Arabic is a language spoken by over 300 million people, currently, and there are 22 countries across the world considered to be Arab countries. These include Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, and many others.
Arab names can be quite complex, and culturally as many as four names might be employed. These can link the individual either to specific qualities about them, or to a chain of ancestors.
Good Arabic Names
A good Arabic name pays close attention to the meaning of each part of the name, with respectful research.
- Neeshaan el-Shahid
- Salmaan el-Naderi
- Wajeeb al-Sharaf
- Mawdood el-Laham
- Nawfal el-Naderi
- Abdul Noor el-Bashir
- Noori al-Can
- Hakam al-Shabazz
- Yoonus al-Salem
Subhi al-Yousuf
Subhi works hard. Studying comes naturally to him but that isn’t enough by itself to secure a place at a top-tier university. And Subhi really wants to go into academia. He knows it’s not the smartest choice, financially, but it’s what he wants to do.
- Nizaam el-Abbas
- Dhareef al-Matar
- Adnaan el-Sahli
- Sakeen al-Semaan
- Abdul Jaleel el-Assad
- Raashid al-Ramin
- Sufyaan el-Hamdan
- Azhaar el-Husain
- Taajuddeen al-Fares
Naaif al-Aman
Naaif never takes for granted the opportunity provided by their parents moving to a new country. They would not have been able to come out as non-binary, otherwise, and would not have had the chance to become a journalist. But they still appreciate and respect their culture. It’s not something they want to lose.
- Taahir el-Bilal
- Kameel el-Meskin
- Imraan al-Arif
- Daamir al-Reza
- Raaji al-Rizk
Female Arabic Names
Female Arabic names sometimes use bint or ibint to mean “daughter of.”
- Sabiyya el-Sarwar
- Nadiyya al-Ahmad
- Urwa al-Hameed
- Raita al-Hariri
- Misbaah al-Rayes
- Rafeeda el-Barakat
- Minnah el-Sayed
- Ghaidaa el-Gad
- Hiwaaya al-Khalili
Radwa el-Amin
Radwa got her business degree in London, but then returned home to build her trading company. Focusing on imports and exports, Radwa has made a great name for herself. She hopes to take some of theprofits she is making and establish a fund to encourage other women to start businesses.
- Samraa el-Aziz
- Ghaaliba al-Hosein
- Naseefa al-Akel
- Waneesa el-Yamin
- Ghaada el-Abu
- Mahdhoodha el-Jamal
- Tawfeeqa al-Baddour
- Faseeha al-Haider
- Qisma el-Rabbani
Hakeema el-Sahli
Hakeema is a daughter of wealth, though she does not have as many privileges as she might like. Her marriage is already arranged, which, frankly, was a relief. She’s guaranteed to bring advantage to her family and so she won’t have to feel guilty secretly pursuing her own interests.
- Saalima el-Ahmadi
- Amal el-Salloum
- Sanad el-Hares
- Rutaiba el-Chahine
- Muna al-Sultan
Male Arabic Names
Male Arabic names sometimes use bin to mean “son of.”
- Zayyaan al-Momin
- Rushdi el-Azer
- Talha al-Hafeez
- Furqaan al-Mirza
- Wajeeh el-Baluch
- Taariq el-Jabara
- Shukri al-Jabbar
- Nadeem el-Hashemi
- Salmaan el-Kader
Izzaddeen el-Dada
Farming is hard work, but it’s important work. Would Izzaddeen trade it for a life of luxury? Of course he would, but one isn’t going to just be handed to him, is it? So he works, and he expects his children to work. Though that might result in conflict sooner rather than later.
- Shuaib al-Abdullah
- Aqeel el-Saba
- Naaif el-Rahmani
- Subhi el-Assaf
- Aabid el-Safar
- Raaid el-Kaiser
- Badruddeen al-Aly
- Khaleel al-Sadri
- Maazin el-Salah
Zaki el-Lodi
Zaki thought he knew what was right. He thought the words he had read since a child were simple, easy to understand. Right and wrong were clear cut. But now? Now that he’s faced war, and conflict? He’s not so sure anymore. But what can he do to change things? Or to get that certainty back?
- Ghaalib el-Muhammad
- Suhail el-Kader
- Jameel el-Mourad
- Zuhair el-Jafari
- Miqdaam el-Momin
How often do you use Arabic characters or countries in your games? DO you draw on the Arab world as inspiration for any of your campaigns? What are your favorite strategies for coming up with good Arabic names? Let us know in the comments!
