180 Modern & Ancient Egyptian Last Names (& Their Origins)

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Plus, learn the history & origin of Egyptian surnames
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While ancient Egyptians mainly used singular names, last names became more common in Egypt beginning in the 7th century. Today, Egyptian last names usually reflect Arabic influences, geography, and religious practices. Read on to explore 180 Egyptian surnames and meanings, from the popular and unique to the ancient and royal . Plus, discover the history of Egyptian last names in more detail, along with how they work today. You can also use our last name generator to find your ideal Egyptian last name!

Examples of Egyptian Last Names

  • Popular: Ahmed, El-Masri, Farid, Hakim, Magdy, Mohamed, Rashid.
  • Common: Abubakar, Bakir, Faisal, Mohsen, Sadek, Said, Shoukry.
  • Unique: Abdelrahman, Gaber, Hafez, Mansour, Saffet, Tawfik, Yehia.
  • Royal: Akhenaten, Eldessouky, Imhotep, Meritaten, Nizam, Sultan, Thutmose, Tiye.
Section 1 of 9:

Popular Egyptian Last Names

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  1. Their meanings vary greatly, while many of these popular names are also often used as first names for boys. Examples include Ahmed, meaning “praiseworthy,” and Hakim, meaning “intelligent.” Others use the Egyptian “El-” prefix, like “El-Masri,” meaning “the Egyptian.” [1]
    • Abbas – Means “lion” and “brave”; the name of the prophet Muhammad’s uncle.
    • Ahmed – Means “praiseworthy”; it’s also a popular Arabic boy’s name.
    • Aziz – Means “beloved,” “dear,” or “respected.”
    • Baba – Means “father” or “venerable man.”
    • El-Masri – Means “the Egyptian”; it also appears as El-Masry.
    • El-Shawky – Means “the thorny one.”
    • Essa – The Arabic name variation for Jesus.
    • Fahmy – Means “my understanding.”
    • Farag – Means “to cure”; also means “disappearance of worries.”
    • Farid – Means “unique” or “one of a kind.”
    • Fathy – Means “victory,” in addition to “conqueror” or “warrior.”
    • Hakim – Taken from the Arabic “ḥakīm,” meaning “intelligent.”
    • Hamada – Means “to praise”; it also refers to a “desert landscape.”
    • Hamidi – Means “to be commended.”
    • Ibrahim – Means “father of many”; it’s the Arabic version of the Hebrew Abraham.
    • Khalil – Means “friend”; derived from the Arabic “khalīlullāh,” meaning “friend of God.”
    • Magdy – Means “honorable” and “most giving.”
    • Mohamed – Means “praiseworthy”; the most popular Egyptian last name, and one of the most popular for boys.
    • Omar – Means “long-lived”; related to Umar ibn al-Khattab, a military leader who helped Islam spread.
    • Rashid – Means “rightly guided” or “having good judgment.”
    • Salem – Means “safe”; associated with the Hebrew “shalom,” meaning “peaceful.”
    • Samir – Means “friend”; also means “holy” and “charming.”
    • Youssef – Means “God increases”; the Arabic version of Joseph.
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Section 2 of 9:

Common Egyptian Last Names

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  1. Commonly used last names are mainly rooted in Arabic. Most of these common names are derived from Arabic roots, like “Faisal,” originally meaning “to split,” and Said, meaning “master.” Some names relate to Islam, like Ashour, referring to the 10th day of the month of Muharram, or Ali, meaning “all high” in Islam. [2]
    • Abdel – A name used for a “servant of the” or “slave of the” master.
    • Abubakar – Means “father of a young camel.”
    • Ali - Means “the elevated”; also refers to the “all high” in Islam.
    • Anani – Means “cloud” in Arabic, poetic and rare.
    • Ashour – Refers to the 10th day of the Islamic month of Muharram.
    • Ayad – Related to the Arabic first name “Iyad,” meaning “recurrence”; it also means “benefit, blessings, and power.”
    • Babu – Related to the Egyptian god Babi, Osiris’s firstborn son.
    • Bakir – Comes from the Arabic “bākir,” meaning “coming early”; it also means “copper” in Turkey.
    • Fadel – Means “virtuous”; it comes from the Arabic “fạ̄dil,” meaning “generous” and “excellent.”
    • Faisal – Given to a “person who separates between the true and false”; taken from the Arabic root “f-ṣ-l,” meaning “to split.”
    • Hadi – Given to a “leader” or “guide”; one of the 99 names of God in Islam.
    • Haroun – Egyptian form of “Aaron,” meaning “mountain of strength.”
    • Maher – Means “talented” or “expert” in Arabic.
    • Mohsen – Means “benefactor”; related to the first name Muḥsin, meaning “beneficent.”
    • Osama – Means “lion”; taken from the Arabic root “a-s-m,” meaning “the one with a name.”
    • Ragab – Means “lord of God” and “Lord Ram.”
    • Rashad – Means “young gazelle”; also means “good judgment.”
    • Sadek – Means “truthful”; a name given to an “honest friend.”
    • Said – Means “master”; taken from the Arabic “sa’ada,” meaning “to be happy, fortunate, or lucky.”
    • Shafiq – Means “compassionate,” “merciful,” and “tender.”
    • Shoukry – Means “thankful” or “grateful.”
    • Zahir – Means “manifest”; Aẓ-Ẓāhir is one of the names of God in Islam.
Section 3 of 9:

Famous Egyptian Last Names

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  1. For example, Al-Azhar is a famous university and mosque in Cairo, while Arafat is the name of a sacred mountain in Islam. Among famous last names in Egypt, Helal relates to the Islamic symbol of the crescent moon, and Ramadan is given to a person born in the month of Ramadan. [3]
    • Abdallah – Means “servant of God.”
    • Abdelaziz – Means “servant of the Almighty,” common among respected families.
    • Abdelfattah – Comes from the Arabic “ʻAbd al-Fattāh,” meaning “servant of the conqueror.”
    • Asghar – Means “shining,” “radiance,” or “brilliance.”
    • Al-Azhar – Refers to the famous Islamic university and mosque in Cairo.
    • Al-Sheikh – Means “the elder” or “religious leader.”
    • Arafat – Refers to the sacred Mount Arafat in Islam.
    • Ashraf – Means “more distinguished,” “honorable one,” and “noble.”
    • Boutros – Egyptian form of “Peter,” meaning “rock” or “stone.”
    • Eid – Refers to a festive occasion or celebration.
    • El-Baz – Means “the falcon,” symbolizing vision and strength.
    • El-Boghdady – Given to someone “from Baghdad.”
    • El-Zayat – Means “the oil seller,” tied to trade.
    • Gendy – A variant of Al-Gendy, meaning “soldier.”
    • Hamdy – Means “praiseworthy.”
    • Hassan – Means “favorable”; from the Arabic root “h-s-n,” meaning “good,” “handsome,” and “excellent.”
    • Helal – Means “crescent moon,” symbolic in Islamic culture.
    • Khoudary – Refers to “one from the fertile area”; derived from the Arabic “khodr,” meaning “green” or “verdant.”
    • Mabrouk – A word used to mean “blessed.”
    • Madbouli – Derived from the Arabic word "madbool," meaning "chosen" or "elected.”
    • Moustafa – Means “chosen” and “to be pure.”
    • Ramadan – Given to someone “born in the month of Ramadan,” the 9th month.
    • Reda – Means “satisfaction”; based on the Arabic “ridha,” meaning “contentment” and “wish.”
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Section 4 of 9:

Unique Egyptian Last Names

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  1. These names share different meanings that are less customary. Many are geographical in nature, like Bassiouny, given to someone from the town of Bassioun. Gaber relates to a person who “comforts,” while Afifi is associated with “good moral values.” Someone named Shamel might be known for being extra “comprehensive” in everything they do. [4]
    • Abdelkader – Means “servant of the powerful one,” tied to faith and strength.
    • Abdelrahman – Means “servant of the most merciful,” deeply religious in tone.
    • Adio – Means “righteous.”
    • Afifi – Means “chaste” or “pure,” linked to good moral values.
    • Alaa – Means “excellence” or “nobility.”
    • Badawi – Means “from the desert”; a name given to the Bedouin people.
    • Bassiouny – Refers to someone from the village of Bassioun in Egypt.
    • Diaballah – Means “wolf of God,” combining strength with faith.
    • El Shamy – Means “the Levantine” when given to a member of the Levantine community.
    • El-Domyati – Given to someone “from the city of Domyat.”
    • El-Naggar – Means “the carpenter.”
    • Gaber – Means “comforter” or “one who helps others.”
    • Hafez – Means “preserver” or “keeper”; given to someone who has memorized the Quran.
    • Hegazy – Given to someone “from the Hijaz region of Saudi Arabia.”
    • Lotfy – Means “gentle” or “kind.”
    • Mahdy – Means “rightly guided,” often with religious meaning.
    • Mansour – Means “victorious” or “blessed with success.”
    • Saffet – Means “one who is safe”; taken from the Arabic “safa,” meaning “purity.”
    • Shamel – Means “comprehensive” and “complete.”
    • Talaat – Also a boy’s name meaning “beauty.”
    • Tawfik – Means “success” or “divine guidance.”
    • Yehia – Means “God is gracious”; in Egyptian, “yahya” means “given by God.”
Section 5 of 9:

Beautiful Egyptian Last Names

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  1. Bahgat means “joy,” while Badru is a poetic-sounding name that refers to the “full moon.” Habib is a traditional Arabic term for a “beautiful friend” or someone you can trust. Ismail has deep spiritual connotations, as it means “heard by God.” [5]
    • Al-Ameen – Means “faithful” and “trustworthy”; uses the Arabic “Al-” prefix, meaning “the.”
    • Anwar – Means “light” or “radiance.”
    • Badru – Means “full moon”; also used as a boy’s name.
    • Bahgat – Refers to “delight” or “joy.”
    • Basem – Means “smiling.”
    • Dawoud – The Egyptian form of David, meaning “prophet” or “beloved” in Hebrew.
    • El-Amin – Means “the trustworthy.”
    • Fouad – Means “heart”; it is also associated with the mind and spirit.
    • Gamal – Means “beauty”; also refers to the phrase “God is my reward.”
    • Habib – A well-known Arabic term and name for a “beloved one,” “darling” or “friend.”
    • Ismail – Means “heard by God.”
    • Jamal – Means “beauty”; derived from the Arabic “jamāl,” meaning “grace.”
    • Khaled – Means “immortal”; it’s also a name found in Syria.
    • Latif – Means “gentle” or “kind.”
    • Mounir – Means “bright” or “illuminating.”
    • Nasser – Means “helper” or “one who gives victory.”
    • Nuru – Means “born during the day.”
    • Osman – A name given to someone showing “strength” and “leadership.”
    • Saad – Means “happiness,” “good fortune,” and “success.”
    • Selim – Means “safe” or “peaceful,” symbolizing harmony.
    • Shokry – Means “my thanksgiving”; relates to the Arabic “shakar,” meaning “to give thanks”
    • Zaki – Means “intelligent” and “pure.”
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Section 6 of 9:

Ancient Egyptian Last Names

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  1. Egyptian names date back to ancient kingdoms when the pharaohs ruled. Before surnames became common in the 7th century, ancient Egyptians were known by a single name. Many ancient male and female Egyptian names were linked to gods, along with other ancient religions, like Judaism and Christianity. For example, Aten means “sun disc” as it relates to Ahkennatun. Issa is an Arabic name that translates to Jesus. [6]
    • Ahmose (Ah-mose) – Meaning "child of the moon," Ahmose is related to lunar cycles.
    • Amenemhat (Ah-meh-NEHM-haat) – It means “Amun is in front”; the name of the first ruler of the Egyptian 12th Dynasty.
    • Aten (AH-Tehn) – Refers to the “sun disc” or “the circle”; the sun was worshipped during Ahkenatun’s reign.
    • Baketmut (Bah-ket-moot) – Meaning "soul of Mut”; the name of the daughter of Pharaoh Ramesses II.
    • Darwish (Dahr-WEESH) – Means “wandering”; its longer meaning is “one who revolves around himself in circles on songs mentioning God.”
    • Dedumose (DEH-doh-Mose) – Meaning "enduring is born”; name of a 16th-Dynasty Egyptian pharaoh.
    • Eskander (EHS-kaan-Dahr) – The Arabic form of Iskander, itself a variation of Alexander.
    • Gad (GAAD) – Taken from the Arabic “jād,” meaning “serious” and “earnest”; the name of one of the sons of Jacob in the Bible.
    • Horemheb (HOHR-em-Heb) – Means "Horus is in jubilation”; associated with the falcon-headed god Horus.
    • Irynefer (EAR-ee-Neh-faer) – Means "one who loves goodness”; in ancient times, it meant “he-cat” or “she-cat.”
    • Issa (IH-saa) – Another Arabic word for Jesus; it also means “God saves.”
    • Kemet (KEH-met) – Means “black land”; It’s the ancient name for Egypt.
    • Meritamun (Mehr-it-AH-moon) – Means "beloved of Amun”; used as an ancient female name.
    • Meryt (MEHR-eht) – Means "beloved” or “one who is loved.”
    • Mesbah (MEHS-baah) – Means “lamp.”
    • Montuhotep (Mon-too-HOW-tep) – Means "Montu is satisfied”; the name for a warrior god associated with Thebes.
    • Mutnofret (MOOT-noh-Fret) – Means "mother is beautiful”; related to the ancient worship of motherhood.
    • Renpetnefer (Ren-PEHT-neh-Fer) – Means "beautiful year”; an ancient goddess and the sister or the wife of Imhotep.
    • Soliman (SUW-lay-Mahn) – The Arabic version of the Hebrew Solomon, meaning “man of peace.”
    • Younes (YOO-Nehs) – Means “dove”; associated with the Hebrew “yoná.”
    • Zakaria (Zah-KAA-riy-Ah) – Means “God remembers”; derived from the Arabic Zakariyyā, meaning “Yahweh remembers.”
    • Zaza (ZAA-Zah) – Means “belonging to all”; it means “plenty” in the biblical Books of Chronicles.
Section 7 of 9:

Royal Egyptian Last Names

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  1. While most of these names aren’t in use in modern Egypt, they’re easily recognized as part of ancient Egyptian history. Amenhotep was a name used by numerous pharaohs, while Djoser is an Egyptian form of Joseph used by the ruler who commissioned the step pyramids. Among royal names in Egypt, Sultan is also present, which is the Arabic word meaning “ruler.” [7]
    • Akhenaten (AAK-keh-NAH-taan) – Means “beneficial to Aton”; another name for Amenhotep IV, an ancient Egyptian king during the 18th dynasty.
    • Amenhotep (Ah-muhn-HOH-tep) – Means “Amun is satisfied,” used by several pharaohs.
    • Ankhesenamun (Anh-kheh-sen-AH-Moon) – Queen of ancient Egypt, meaning “her life is of Amun.”
    • Djoser (JOW-ser) – The Egyptian form of Joseph; the name of the pharaoh associated with the Step Pyramid.
    • El Sherif (El-shaa-REEF) – Means “honorable”; derived from the Arabic “sherif,” meaning “noble” and “highborn.”
    • Eldessouky (El-des-SOO-kee) – Taken from the Arabic “sayyid,” meaning “lord” and “prince”; can appear as El-Dessouky.
    • Hapshepsut (HHAT-shuhp-Soot) – Means "foremost of noble women”; the name of an ancient female ruler during the 18th Dynasty.
    • Imhotep (Ihm-HET-tep) – Means “he who comes in peace”; the name of an ancient Egyptian architect.
    • Khalifa (Khaa-LEE-Fah) – Means “ruler”; it’s also a title meaning “successor” or “steward.”
    • Khufu (KUW-fuw) – The name of the 2nd pharaoh of the 4th Dynasty, who commissioned the Great Pyramid of Giza.
    • Meritaten (Meh-rih-TAH-ten) – The name of an 18th Dynasty female ruler; it also means “she who is beloved of Aten.”
    • Nabil (Nah-BEEL) – Means “noble,” “highborn,” and “brave.”
    • Nizam (Ni-ZAAM) – Means “disciplined”; comes from the Arabic “nizām,” meaning “order” and “ruler.”
    • Pepi (PEH-pee) – Associated with “longevity”; the name given to 2 different pharaohs.
    • Rahotep (Raa-HOUW-tep) – Means “God is satisfied”; given to Prince Rahotep, who ruled during the 4th Dynasty.
    • Ramses (RAAM-sees) – Means “begotten by Ra”; the founder of the 19th Dynasty.
    • Senusret (Seh-noo-sret) – Means "man of goddess Wosret"; is the name of a 12th Dynasty pharaoh.
    • Sultan (SUHL-taan) – An Arabic title for a “ruler.”
    • Thutmose (THUHT-mowz) – Means “born of Thoth,” used by several ancient Egyptian rulers.
    • Tiye (TEE-yah) – The name of an Egyptian queen of the 18th Dynasty.
    • Tutankhamun (TUWT-ehn-Kaa-MOON) – Means “living image of Amun”; the name for the most famous pharaoh in ancient Egypt.
    • Zaghloul (ZAAG-loool) – Means “pure, free soul”; the name for the Sultan of Andalusia.
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Section 8 of 9:

Rare Egyptian Last Names

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  1. It’s far less common to find these rare Egyptian surnames being used. Their meanings range from Chisisi, meaning “secret,” and Helmi, meaning “dreamer.” Others include Labib, meaning “intelligent,” and Rizk, meaning “provision.” Ghalioun was traditionally associated with merchants; Guirguis was the Egyptian form of George. [8]
    • Akil – Taken from the first name Āqil, meaning “intelligent” and “prudent.”
    • Barakat – Means “blessings” or “prosperity.”
    • Bayoumi – Refers to someone from the region of Bayoum in Egypt.
    • Bishara – Means “good news” or “glad tidings.”
    • Chisisi – Means “secret.”
    • Diab – Means “wolf,” symbolizing strength and cunning.
    • El-Din – Means “of the faith” or “religious.”
    • El-Nahas – Means “coppersmith” as an occupational name.
    • Ghalioun – A name associated with merchants.
    • Guirguis – Egyptian form of “George,” meaning “farmer” or “earth-worker.”
    • Helmy – Means “patient” or “dreamer.”
    • Heshmat – Means “dignity” or “prestige.”
    • Kamel – Means “whole” or “complete.”
    • Khaldun – Means “everlasting”; associated with the Arabic root “khalada,” meaning “to remain” or “last forever.”
    • Khater – Means “thought” or “idea.”
    • Labib – Means “intelligent” or “sensible.”
    • Lalh – A rare variation of the name Lah, given to the Egyptian moon god.
    • Manu – Means “born second.”
    • Naglaa – Means “adornment”; derived from the Arabic “nagila,” meaning “to wear.”
    • Nassry – Means “victory”; taken from the Arabic “naṣr,” meaning “triumph.”
    • Rizk – Means “provision” or “sustenance.”
    • Tammam – Means “generous”; taken from the “Arabic “tamām,” meaning “complete,” and “whole.”
    • Tharwat – Means “wealth”; associated with the Arabic “tharwa,” meaning “treasure.”
    • Zoheir – Means “little flower” and “blossom.”
Section 9 of 9:

How do Egyptian last names work?

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  1. Instead, they were known by a singular name, often relating to descriptive nicknames, personality traits, or their occupation; they would sometimes also use their father’s name. Higher officials and royalty frequently used names related to their title or the deity to whom they dedicated themselves.
    • An example of an Egyptian using a personal name and their father’s name is Muhamed, son of Meryt.
    • An example of a royal name would be Thutmose, meaning “born of the god Thoth,” due to Thutmose’s reverence for the god of wisdom and writing.
  2. 2
    Egyptian surnames began to appear after the 7th-century Islamic conquest. With the arrival of Arabic culture and customs in Egypt around this time, last names became more commonly used. Many Egyptians adopted Arabic surnames, based on geographical location or ancestral lineage.
    • For instance, El-Masri means “the Egyptian,” while El-Badawi means “from the desert,” for the Bedouin people.
    • Other examples include El-Hakim, meaning "the doctor,” or Najar, meaning "carpenter.”
    • Additionally, Coptic, Jewish, Christian, and Colonial European cultures also influenced some Egyptian last names.
    • Modern Egyptian last names often use the prefixes “El-” or “Al-” to indicate “the,” as in “El-Shawky,” meaning “the thorny one.”
    • Many Egyptian surnames are based on Islamic words and carry a religious meaning, like “Khalil,” meaning “friend of God.”
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      References

      1. ↑ https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/egyptian-culture/egyptian-culture-naming
      2. ↑ https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/egyptian-culture/egyptian-culture-naming
      3. ↑ https://namesgenius.com/egyptian-last-names/
      4. ↑ https://teamgroupnames.com/egyptian-last-names/
      5. ↑ https://namesgenius.com/egyptian-last-names/
      6. ↑ https://www.thearchaeologist.org/blog/100-ancient-egyptian-names-and-their-meanings
      7. ↑ https://www.thearchaeologist.org/blog/100-ancient-egyptian-names-and-their-meanings
      8. ↑ https://teamgroupnames.com/egyptian-last-names/

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