaspora communities in the US, Canada, France and Latin America. Most began as a father’s or ancestor’s given name.
| Surname | Meaning | Where it’s common |
|---|---|---|
| Hassan | Handsome, good | Egypt, Sudan, Iraq, widespread |
| Hussein | Little handsome one | Iraq, Egypt, Jordan |
| Ali | High, exalted | Widespread |
| Ahmed | Most praised | Egypt, Sudan, Gulf |
| Mohamed | Praised | Egypt, Maghreb, widespread |
| Ibrahim | Arabic form of Abraham | Widespread |
| Abdullah | Servant of God | Gulf, Levant |
| Mahmoud | Praised | Egypt, Palestine |
| Mustafa | The chosen one | Iraq, Egypt, Levant |
| Saleh | Righteous | Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Levant |
| Nasser | Helper, supporter | Egypt, Gulf |
| Khalil | Close friend | Palestine, Lebanon |
| Youssef | Arabic form of Joseph | Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco |
| Salem | Safe, sound | Gulf, Levant |
| Mansour | Victorious | Lebanon, Egypt, Gulf |
| Omar | Long-lived, flourishing | Widespread |
| Amin | Trustworthy | Egypt, Levant |
| Aziz | Mighty; beloved | Widespread |
| Karim | Generous | Egypt, Maghreb |
| Rahman | Merciful (short for Abdulrahman) | Gulf, South Asia |
Occupational Arabic last names
Like Smith or Baker in English, many Arabic surnames record an ancestor’s trade. They are especially common among Levantine families in Lebanon, Syria and Palestine.
| Surname | Meaning | Where it’s common |
|---|---|---|
| Haddad | Blacksmith | Lebanon, Syria, Palestine |
| Najjar | Carpenter | Lebanon, Syria, Egypt |
| Khoury | Priest (from Greek) | Lebanese and Syrian Christians |
| Hakim | Physician; wise man | Levant, Iraq |
| Attar | Perfumer, apothecary | Syria, Iraq, Maghreb |
| Sabbagh | Dyer | Lebanon, Syria |
| Khayat | Tailor | Levant, Iraq |
| Tahhan | Miller | Syria, Palestine |
| Sayegh | Goldsmith, jeweler | Lebanon, Syria |
| Hallak | Barber | Syria, Lebanon |
| Qassab | Butcher | Iraq, Syria |
| Fakhoury | Potter | Lebanon, Syria |
| Farran | Baker (oven keeper) | Lebanon, Syria |
| Jammal | Camel driver | Lebanon, Palestine |
| Dabbagh | Tanner | Syria, Iraq, Palestine |
| Hajjar | Stonemason | Lebanon, Syria |
| Nahhas | Coppersmith | Syria, Lebanon, Egypt |
| Qahwaji | Coffee maker | Syria, Iraq |
| Tabbakh | Cook | Syria, Iraq |
| Bitar | Veterinarian, farrier | Lebanon, Syria, Palestine |
| Katib | Scribe, writer | Levant, Iraq |
| Sarraf | Money changer | Iraq, Syria |
Arabic surnames from places (nisba names)
A nisba adds -i to a place name to mean “from there.” These surnames often tell you exactly where a family’s ancestors lived.
| Surname | Meaning | Where it’s common |
|---|---|---|
| Al-Masri | The Egyptian | Palestine, Jordan, Syria |
| Al-Halabi | From Aleppo | Syria, Lebanon |
| Al-Dimashqi | From Damascus | Syria |
| Al-Baghdadi | From Baghdad | Iraq |
| Al-Maghribi | From the Maghreb (Morocco) | Levant, Egypt |
| Al-Shami | From the Levant/Damascus | Yemen, Egypt, Gulf |
| Al-Yamani | From Yemen | Saudi Arabia, Gulf |
| Al-Hijazi | From the Hejaz | Saudi Arabia, Egypt |
| Al-Tunisi | From Tunisia | Egypt, Levant |
| Al-Iraqi | From Iraq | Gulf, Levant |
| Al-Najdi | From Najd | Saudi Arabia |
| Al-Andalusi | From Al-Andalus (Spain) | Morocco, Tunisia |
| Nabulsi | From Nablus | Palestine, Jordan |
| Khalili | From Hebron (Al-Khalil) | Palestine |
| Qudsi | From Jerusalem (Al-Quds) | Palestine, Syria |
| Hourani | From the Hauran plain | Syria, Jordan, Lebanon |
| Beiruti | From Beirut | Lebanon |
| Tripolitani | From Tripoli | Lebanon, Libya |
Tribal and family-clan names
In the Gulf and Arabian Peninsula, surnames often name a tribe or a prominent clan. Some ruling families use Āl (“family of”) rather than the article al-.
| Surname | Meaning / origin | Where it’s common |
|---|---|---|
| Al-Qahtani | Descendants of Qahtan, ancestor of southern Arabs | Saudi Arabia |
| Al-Otaibi | From the Otaibah tribe | Saudi Arabia, Kuwait |
| Al-Shammari | From the Shammar tribe | Saudi Arabia, Iraq |
| Al-Dosari | From the Dawasir tribe | Saudi Arabia, Bahrain |
| Al-Harbi | From the Harb tribe | Saudi Arabia |
| Al-Mutairi | From the Mutayr tribe | Kuwait, Saudi Arabia |
| Al-Ghamdi | From the Ghamid tribe | Saudi Arabia |
| Al-Zahrani | From the Zahran tribe | Saudi Arabia |
| Al-Tamimi | From Banu Tamim | Gulf, Palestine, Iraq |
| Al-Anazi | From the Anizah confederation | Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iraq |
| Al-Kaabi | From the Bani Kaab tribe | UAE, Oman |
| Al-Balushi | Of Baluch origin | Oman, UAE |
| Qureshi | Of the Quraysh, the Prophet’s tribe | Widespread, South Asia |
| Hashemi | Of Banu Hashim, the Prophet’s clan | Jordan, Iraq, Iran |
| Al-Azdi | From the ancient Azd tribe | Oman, Yemen |
| Al-Kindi | From the Kinda tribe | Yemen, Oman |
Descriptive and nickname surnames
Some families kept a nickname describing an ancestor’s looks or character. They are often the most colorful Arabic last names.
| Surname | Meaning | Where it’s common |
|---|---|---|
| Asmar | Dark-skinned, tan | Lebanon, Syria |
| Ashkar | Blond, fair-haired | Lebanon, Palestine |
| Tawil | Tall | Levant, Egypt |
| Qasir | Short | Levant |
| Saghir | Small, young | Levant, Maghreb |
| Kabir | Great, big | Widespread |
| Ahmar | Red | Levant |
| Aswad | Black | Levant, Iraq |
| Abyad | White | Syria, Lebanon |
| Jabbar | Mighty, powerful | Iraq |
| Sharif | Noble, honorable | Widespread |
| Farouk | One who distinguishes right from wrong | Egypt |
| Jaber | Consoler, restorer | Levant, Gulf |
| Hamdan | Much praise | Gulf, Levant |
| Zein | Beauty, grace | Lebanon, Egypt |
Abu and Bin: patronymic family names
Bin or ibn means “son of” and Abu means “father of.” Many of these hardened into fixed surnames, much like Johnson in English. See our last names that are first names for the English equivalent.
| Surname | Meaning | Where it’s common |
|---|---|---|
| Bin Zayed | Son of Zayed | UAE |
| Bin Talal | Son of Talal | Jordan, Saudi Arabia |
| Abu Khalil | Father of Khalil | Lebanon, Palestine |
| Abu Ghazaleh | Father of the gazelle | Palestine, Jordan |
| Abu Zaid | Father of Zaid | Egypt, Levant |
| Abu Saleh | Father of Saleh | Palestine, Jordan |
| Abou Jaoude | Father of the generous one | Lebanon |
| Ben Ali | Son of Ali | Tunisia, Algeria |
| Ben Salah | Son of Salah | Tunisia |
| Benjelloun | Son of Jelloun | Morocco |
| Benkirane | Son of Kirane | Morocco |
| Benchekroun | Son of Chekroun | Morocco |
North African Arabic last names
Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian surnames are usually spelled the French way, with Ben, El and ou for sounds English writes as Bin, Al and u.
| Surname | Meaning / origin | Where it’s common |
|---|---|---|
| El Fassi | From Fez | Morocco |
| Alaoui | Descendant of the Alawi dynasty | Morocco |
| Idrissi | Descendant of Idris I | Morocco |
| Tazi | From Taza | Morocco |
| Belkacem | Son of Belkacem (Abu al-Qasim) | Algeria, Morocco |
| Bouzid | Father of Zid (Abu Zayd) | Algeria, Tunisia |
| Chaoui | From the Chaouia region | Morocco, Algeria |
| Mekki | From Mecca | Tunisia, Morocco |
| Trabelsi | From Tripoli | Tunisia |
| Hamdi | Praise, thankfulness | Tunisia, Egypt |
Tips for researching an Arabic surname
- Drop the article when searching: Al-Masri, El Masri, Elmasri and Masri are usually the same name, spelled by different registrars.
- Expect French spellings in North Africa (Ben, Bou, ou) and English ones in the Gulf and Levant (Bin, Abu, oo).
- A nisba ending in -i often points to an ancestral town, which is the best starting clue for family history.
- Surnames like Hassan or Saleh are too common to identify a family on their own; look at the full chain of father’s and grandfather’s names.
- Christian Arab families often have surnames like Khoury, Haddad, Boutros or Hanna — useful when tracing Lebanese or Syrian roots.
Frequently asked questions
What does “Al” mean in Arabic last names?
Al is the Arabic definite article “the.” Al-Masri means “the Egyptian.” In Gulf ruling families, Āl (with a long a) means “family of,” as in Āl Saud.
What is the most common Arabic last name?
Names derived from Muhammad, Ahmed, Ali and Hassan are the most widespread, because many surnames were formed from a father’s or grandfather’s first name.
Is Khoury an Arabic surname?
Yes. Khoury (also Khouri, El-Khoury) comes from the Arabic word for priest and is common among Lebanese and Syrian Christians.
What does “Bin” or “Ibn” mean?
Both mean “son of.” Bint means “daughter of,” and Abu means “father of.”
Why do Arabic surnames have so many spellings?
Arabic letters have no fixed Latin equivalent, so English, French and local officials each transcribed names differently — Mohammed, Muhammad and Mohamed are all correct.