Banī Kaʿb
A name carried by groups in both the Gulf and lower Iraq, treated separately by the sources.
- Recorded in
- The Gulf coast; separately in lower Iraq
- Note
- Distinct groups share the name
Overview
Banī Kaʿb is recorded on the Gulf coast — with sections in what are now the UAE, Oman and Qatar — and separately in lower Iraq and Khuzestan. As with Banī Mālik and Banī Saʿd, the sources do not merge them, and Kaʿb was a very common personal name. A family carrying the nisba should establish which grouping the record places them in before assuming either.
On lineage
Branch lists and affiliations here are given as reported by the classical genealogists, who themselves disagree. Nothing on this page establishes any living family's descent: a shared name may reflect descent, alliance (ḥilf) or clientage (walāʾ).
Frequently asked questions
Are the Gulf and Iraqi Banī Kaʿb the same?
The sources treat them separately. Kaʿb was a very common personal name, and a shared nisba is not evidence of a shared line.
Sources
- ابن حزم الأندلسي، جمهرة أنساب العرب، 456هـ — في تكرّر الأسماء
This page is an educational, historical reference compiled from published sources.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: 2026-07-28