Arabic names

The Arabic naming system is different than the English system most of us know and use. We're used to a person having a given name (first name and/or second and/or third...) and a family name (last name). In the Arabic system, though, there is no family name. Instead, a person has a given name (first name), which is followed by his or her father's name (second name), which is followed by his or her grandfather's name (third name), and so on and so on.

So, for example, my name would be Katherine William William, since both my father and his father are named William, and my brother would be named Duncan William William. If I were to marry, my name would remain Katherine William William. If I were to have children, they would be given a first name, their second name would be their father's name, and their third name would be his father's name; and so on and so on. With this system, individuals can trace their lineage easily just by following their names; some can even follow their family history back to the prophet Mohammed.

Speaking of the prophet, Mohammed is a very common Arabic name. Another common name involves the word "Abd". "Abd" literally means "servant of" and it is always followed by one of the ninety-nine names of God. So, for example, the name "Abd al-Allah" means "servant of God", "Abd al-Aziz" means "servant of the Almighty", and "Abd al-Rahman" means "servant of the Compassionate One". If you're curious, a list of the ninety-nine names of God can be found here.