Egyptian Names
Egyptian names span more than 5,000 years. Walk down a street in Cairo today and you’ll meet a Mohamed, a Nour and a Mina — Arabic Muslim and Coptic Christian names that dominate modern Egypt. Visit a museum and you’ll meet Ramses, Nefertiti and Hatshepsut, whose names were written in hieroglyphs and still sound majestic today.
This hub gathers more than 70 of the best, grouped into modern names, Coptic names, ancient royal names, the gods, and common Egyptian family names. For full lists, see our Egyptian boy names and Egyptian girl names. History lovers should also browse our ancient Egyptian names and Egyptian god names.
Egyptian Names: browse all lists
Popular Egyptian boy names today
Egyptian Arabic has its own spellings — Mohamed rather than Muhammad, Youssef rather than Yusuf — reflecting how the names are said in Cairo.
| Name | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Mohamed | Praised | By far the most common Egyptian name |
| Ahmed | Most praised | Classic |
| Mahmoud | Praiseworthy | Very Egyptian |
| Mostafa | The chosen one | Egyptian spelling of Mustafa |
| Omar | Flourishing, long-lived | Actor Omar Sharif |
| Youssef | God increases | Egyptian spelling of Joseph |
| Ali | Exalted, noble | Short and strong |
| Hassan | Handsome, good | Timeless |
| Khaled | Eternal | Popular across generations |
| Karim | Generous, noble | Easy in English |
| Amr | Life | Said AHM-r; singer Amr Diab |
| Tarek | Morning star, night visitor | Egyptian spelling of Tariq |
| Ibrahim | Father of many (Abraham) | Prophetic name |
| Ziad | Growth, abundance | Modern favorite |
Popular Egyptian girl names today
Many Egyptian girls’ names are Arabic words for light, beauty and virtue. For more, see our Arabic girl names.
| Name | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Fatma | One who weans | Egyptian spelling of Fatima |
| Mariam | Arabic form of Mary | Used by Muslims and Christians |
| Nour | Light | Unisex in Egypt, mostly girls |
| Salma | Safe, peaceful | Classic and gentle |
| Farida | Unique, precious | Queen Farida of Egypt |
| Hana | Happiness, bliss | Short and sweet |
| Malak | Angel | Very popular |
| Jana | Harvest, fresh fruit | Modern favorite |
| Laila | Night | Classic Arabic |
| Yasmin | Jasmine | Loved across the Arab world |
| Aya | Sign, verse (of the Qur’an) | Short and gentle |
| Habiba | Beloved | Warm and traditional |
| Menna | Gift (from Mennatallah, “gift of God”) | Distinctly Egyptian |
| Shahd | Honey | Modern favorite |
Coptic Christian names
Egypt’s Coptic Christians — around a tenth of the population — often name children after the Egyptian saints and desert fathers of early Christianity.
| Name | Gender | Meaning / saint |
|---|---|---|
| Mina | Boy | St. Menas, Egyptian soldier-martyr |
| Bishoy | Boy | St. Bishoy, 4th-century desert father |
| Girgis | Boy | Arabic form of George, “farmer” |
| Shenouda | Boy | St. Shenoute; Coptic, “son of God” |
| Kirollos | Boy | Coptic form of Cyril, “lordly” |
| Boutros | Boy | Arabic form of Peter, “rock” |
| Antonios | Boy | St. Anthony the Great, father of monasticism |
| Abanoub | Boy | St. Abanoub, a child martyr |
| Demiana | Girl | St. Demiana, 4th-century martyr |
| Youstina | Girl | Coptic form of Justina, “just” |
| Irini | Girl | Peace (Greek) |
| Marina | Girl | Of the sea; St. Marina the Monk |
Names of pharaohs and queens
Ancient Egyptian royal names were statements of faith, usually naming a god. Our ancient Egyptian names page has hundreds more, and queen names covers royal women worldwide.
| Name | Meaning | Who |
|---|---|---|
| Ramses | Born of Ra (Ra bore him) | Ramses II, “the Great” |
| Nefertiti | The beautiful one has come | Queen, wife of Akhenaten |
| Nefertari | Beautiful companion | Great wife of Ramses II |
| Hatshepsut | Foremost of noble ladies | Female pharaoh |
| Tutankhamun | Living image of Amun | The boy king |
| Akhenaten | Effective for the Aten | Religious revolutionary pharaoh |
| Cleopatra | Glory of the father (Greek) | Last active ruler of Ptolemaic Egypt |
| Imhotep | He who comes in peace | Architect of the Step Pyramid |
| Khufu | Short for Khnum-Khufu, “Khnum protects me” | Builder of the Great Pyramid |
| Thutmose | Born of Thoth | Warrior pharaoh |
| Amenhotep | Amun is satisfied | Father of Akhenaten |
| Ahmose | Born of the moon | Founder of the New Kingdom |
Egyptian god and goddess names
These divine names are popular for babies, pets and characters alike — see our full Egyptian god names list.
| Name | Role | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Isis | Goddess of magic and motherhood | Greek form of Aset |
| Osiris | God of the afterlife | Husband of Isis |
| Horus | Falcon-headed sky god | Protector of kings |
| Anubis | Jackal-headed god of embalming | Popular for dogs |
| Bastet | Cat goddess of home and protection | Perfect for a cat |
| Hathor | Goddess of love, music and joy | Cow-horned goddess |
| Thoth | Ibis-headed god of writing and wisdom | Scholarly |
| Maat | Goddess of truth and cosmic order | Short and meaningful |
| Sekhmet | Lioness goddess of war and healing | Fierce |
| Nut | Sky goddess arched over the earth | Mother of Osiris and Isis |
Common Egyptian family names
Egyptians traditionally use a chain of names — their own, their father’s and their grandfather’s — so many “surnames” began as first names. Compare with our Arabic last names.
| Surname | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| El-Masry | The Egyptian | Common across the Arab world |
| El-Sayed | The master, lord | Very common |
| Mansour | Victorious | Classic |
| Soliman | Egyptian form of Suleiman (Solomon) | Peaceful |
| Farouk | One who distinguishes right from wrong | King Farouk |
| Naguib | Noble | Novelist Naguib Mahfouz |
| Hegazy | From the Hejaz | Regional origin |
| Salah | Righteousness | Footballer Mohamed Salah |
| Fahmy | Understanding, intelligent | Common in Cairo |
| Ghali | Precious, dear | Coptic family name, as in Boutros-Ghali |
Tips for choosing an Egyptian name
- Pick your era. Modern Egyptian names (Nour, Youssef) work for everyday life; ancient names (Ramses, Nefertari) make a bold, historic statement.
- Choose a spelling. Egyptian Arabic transliterations differ from Gulf or Levantine ones — Mohamed vs. Muhammad, Tarek vs. Tariq. Pick the one your family uses.
- Respect religious context. Coptic saint names are meaningful to Christian families; prophetic names to Muslim families. Our Muslim names page has more background.
- Be careful with god names. Isis and Anubis are striking, but some carry modern associations — say them aloud and search them before committing.
- Look for cross-cultural names. Mariam, Karim, Yasmin and Omar are easy in English and meaningful in Egypt.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common name in Egypt?
Mohamed is the most common name in Egypt, often combined with other names (Mohamed Ali, Mohamed Salah). For girls, Fatma, Mariam and Nour are very common.
What are Coptic names?
Coptic names are used by Egypt’s Christian community and often honor Egyptian saints: Mina, Bishoy, Shenouda, Kirollos, Demiana and Marina are typical examples.
What is a beautiful ancient Egyptian name?
Nefertari (“beautiful companion”), Nefertiti (“the beautiful one has come”) and Hatshepsut (“foremost of noble ladies”) are among the most admired ancient Egyptian names.
Do Egyptians have last names?
Traditionally, Egyptians use their father’s and grandfather’s first names after their own, so a family name may simply be an ancestor’s first name. Many families today also use a fixed surname.
What does Nour mean?
Nour means “light” in Arabic. It’s one of the most popular names in Egypt and is used for both girls and boys. See more names that mean light.