Al-Suhaili
A family name (nisba) to the Najdi tribe of al-Suhul; the like-written al-Suhayli is a separate name.
- Type
- Tribal nisba
- Attributed to
- Al-Suhul (Najd)
- Not to be confused with
- Al-Suhayli, from the star Suhayl
Overview
Al-Suhaili (السهلي) is the nisba of al-Suhul, a tribe recorded in Najd in the country south of Riyadh. The word behind the name is lexical before it is tribal: sahl is level, yielding ground, and its plural is suhul, as Lisan al-Arab gives it. The nisba is met today in Najd and in the neighbouring Gulf countries.
Two names that look alike
Al-Suhayli (السهيلي, with a yaʾ) is a different nisba, taken from Suhayl, the star, which Lisan al-Arab enters under the same root. The two are close in writing and separate in origin, and agreement of spelling joins no one in descent.
Note
Bearing a tribal nisba does not by itself establish a specific line of descent: a name may be carried by descent (ṣariḥ), by alliance (ḥilf) or by clientage (walaʾ).
Sources
- ابن منظور، لسان العرب، 711هـ — مادة: سهل — السهل من الأرض وجمعه سهول، وفيها ذكر سُهيل
- ياقوت الحموي، معجم البلدان، 626هـ — في ذكر نجد
This page is an educational, historical reference compiled from published sources. It is not an authority on lineage. Where sources differ, we report the difference without taking a position. Corrections are welcome via our contact page.
Last reviewed: 2026-08-31