Saif
The sword — among the oldest and most direct of Arabic given names.
- Root
- s-y-f (س-ي-ف)
- Gender
- Male
- Meaning
- Sword
- Origin
- Arabic
Meaning
*Sayf* is the sword. Arabic has an unusually large vocabulary for it — dozens of words for its kinds, parts and states — which is one measure of how much it mattered.
In naming
Like Fahd and Asad, it belongs to the habit of naming sons for things that carry force. It also appears constantly in compound honorifics of the *Sayf al-Dawla* type, where it is a *laqab* rather than a given name.
Frequently asked questions
Is Saif a laqab or a given name?
Both. On its own it is a given name; in compounds like Sayf al-Dawla it is a laqab, an honorific title.
Sources
- ابن منظور، لسان العرب، 711هـ — مادة: سيف
Last reviewed: 2026-07-27