 Arabic NAMES can be put into two general categories: pre-Islamic and post-Islamic. Pre-Islamic names were mainly influenced by nature, occupations, personal characteristics, and genealogy. Post-Islamic names were influenced by the Prophet Muhammad, the catalyst for the beginning of a vast cultural transformation in the Arab world. Pre-Islamic nature names such as the feminine Arwa (female mountain goat) and Randa (a sweet-smelling tree) and the masculine Fahd (panther) and Rabi (fragrant breeze) are still popular today. While occupational names can still be found, they are not as common as the other types of names. Examples of occupational names are Rawiya (storyteller) and Kateb (writer). Personal characteristics, both positive and negative, form the basis for many names. Male names such as Tawil (tall) and Saghir (short) and female names such as 'Abla (having a fine, full figure), Najla (having large, beautiful eyes), and Kalthum (fat, plump cheeks) are examples. Post-Islamic names were heavily influenced by the qualities espoused in Islam and by the Prophet Muhammad. His suggestion that the best names were those derived from the ninety-nine qualities of God listed in the Koran, those formed from the root word hamida (praiseworthy, praise), and compound names beginning with 'Abd (servant of), contributed greatly to the popularity of those names in the Arab world. Names referring to the Prophet, his immediate family and friends, and his descendants are also common. In fact, the name Muhammad, together with its five hundred variants, is the most common name in the world. Fatima (one who abstains from forbidden things), the name of one of the Prophet's daughters, is chosen by many parents for their daughters. Islam recognizes both Judaism and Christianity, and many of the stories found in the Bible are also found in the Koran. Therefore, names such as Ibrahim, Yusuf, and Maryam are popular, although more so among Christian Arabs. Islamic doctrines of belief in one God, Allah, following the path of Islam, purity of heart, benevolence to others, and the virtues of chastity and charity have also created many names for both males and females. For girls, Amlna (faithful), Fadlla (moral excellence), and Iman (faith, belief in God) are popular examples. Ahmad (more commendable) and Muhammad (praiseworthy, the praised one) are among the most popular for boys. Many believe that angels pray in every house in which there is a Muhammad or an Ahmad, which makes for an even greater incentive to choose these names for the newly born. Converts to Islam usually change their name to that of an Islamic saint or to one of the names referring to the Prophet or his family. One of the most well known who has done so is Cassius Clay, who upon conversion, adopted the name of Muhammad Ali. Although recent coinages often take the themes found in pre-Islamic names, there is a strong pro-Islamic movement in the Arab world today which is certain to have an effect on the bestowal of names. In many Muslim countries, births, deaths, and marriages were seldom registered, so last names were not needed. In place of surnames, terms such as Bin or Ben (son of) and Binte (daughter of) or Abu (father of) and Um (mother of) were often added to the given name, along with the name of the applicable family member. Tribal names or place-names were also added for identification. In Persia, family names were required by law in 1926 and married women adopted their husband's chosen surname. In 1950 Moroccans were directed to adopt surnames derived from localities or occupations. It wasn't until 1960 that Tunis passed a law requiring families to adopt a permanent surname. Unlike most European names, Arabic names consist mainly of vocabulary words that can easily be looked up in any Arabic dictionary. This helps a great deal in finding out what a name means and can also be a useful tool in creating your own Arabic or Muslim name. |
