200+ Popular Muslim Surnames & Last Names with Meanings – Arabic Family Names List (2025)

A surname is more than just a name—it’s a legacy, a cultural identity, and a link to ancestry. In the Muslim world, surnames (or family names) often carry deep meaning. They may indicate lineage, place of origin, tribe, or even professions of ancestors.

From Arabic surnames like Al-Farsi and Al-Masri, to widely recognized Muslim last names like Khan, Ansari, Syed, or Sheikh, these names are rich in history. Many Muslim surnames reflect religious significance, family heritage, and regional influence—whether Arabic, Persian, Turkish, or South Asian.

In this guide, we’ll explore 200+ Muslim surnames and last names with meanings, including:

Arabic family names with historical roots
Common Muslim surnames used globally
Persian and Turkish-influenced surnames
South Asian Muslim family names
Rare and unique surnames with strong cultural heritage

This Muslim surname list (2025 edition) is perfect for those researching genealogy, curious about cultural identity, or simply interested in the meanings behind these names.

1. The Significance of Muslim Surnames

Muslim surnames are not random—they usually connect to one of the following:

Religious identity → e.g., Syed, Siddiqui, Farooqi (lineage from Prophet Muhammad’s companions/family).
Tribal/Regional origin → e.g., Qureshi (tribe of Quraysh), Ansari (supporters of Prophet in Medina).
Occupational titles → e.g., Sheikh (scholar/leader), Mullah (religious teacher).
Geographical names → e.g., Baghdadi, Misri, Al-Farsi.
Honorifics & noble titles → e.g., Khan, Nawab, Sultan.

Understanding surnames gives us insight into heritage, migration, and Islamic history across centuries.

2. 200+ Popular Muslim Surnames & Last Names with Meanings

Below is the complete list divided into categories for clarity.

A. Arabic Muslim Surnames (40)

These are common in the Middle East and among Arabic-speaking Muslim families.

Surname	Meaning/Origin	Surname	Meaning/Origin
Al-Farsi	From Persia/Iran	Al-Masri	Egyptian origin
Al-Tunisi	From Tunisia	Al-Baghdadi	From Baghdad
Al-Mansoori	Victorious	Al-Saadi	Fortunate, happy
Al-Najjar	Carpenter	Al-Qadir	Powerful, capable
Al-Amin	The trustworthy (title of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ)	Al-Hakim	Wise, judge
Al-Mahdi	The guided one	Al-Hashimi	Descendant of Banu Hashim (clan of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ)
Al-Qureshi	Of the Quraysh tribe	Al-Kazmi	Restrained, patient
Al-Mutairi	Belonging to the Mutair tribe	Al-Din	Of faith/religion
Al-Rashid	Rightly guided	Al-Jabari	Strong, powerful
Al-Tamimi	From the Tamim tribe	Al-Shamri	Syrian origin
Al-Fayez	Successful	Al-Hanafi	Of Hanafi school of thought
Al-Makki	From Makkah	Al-Madani	From Medina
Al-Khatib	Preacher, orator	Al-Siddiqi	Truthful, from Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (Companion of Prophet ﷺ)
Al-Farouqi	Descendant of Umar ibn al-Khattab (Al-Farooq)	Al-Harbi	From Harb tribe
Al-Khalil	Friend, companion	Al-Zahrani	Blooming, flourishing
Al-Juhani	Belonging to Juhaynah tribe	Al-Dawoodi	Descendant of Prophet Dawood (David)
Al-Naimi	Comfort, ease	Al-Mutawakkil	Reliant on Allah
Al-Sulaimani	Of Prophet Suleiman (Solomon)	Al-Muqaddam	Leader
Al-Karim	Generous	Al-Sabahi	Morning-born
Al-Ghazali	Spinner/weaver; also famous scholar Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali	Al-Khwarizmi	From Khwarizm, Uzbekistan (mathematician Al-Khwarizmi)

B. Common Muslim Surnames Across the World (40)

These are widely used in South Asia, Middle East, and beyond.

Surname	Meaning/Origin	Surname	Meaning/Origin
Khan	Ruler, leader (Turko-Mongol origin)	Malik	King, chief
Sheikh	Elder, leader, scholar	Syed	Descendant of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ
Hussaini	Descendant of Imam Hussain	Abbasi	Descendant of Abbas ibn Abdul Muttalib
Hashmi	Clan of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ	Ansari	Helper; supporters of Prophet in Medina
Qadri	Follower of Abdul Qadir Jilani	Chishti	Follower of Chishti Sufi order
Farooqi	Descendant of Umar ibn al-Khattab (Al-Farooq)	Siddiqui	Descendant of Abu Bakr As-Siddiq
Usmani	Descendant of Uthman ibn Affan	Nadwi	Associated with Nadwa Islamic seminary
Razvi	From Imam Ali Raza’s lineage	Bukhari	From Bukhara, Uzbekistan
Shamsi	Descendant of Shams (sun)	Idrisi	Lineage of Prophet Idris
Gilani	From Gilan, Iran	Mirza	Noble title, Persian origin
Haqqani	Believer in the truth	Khalidi	Descendant of Khalid ibn al-Walid
Naqvi	Descendant of Imam Ali Naqi	Tabrizi	From Tabriz, Iran
Islahi	Associated with reform	Shirazi	From Shiraz, Iran
Mansoori	Victorious	Sabri	Patient
Tirmizi	From Termez, Uzbekistan	Baghdadi	From Baghdad
Dehlavi	From Delhi, India	Makki	From Makkah
Madani	From Medina	Afghani	From Afghanistan
Hijazi	From Hijaz region (Saudi Arabia)	Misri	Egyptian origin
Turk	Turkish origin	Pathan	Pashtun tribe
Yemeni	From Yemen	Qazi	Judge, magistrate

C. Persian & Turkish-Influenced Muslim Surnames (40)

Surname	Meaning/Origin	Surname	Meaning/Origin
Pahlavi	Ancient Persian dynasty	Shah	King
Sultan	Ruler	Nawaz	Bestower of blessings
Aziz	Beloved, respected	Bakhtiar	Fortunate
Barzani	Kurdish origin tribe	Darwish	Dervish, Sufi
Iqbal	Prosperity, good fortune	Mahmoudi	Praiseworthy
Nawabi	Noble	Osmani	Of Uthman
Rumi	Of Rome; also famous poet Rumi	Soroush	Angel, Persian origin
Tariq	Morning star	Yazdi	From Yazd, Iran
Bayat	Persian tribe	Behzadi	Of noble birth
Mustafa	The chosen one	Nizami	Orderly, systematic
Rezaei	Descendant of Reza	Tughluq	Turkic dynasty in India
Timuri	Descendant of Timur	Atatürk	Father of Turks (title)
Demir	Iron (Turkish origin)	Altun	Gold
Gökhan	Sky ruler	Arslan	Lion
Karimi	Generous	Kazmi	Restrained
Bayrami	Festival-related	Erdogan	Brave, warrior
Çelik	Steel	Yildiz	Star
Gulzar	Rose garden	Sabuncu	Soap maker (Turkish origin)
Balci	Honey seller (Turkish origin)	Aydin	Enlightened
Sevgi	Love	Hussaini	Descendant of Imam Hussain

D. South Asian Muslim Surnames (40)

Surname	Meaning/Origin	Surname	Meaning/Origin
Chaudhry	Landowner, leader	Mughal	Descendant of Mughal dynasty
Sayyid	Descendant of Prophet Muhammad	Pirzada	Son of a saint
Dar	Title used in Kashmir	Butt	Kashmiri origin
Lone	Kashmiri tribe	Mir	Leader, noble
Sheikh	Elder, leader	Peer	Saint, elder
Qureshi	Tribe of Quraysh	Ansari	Helpers of Prophet in Medina
Usmani	Uthman’s descendant	Farooqi	Umar ibn al-Khattab’s lineage
Siddiqui	Abu Bakr’s lineage	Hashmi	Clan of Banu Hashim
Abbasi	Abbas ibn Abdul Muttalib’s descendants	Kazmi	Imam Musa al-Kazim’s lineage
Naqvi	Imam Ali Naqi’s lineage	Rizvi	Imam Ali Raza’s lineage
Barelvi	From Bareilly, India	Deobandi	From Deoband, India
Hyderabadi	From Hyderabad	Lucknawi	From Lucknow
Punjabi	From Punjab region	Bangladeshi	From Bangladesh
Bengali	From Bengal region	Sindhi	From Sindh
Bhopali	From Bhopal	Multani	From Multan

E. Rare & Unique Muslim Surnames (50)

Surname	Meaning/Origin	Surname	Meaning/Origin
Firdausi	From Paradise (Firdaus)	Nishapuri	From Nishapur, Iran
Isfahani	From Isfahan	Hariri	Silk seller
Jawahiri	Jeweler	Khalili	Eternal friend
Mansuri	Victorious	Sabzwari	From Sabzwar
Tabrizi	From Tabriz	Shirazi	From Shiraz
Hanafi	From Hanafi school of thought	Shafi’i	From Shafi’i school
Hanbali	From Hanbali school	Maliki	From Maliki school
Samarrai	From Samarra, Iraq	Mosuli	From Mosul
Aleppo	From Aleppo, Syria	Khurasani	From Khorasan region
Jazairi	From Algeria	Maghribi	From Maghreb region
Andalusi	From Andalusia, Spain	Misri	From Egypt
Hijazi	From Hijaz region	Karbala’i	From Karbala
Najafi	From Najaf	Qazwini	From Qazwin
Samarqandi	From Samarkand	Balkhi	From Balkh, Afghanistan
Khani	Noble, leader	Faruqi	Umar ibn al-Khattab’s title
Baig	Noble, commander	Darzi	Tailor
Attar	Perfume seller	Haddad	Blacksmith
Najjar	Carpenter	Qassab	Butcher
Hakeem	Wise, healer	Hakimzada	Son of a scholar
Wali	Guardian, saint	Faqih	Jurist, scholar
Mufti	Islamic jurist	Imami	Of Imams
Sayyidi	Master, respected	Mawlawi	Religious scholar
Nizari	Nizari sect	Shahbazi	Royal falconer
Tusi	From Tus, Iran	Khurasani	From Khorasan region
Qalandari	Mystic, dervish	Haqqani	Believer in truth

FAQs on Muslim Surnames

Q1. What is the most common Muslim surname?
Globally, Khan, Malik, Sheikh, Syed, Qureshi, and Ansari are among the most common.

Q2. Do all Muslims use surnames?
Not always. In many Arabic traditions, a person is identified by lineage (bin/bint, ibn/ibn-e). However, modern states often require family surnames.

Q3. Are all Muslim surnames Arabic?
No. While many are Arabic, Muslim surnames are also Persian, Turkish, South Asian, African, and Andalusian.

Q4. What do prefixes like “Al-” mean in surnames?
“Al-” in Arabic surnames often means “the” or “of,” showing origin or association.

Q5. What surnames indicate direct lineage from Prophet Muhammad ﷺ?
Syed, Sayyid, Hashmi, Hussaini, Naqvi, Rizvi, Kazmi.

Q6. Which surnames are occupational?
Examples: Najjar (carpenter), Haddad (blacksmith), Qassab (butcher), Darzi (tailor).

Q7. Are surnames the same in all Muslim countries?
No. For example, Khan is common in South Asia, while Al-Masri is Arabic, and Osmanlı is Turkish.

Q8. Do surnames change with geography?
Yes—many surnames are based on cities/regions: Baghdadi, Shirazi, Makki, Madani.

Q9. What’s the difference between titles and surnames?
Some like Sheikh, Sultan, Nawab began as titles but evolved into surnames.

Q10. Why are some surnames religious?
To honor faith, scholars, or Imams—e.g., Siddiqui, Farooqi, Rizvi.

Conclusion

Muslim surnames are a tapestry of faith, culture, history, and geography. From Arabic family names like Al-Hashimi and Al-Masri, to South Asian surnames like Khan, Qureshi, and Syed, each name carries a story of ancestry and heritage.

This list of 200+ Muslim surnames and last names with meanings shows the diversity within the Islamic world. Whether you are tracing your roots, researching Islamic history, or simply exploring names, understanding surnames connects us to centuries of legacy.

Surnames are more than identity—they are living history.

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200+ Popular Muslim Surnames & Last Names with Meanings – Arabic Family Names List

1. The Significance of Muslim Surnames