Arab family names

Origins, tribes, and history of Arab family names.

• Al-Ajmi

  A family name (nisba) attributed to the tribe of Ajman.

• Al-Ansari

  A family name (nisba) attributed to the Ansar of Medina — the tribes of Aws and Khazraj.

• Al-Anzi

  A family-name (nisba) form indicating attribution to the Anizah tribe.

• Al-Balawi

  A family name (nisba) attributed to the ancient tribe of Bali.

• Al-Dosari

  A family-name (nisba) form indicating attribution to the Al-Dawasir confederation.

• Al-Ghamdi

  A family-name (nisba) form indicating attribution to the Ghamid tribe.

• Al-Hadhrami

  A family name (nisba) to the Hadhramaut region of Yemen — one of the most widely travelled nisbas in the Islamic world.

• Al-Hamdani

  A family name (nisba) to the Yemeni confederation of Hamdan; borne by the great geographer al-Hasan al-Hamdani.

• Al-Harbi

  A family-name (nisba) form indicating attribution to the Harb tribe.

• Al-Juhani

  A family name (nisba) attributed to the ancient Hijazi tribe of Juhaynah.

• Al-Khalidi

  A family name (nisba) borne by families attributed to Bani Khalid, and by others across the Arab world.

• Al-Kindi

  A family name (nisba) to the ancient tribe of Kinda; famously borne by the philosopher Yaqub ibn Ishaq al-Kindi.

• Al-Marri

  A family name (nisba) attributed in the Gulf to the tribe of Al Murrah; a like-sounding classical nisba to Banu Murrah also exists.

• Al-Mazrouei

  A family name (nisba) attributed in the UAE to the Mazari' of the Bani Yas confederation; a distinct Mazrui history exists in Oman and East Africa.

• Al-Mutairi

  A family-name (nisba) form indicating attribution to the Mutayr tribe.

• Al-Otaibi

  A family-name (nisba) form indicating attribution to the Utaybah tribe.

• Al-Qahtani

  A family-name (nisba) form indicating attribution to Qahtan.

• Al-Shammari

  A family-name (nisba) form indicating attribution to the Shammar tribe.

• Al-Subaie

  A family name (nisba) attributed to the tribe of Subay'.

• Al-Tamimi

  A family-name (nisba) form indicating attribution to the Bani Tamim tribe.

• Al-Thaqafi

  A family name (nisba) attributed to the classical tribe of Thaqif of Taif.

• Al-Yafei

  A family name (nisba) to Yafi' of southern Yemen, borne by classical scholars and widespread in Yemen and the Gulf.

• Al-Yami

  A family name (nisba) attributed to the tribe of Yam of the Najran region.

• Al-Zahrani

  A family-name (nisba) form indicating attribution to the Zahran tribe.