Arabic Name Formation Patterns from Various
Sources
by Basil Dragonstrike
Some time ago, while gathering names from The Diary
of Ibn al-Bannāʼ, I made a page listing the formats of all
Arabic names in that book.
I have decided to expand that page, by adding name formations found
in the first volume of The Travels
of Ibn Baṭūṭṭa, the Memoirs of
Usāmah Ibn Munqidh, and The Travels of
Ibn Jubayr. It is not possible to add formations from The
Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition, as that work
alphabetizes people by the best-known element of their names, thus
making it impossible to be completely sure of the formation
actually used. Note that while there are slightly over 50 name
formations in the first list, this list contains over 150. Note that
any time I do another list of names, I will update this page ASAP.
A quick overview of how Arabic names are formed: There are five
different types of name elements. Note that not all names contain
all five types, but those that are present are given in a specific
order, regardless of which types are used --- except for a very few,
odd names.
The first is what I shall call "Titular names." They originally
were given out by khalīfas, sulṭāns, etc., and only
to persons of importance or who had accomplished remarkable things.
As time went on, these Titulars became of less and less
importance, and were assumed by people (rather than given out), at
first persons of great distinction, but later even the poor came to
use Titular names. These name elements are usually of the form
"______ al-Dīn"; though "_____ al-Daula," "______ al-Mulūk," and
"______ al-Mulk" are also found. Please see my article "Titular Names" for more on the changing use of such names.
The second name element is the kunya, a name using Abū or
Umm usually followed by the ism of the eldest son; rarely a
daughter's name will be used. Sometimes one comes across a
"metaphorical kunya," that is, a kunya such as
"Father of a Kitten" or "Father of Craziness".
Next is the ism, the personal name (SCAers should note that
this is the only type of name element that corresponds to what the
College of Arms calls a "given name").
Fourth is the nasab, using "ibn" or "bint" to denote the
father (rarely the mother) of the person; this can extend to a
number of generations, and sometimes generations are skipped (i.e.,
the nasab does not come from the name of the father, but of
the grandfather, great-grandfather, etc.). Very rarely, other terms
are used, to indicate one is the son-of-the-daughter, the brother,
etc. of a specified person; there's only one such formation in this
list (given as "other relationship"). This is for Sibṭ ibn
al-Jauzi, "the son-of-the-daughter {Sibṭ} of the son {ibn}
of al-Jauzi".
Fifth and last comes the laqab/nisba, which I simply
call a byname; this is a description of the person. Descriptions can
be based on appearance, occupation, tribe, etc. Note that I have
combined laqabs and nisbas because, frankly, the
difference is of little or no importance to amateur onomasts.
The only formations I have found used for women's names are: A kunya
only, a kunya based on a byname, a kunya plus an ism,
an ism only, an ism with four consecutive nasabs,
an ism plus three nasabs plus a byname, an ism
plus two nasabs plus a byname, and an ism plus a
byname. These formations will be marked with an asterisk in the
following list. Note: there is no reason why a woman cannot have any
of the following name formations (though the relationship word "Sibṭ"
wouldn't apply); I simply haven't found any documented examples
thereof. Note also there's no reason a man can't use the name
formations marked with an asterisk; indeed, some of them were used
by men.
One final note: the names used by caliphs, often called "throne
names" are so complex, and so different from the name formations of
ordinary people, that I have not included them in this list.
Return to "General introduction"
Titular
Titular + Titular
Titular + Titular + ism
Titular + Titular + ism + nasab based on a byname + byname
+byname
Titular + kunya based on a byname
Titular + kunya + ism
Titular + kunya based on a byname + ism
Titular + kunya + ism + nasab
Titular + kunya based on a byname + ism + nasab
Titular + kunya based on a byname + ism + nasab based on a byname
Titular + kunya + ism + nasab + nasab
Titular + kunya + ism + nasab + nasab + nasab
Titular + kunya based on a byname + byname/ism + nasab +
nasab + nasab + nasab
Titular + kunya + ism + nasab + nasab based on a byname +
nasab + nasab + nasab + nasab + nasab + nasab based on a byname +
byname
Titular + kunya + ism + nasab (possibly on a kunya) and a
byname (or ism) + nasab + nasab + nasab + nasab (possibly on a
byname) + nasab + byname + byname + byname
Titular + kunya + ism + nasab + nasab + nasab + byname
Titular + kunya based on a byname + ism + nasab + nasab + nasab +
byname
Titular + kunya + ism + nasab + nasab + byname
Titular + kunya + ism + nasab + nasab + byname + byname
Titular + kunya + ism + nasab + byname
Titular + kunya + ism + nasab (perhaps on a kunya) + byname +
nasab
Titular + kunya + ism + nasab + byname +byname + byname
Titular + kunya based on a byname + nasab
Titular + kunya based on a byname + nasab based on a byname
Titular + kunya based on a byname +nasab + byname
Titular + kunya/ism + nasab + byname + byname
Titular + kunya/ism + byname
Titular + ism
Titular + ism + nasab
Titular + ism + nasab based on an Titular
Titular + ism + nasab based on a kunya
Titular + ism + nasab based on a kunya that's based on a byname
Titular + ism + nasab based on a byname
Titular + ism + nasab + nasab
Titular + ism + nasab + nasab + nasab
Titular + ism + nasab based on a kunya that's based on a byname+
nasab + nasab
Titular + ism + nasab based on a kunya + nasab based on a kunya
based on a byname + nasab + nasab + nasab based on a Titular and
an ism + byname
Titular + ism + nasab + nasab + nasab + byname
Titular + ism + nasab + nasab based on a kunya + nasab based on a
byname + byname
Titular + ism + nasab + nasab + byname
Titular + ism + nasab + nasab + nasab + byname
Titular + ism + nasab + nasab based on a byname + byname
Titular + ism + nasab based on a kunya + nasab + byname
Titular + ism + nasab + byname
Titular + ism + nasab (perhaps based on a kunya) + byname
Titular + ism + nasab + byname + nasab based on a byname
Titular + ism + nasab + byname + byname
Titular + ism + byname
Titular + nasab
Titular + nasab based on a byname
Titular + nasab + nasab
Titular + nasab + nasab + nasab + nasab based on a byname
Titular + nasab + byname
Titular + nasab based on a byname + byname
Titular + nasab based on an Titular + byname
Titular + byname
Titular + byname + byname
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kunya *
kunya based on a byname *
kunya + Titular + ism + nasab + byname
kunya + ism
kunya + ism *
kunya based on a byname + ism
kunya + ism + nasab
kunya + ism + nasab based on an Titular
kunya + ism + nasab based on a kunya
kunya + ism + nasab based on a Titular and an ism
kunya based on a byname + ism + nasab
kunya + ism + nasab + nasab
kunya + ism + nasab + nasab based on a byname
kunya based on a byname + ism + nasab + nasab
kunya + ism + nasab + nasab + nasab
kunya + ism + nasab + nasab + nasab + nasab based on a byname
kunya + ism + nasab + nasab + nasab + nasab
kunya based on an ism and a byname + ism + nasab + nasab +
nasab + nasab
kunya + ism + nasab + nasab + nasab + nasab + nasab + byname
kunya + ism + nasab + nasab + nasab + nasab + byname
kunya + ism + nasab + nasab + nasab + nasab based on a byname +
byname
kunya + ism + nasab + nasab + nasab + byname
kunya based on a byname + ism + nasab + nasab + nasab + byname
kunya + ism + nasab + nasab + nasab + byname + byname
kunya + ism + nasab + nasab + nasab based on a byname + byname +
byname
kunya + ism + nasab based on a kunya + nasab + nasab + byname +
byname
kunya + ism + nasab + nasab + byname
kunya + ism + nasab based on a kunya + nasab + byname
kunya + ism?? + nasab + nasab + byname
kunya based on a byname + ism + nasab + nasab + byname
kunya + ism + nasab + nasab + byname + byname
kunya + ism + nasab based on a kunya + nasab + byname + byname
kunya + ism + nasab + nasab + byname + byname + byname + byname
kunya + ism + nasab + byname
kunya + ism + nasab based on a kunya + byname
kunya + ism + nasab based on a byname + byname
kunya based on a byname + ism + nasab + byname
kunya + ism + nasab + byname + byname
kunya + ism + nasab + byname + byname + byname
kunya + ism + byname
kunya + ism + byname + byname
kunya + nasab
kunya + nasab based on a kunya
kunya + nasab based on a byname
kunya/ism + nasab
kunya based on a byname + nasab based on a byname
kunya + nasab + nasab
kunya + nasab based on a kunya + nasab + nasab
kunya + nasab + nasab + nasab + nasab
kunya + nasab based on a kunya + nasab + byname +byname
kunya + nasab + byname
kunya + nasab based on a kunya + byname
kunya + nasab based on a byname + byname
kunya/ism + nasab + byname
kunya + nasab + byname + byname
kunya + byname
kunya based on a byname + byname
kunya + byname + byname
Back to top
ism *
ism + nasab
ism + nasab based on a kunya
ism + nasab based on a byname
ism + nasab based on a kunya that's based on a byname
ism + nasab based on an Titular
ism + nasab based on a Titular and an ism
ism + nasab + nasab
ism + nasab + nasab based on a Titular and an ism
ism + nasab + nasab based on a kunya
ism + nasab + nasab based on a byname
ism + nasab based on a Titular and an ism + nasab
ism + nasab based on a Titular and an ism + nasab based on
kunya based on byname
ism + nasab + nasab + nasab
ism + nasab + nasab + nasab + nasab *
ism + nasab + nasab + nasab + nasab + nasab
ism + nasab + nasab based on an ism and a byname + nasab
based on two isms and a byname + nasab + nasab
ism + nasab + nasab + nasab + nasab + nasab + nasab
ism + nasab based on a kunya + nasab + nasab + nasab + nasab + nasab
based on a byname
ism + nasab + nasab + nasab + nasab + nasab + nasab based on a kunya
+ byname
ism + nasab + nasab based on an ism and a byname + nasab +
nasab based on two isms + byname
ism + nasab + nasab + nasab + byname
ism + nasab + nasab + nasab based on a byname + byname
ism + nasab based on a kunya + nasab + nasab + byname
ism + nasab + nasab + byname
ism + nasab + nasab based on a Titular and an ism + byname
ism + nasab +nasab based on a kunya + byname
ism + nasab + nasab based on a byname + byname
ism + nasab + nasab +byname + byname *
ism + nasab + byname
ism + nasab based on a kunya + byname
ism + nasab (possibly based on a byname) + byname
ism + nasab based on a kunya + byname + byname
ism/byname + nasab + byname + byname
ism + byname *
nasab
nasab based on a kunya
nasab based on a byname
nasab + byname
nasab based on a kunya + byname
nasab based on a byname + byname
byname
byname + nasab
byname + nasab based on a byname
byname + nasab based on a kunya
byname + byname
byname + byname + byname
other relationship + nasab based on a byname
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Return to "General Introduction"