1001 Nights - Fantasy Arabic

Compiled by Meguey Baker

These names are taken from the 1001 Nights collected by Andrew Lang, with a few additions. If you feel the need for a character with a full name, an easy way is to choose “Name ibn Father’s Name” for a male and “Name bint Father’s Name” for a female. Being known only as “Ibn Father’s Name” would be common and fine. “Name al-Adjective” (as “the Lionhearted”, “the Bald” etc.) is very common for men, far less so for women. Adding “Baba” before a name is a handy familiar honorific, as “Uncle” would be. Women are often honored as “Umm (mother of) Child’s Name, Name”. For nobility, Amir and Amira for Prince and Princess is easy.

Male

  1. Ahmed
  2. Hasad
  3. Behman
  4. Schraiaz
  5. Cassim
  6. Mahmoud
  7. Danash
  8. Abdalla
  9. Mustapha
  10. Douban
  11. Gifar
  12. Haroun
  13. Marzaman
  14. Mihrage
  15. Damriat
  16. Perviz
  17. Firouz
  18. Rashid
  19. Sidi
  20. Zouman

Female

  1. Amira
  2. Ismalia
  3. Balsora
  4. Nisam
  5. Serendib
  6. Dinarzade
  7. Nour
  8. Imma
  9. Maimoune
  10. Melia
  11. Badoura
  12. Malika
  13. Zara
  14. Nourigan
  15. Aziza
  16. Morgiana
  17. Parizade
  18. Maryam
  19. Serit
  20. Zoulika

Adjectives (For “Al-X” last names)

  1. Najjar - carpenter
  2. Husayn - beautiful
  3. Rabi - spring
  4. Abbas - frowner
  5. Khalil - friend
  6. Azhar - shining
  7. Basir - wise
  8. Fayyad - generous
  9. Katib - scribe/author
  10. Hakam - judge
  11. Walid - newcomer
  12. Sagher - young
  13. Awar - one-eyed
  14. Darir - blind
  15. Kabib - elder
  16. Hasib - respected
  17. Abrash - leper
  18. Mubarak - lucky
  19. Quatan - cloth worker
  20. Hadad - blacksmith

Cities and Places

  1. Mecca
  2. Samarkand
  3. Dimashqui / Damascus
  4. Rome
  5. Constantinople
  6. Mawsil - Mosul
  7. Madinah - Medina
  8. Baghdad
  9. Marrakesh
  10. Morocco
  11. Hebron
  12. Sanaa
  13. Buraydah
  14. Tabuk
  15. Kairouan
  16. Jerusalem
  17. Nazara / Nazareth
  18. Bakkah
  19. Aden
  20. Alexandria

Places, Faiths and Tribes

For “al-X” last names. Drop the final “i” to use it for the place, faith, or tribe, except as noted.

  1. Rashidi - line of Rashid
  2. Jahmi - line of Jahm
  3. Tahiri - line of Tahir
  4. Ghassani - line of Ghassan
  5. Suli - line of Sul
  6. Iskafi - Iskafiyah sect
  7. Sufi - Sufi mystic (keep the “i”)
  8. Uqlidsi - studier of Euclid
  9. Nasrani - Christian (keep the “i”)
  10. Hindi - Hindu/Indian (keep the “i”)
  11. Rawandi - Persian
  12. Ikmimi - Egyptian
  13. Ifriqi - North African
  14. Badawi - Bedouin
  15. Rumi - Roman
  16. Sakhawi - Eygptian
  17. Abartai - near Baghdad
  18. Samari - from Sammarkand
  19. Jurashi - Yemen
  20. Maghribi - West African

Food and Drink

  1. coffee, raisin wine, shaved ice with fruit syrups
  2. anise seed drink, mint tea, fruit juices
  3. dates, figs, cashews, walnuts
  4. garlic and sesame paste with vegetables and pita to dip
  5. safron rice with cashews and raisins
  6. almond coil cake
  7. hummus and pita
  8. taboule - bulgar wheat, onions, parsley, lemon, cucumber, mint
  9. grape leaves stuffed with lamb and rice
  10. baklaba - pistachios and honey pastry
  11. roast goat or lamb with coriander, cumin and pepper
  12. babaganoush
  13. zalata - yogurt, cucumbers, herbs
  14. lentil and vegetable stew
  15. fried pudding with syrup
  16. rabbit or fowl, marinated and roasted, with herbs and couscous
  17. oranges, pomegranetes, peaches, grapes, apricots
  18. sugared cubes of jellied fruit
  19. tagine - meat or vegetable stew on couscous
  20. grape leaves stuffed with raisins, rice and almonds

Fashion

Cotton, silk, linen, and wool are common. Velvet and gauze and all weights between are used. Rich red, blue, purple and orange dyes are common, with pastels being a sign of very old, worn-out cloth. Embroidery is extremely common, especially over the chest and upper back, along seams, at cuffs, and hems - geometrics are favored, but abstract organic shapes are found. Every one who can afford jewelry wears it.

Men

  1. Izar - length of cloth tied at the hips, reaching below the knees
  2. Dishdasha - short sleeved loose retangle shaped v-neck gown
  3. Sirwal - slim fitting cotton pants, worn as an undergarment
  4. Thobe - slim gown with a simple sleeve and short colar, usually a light color
  5. Vest - often matching in material to the kaftan
  6. Kaftan - long sleeved loose gown with a simple slit neck, highly embroidered
  7. Mashala - sleeved robe of heavier fabric, worn as coat over a kaftan
  8. Aba - wide dark colored rectangular wrap, slit to form a back and two equal front sides
  9. Taksirah - short sleeved jacket in rich dark color with embroidery, open in the front
  10. Taquiyah - small white pill-box type cap
  11. Ghutra - triangular scarf worn over the cap and scecured by a band
  12. Turban - long length of fabric folded, twisted or wrapped around the cap
  13. Hayim - length of fabric folded and tucked as a belt with pockets, including the dagger
  14. Khanjar - a broad curved dagger
  15. Boots - thick soled leather boots with small heals (for stirrups)
  16. Slippers - thin soled, decorated shoes with slighting up-turned and pointed toes
  17. Sandals - leather, with moderate soles and wide straps over the foot, bare toes.
  18. Jewelry: Rings
  19. Jewelry: Necklaces and bracelets
  20. Jewelry: Earrings

Women

  1. Sirwal - slim fitting cotton pants, narrow at the ankles, worn as an undergarment
  2. Libas - very full pants of fine fabric, gathered at the waist and ankle
  3. Karsh - very full skirt, usually in several gathered tiers, with ribbon trim at the hem
  4. Thobe - slim gown with a simple sleeve and short colar, usually a light color
  5. Thob’ob - gown of extreme length bloused over a narrow belt to make a second skirt
  6. Abaya - gently flaring long gown with flared long sleeves, all with embroidery
  7. Sirish - gown with tight elbow-length sleeves and a low neckline, worn over pants
  8. Suriya Mabdu - rectangular knee length gown with sheer sleeves, worn over pants
  9. Vest - tight fitting stiffed vest, highly decorated, worn over suriya mabdu
  10. Beladi - long gown with long sleeves, slit on the sides, worn over pants
  11. Kaftan - long sleeved gown with a square neckline, often embroidered
  12. Jillayh - gown slightly fitted through the bodice and flaring from the hips to ankles
  13. Mashala - sleeved robe of heavier fabric, decorated through the chest, coat over a kaftan
  14. Aba - wide dark colored rectangular wrap, slit to form a back and two equal front sides
  15. Henna - black, red, or brown paste used to decorate hands and feet with patterns
  16. Veil - various lengths of cloth used to cover the hair and/or face, can be sheer or not
  17. Asab Hrir - Rectangular cloth with tasseled ends, one edge centered over the head so the tassels hang down the sides, secured by a heavily embroidered cap
  18. Chador - full-body veiling, with a lace, net, or embroidered screen for the eyes
  19. Slippers - thin soled, embroidered shoes with slighting up-turned and pointed toes
  20. Sandals - leather, with moderate soles and wide straps over the foot, bare toes.