Nisba (onomastics)

In Arabic names, a nisba (Arabic: نسبة nisbah, "attribution"), also rendered as nesba or nesbat, is an adjective surname indicating the person's place of origin, ancestral tribe, or ancestry, used at the end of the name and occasionally ending in the suffix -iyy for males and -iyyah for females. Nisba, originally an Arabic word, has been passed to many other languages such as Turkish, Persian, Bengali and Urdu.

In Persian, Turkish, and Urdu usage, it is always pronounced and written as nisbat. In Arabic usage, that pronunciation occurs when the word is uttered in its construct state only.

The practice has been adopted in Iranian names and South Asian Muslim names. The nisba to a tribe, profession or a town is the most common form of surname in Arabic.

Original use

A nisba "relation" is a grammatical term referring to the suffixation of masculine -iyy, feminine -iyyah to a word to make it an adjective. As an example, the word ‘Arabiyy (عربي) means "Arab, related to Arabic, Arabian". Nisba forms are very common in Arabic names.

Use in onomastics

Traditional Arabic names are patronymics (nasab), where the full name of the person is followed by the name of his father, usually linked by ibn or bin ('son'). Patronymics may be long as they may include all known forefathers. When a name is simplified to one or two ancestors, it may become confusing to distinguish from other similar names; in such cases, the nisba may be added as an additional specifier.

A nisba is usually prefixed by the definite article 'al-' and can take a number of forms:

Places

Al-Afghani, related to or from Afghanistan
Al-Albani, related to or from Albania e.g. Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani.
Al-Almani, related to or from Germany
Al-Amriki, related to or from America
Al-Andalusi, related to or from the region of Al-Andalus (modern day Iberia) e.g. Said al-Andalusi, Abū ʿAbdallāh Yaʿīsh ibn Ibrāhīm ibn Yūsuf ibn Simāk al-Andalusī al-Umawī
Al-Armani, related to or from Greater Armenia or Armenians
al-Astarabadi – from Astarabad (modern Gorgan), Persia
al-Baghdadi, related to or from the city of Baghdad, e.g. Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi, Junayd al-Baghdadi.
al-Bakkaniy - from the Royal Town of Pekan in the state of Pahang in Malaysia, Mohammad Faeez Harith al-Bakkaniy
al-Bangali - from the region of Bengal or a Bengali descent (mainly from Bangladesh)
al-Bantani - from the province of Banten in Indonesia e.g. Syeikh Abdur Rauf al-Bantani
al-Basri - from Basra, e.g. Ibn Sa'd
al-Britani, related to or from the United Kingdom
al-Busnawi, related to or from Bosnia, e.g. Matrakçı Nasuh al-Busnawi.
al-Buthuni - from the island of Buton in Indonesia e.g. Haji Abdul Ghaniu al-Buthuni
al-Daylami - from Daylam, northern Iran
al-Dimashqi, related to or from the city of Damascus e.g. Al-Dimashqi (geographer), Abu al-Fadl Ja'far ibn 'Ali al-Dimashqi, Abu al-Fadl Ja'far ibn 'Ali al-Dimashqi.
al-Falembani - from a capital city in the province of South Sumatera in Indonesia, e.g. Abdul Samad Al-Falimbani
al-Fansuri - from the town of Pancur in the Central Tapanuli Regency in North Sumatera Indonesia e.g. Hamzah al-Fansuri
al-Farsi, related to or from the region of Pars (Fars) or the country of Persia; e.g. Salman al-Farsi, Saud Al-Farsi
al-Fatani - from the province of Pattani in Thailand e.g. Syeikh Daud al-Fatani
al-Filfulani - from the state of Penang in Malaysia e.g. Syeikh Zubeir al-Filfulani
al-Filisṭīnī, related to or from the region of Palestine e.g. Abu Qatada al-Filistini.
al-Ghari - Literally means cave in Arabic. From the district of Gua Musang (literally meaning Fox Cave in Malay) in the state of Kelantan in Malaysia, e.g. Zamihan al-Ghari
al-Hadrami, related to or from the region of Hadhramaut e.g. Al-Ala al-Hadhrami, Ahmed Al-Hadrami, Imam al-Hadrami.
al-Hamadani, from Hamadan, Persia
al-Hijazi, related to or from the region of Hijaz e.g. Amal Hijazi, Farouk Hijazi, Abu'l Abbas al-Hijazi
al-Himsi, related to or from the city of Homs e.g. Qustaki al-Himsi, Ibn Na'ima al-Himsi.
al-Harari related to or from the city of Harar
al-Iraqi, related to or from the country of Iraq e.g. Fakhr-al-Din Iraqi, Abdul Hadi al Iraqi, Abu Ayoub al-Iraqi
al-Isfahani – from Isfahan, Persia
al-Jannabi - from Jannaba port city, Arrajan province of Persia
al-Johori - from the state of Johor in Malaysia e.g. Ahmad bin Ya'kob al-Johori
al-Jurjani – from Jurjan
al-Juzjani – from Juzjan
al-Kairouani, related to or from the city of Kairouan in Tunisia.
al-Kalantani - from the state of Kelantan in Malaysia e.g. Syeikh Ismail bin Abdul Majid al-Kalantani, Syeikh Wan Ali bin Abdul Rahman al-Kalantani
al-Kedahi - from the state of Kedah in Malaysia e.g. Syeikh Mahmud al-Kedahi
al-Khwarizmi, related to or from the region of Khwarazm, e.g. Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi.
al-Kuwaiti, related to or from the country of Kuwait e.g. Abu Omar al-Kuwaiti, Abu Ahmed al-Kuwaiti, Jandal al-Kuwaiti.
al-Lubnani, related to or from the country of Lebanon e.g. Bilal al-Berjawi al-Lubnani.
al-Lusunji - from Losong, in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia, e.g. Afif al-Lusunji
al-Maghrebi, related to or from the region of Maghreb e.g. Ibn Yaḥyā al-Maghribī al-Samawʾal, Mahmud Sulayman al-Maghribi, Yusuf al-Maghribi.
al-Mankatsi from the city of Makassar in Indonesia e.g. Syeikh Yusuf Tajul Khalwati bin Abdullah al-Mankatsi
al-Masri, related to or from Egypt. e.g. Taher al-Masri, Abu Hamza al-Masri.
al-Nahawandi, al-Nihawandi - from Nahavand, Iran
al-Najdi, related to or from the region of Najd in Saudi Arabia e.g. Qutaybah al-Najdi
al-Nisaburi, al-Naysaburi - from Nishapur, Iran
al-Qazwini – from Qazvin
al-Quhistani - from Quhistan
al-Qumisi, al-Kumisi - from Qumis, Iran
al-Razi – from Ray, Iran
al-Rûmani, from Rome
al-Shami, related to or from the region of Levant or from the country of Syria e.g. Nasser al-Shami, Husayn al-Shami, Abu Anas al-Shami, Abu Humam al-Shami.
al-Shinqiti, related to or from the city of Chinguetti or Bilād Šinqīṭ (Bilad Chinguetti, modern-day Mauritania) e.g. Ahmad ibn al-Amin al-Shinqiti
al-Shirazi – from Shiraz, Fars, Persia
al-Sindhi, related to or from the region of Sindh e.g. Mohammad Hayyat al-Sindhi
al-Sinkili - from the town of Singkel in the province of Aceh in Indonesia Abd al-Rauf ibn Ali al-Fansuri al-Sinkili
al-Sistani, al-Sijistani, al-Sajistani, al-Sijzi – from Sistan, Persia or Greater Iran
al-Tabari – from Tabaristan, Persia
al-Tantawi - from Tanta, Egypt, e.g. Nasrudin Hasan Tantawi
al-Tiflisi, from Tiflis (Tbilisi), Georgia
al-Tihami, related to or from the region of Tihamah in Saudi Arabia.
al-Tikriti, related to or from the city of Tikrit, e.g. Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti, Abu Raita al-Takriti, Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti
al-Tunisi, related to or from the country of Tunisia e.g. Abu Nasr al-Tunisi, Abu Osama al-Tunisi, Ali ibn Ziyad at-Tarabulsi al-Tunisi al-'Absi, Nabilah al-Tunisi
al-Turki, related to or from the country of Turkey e.g. Abu Yusuf Al-Turki, Azjur al-Turki, Hassan Abdullah Hersi al-Turki, Hussain Al-Turki
al-Tusi – from Tus, Khurasan, Persia
al-Yemeni, related to or from the country of Yemen
al-Yrifani, related to or from Yerevan
al-Zayla'i, related to or from Zeila region and Zeila town in Horn of Africa e.g. Abd Al-Rahman al-Zayla'i
ar-Raniri - from the town of Rander, in Surat district in the state of Gujarat, India. e.g. Nuruddin ar-Raniri
as-Sambasi - from the regency of Sambas in Indonesia e.g. Muhammad Jabir as-Sambasi
as-Sarawaki - from the state of Sarawak in Malaysia, e.g. Muhtar Suhaili As-Sarawaki
as-Sembilani - from the state of Negeri Sembilan in Malaysia, e.g. Muhammad Musa al-Hafiz as-Sembilani
as-Subanji - from the city of Subang Jaya in the state of Selangor in Malaysia e.g. Kamarul Afiq as-Subanji
as-Sumatrani - from the island of Sumatera in Indonesia e.g. Syeikh Syamsuddin as-Sumatrani
as-Sumbawi - from the island of Sumbawa in Indonesia Syeikh Muhammad Zainuddin as-Sumbawi
at-Tranjanuwi - from the state of Terengganu in Malaysia e.g. Iskandar at-Tranjanuwi
al Bukhari - from Bukhara, Uzbekistan
al-Darbandi, Darbandi - from Derbent, Persia
El Djezairi, related to or from Algeria e.g. Abdelkader El Djezairi.
Faridi, related to or from the region of Greater Faridpur in Bangladesh e.g. Abdul Haque Faridi
al-Khurasani – from Khurasan e.g. Abu Muslim, Abdallah ibn Tahir al-Khurasani
Islamabadi, related to or from the city of Chittagong (previously known as Islamabad) e.g. Maniruzzaman Islamabadi
Maneri - from Maner Sharif, India, e.g. Makhdoom Yahya Maneri.
al-Marwazi, from Marw, Khurasan
al-Rûmi – from Rûm (The Balkans and Asia Minor)
Siraji, related to or from the district of Sirajganj in Bangladesh e.g. Ismail Hossain Siraji

Tribes, clans or families

al-Tamimi, from the tribe or clan of Bani Tamim. e.g. Modher Sadeq-Saba al-Tamimi, Talib al-Suhail al-Tamimi, Alaa al-Tamimi.
al-Qurashi, from the tribe or clan of Quraish. e.g. ibn Kathir al-Qurashi, Abû 'Uthmân Sa'îd ibn Hakam al Qurashi.
Al-Hashemi, from the clan of Banu Hashim. Members of the Hashemite dynasty are referred to with the nisba "Al-Hashemi".
at-Ta'i, from the tribe of Tai'. e.g. Hatem at-Ta'i.
al-Banjari, from the people of Banjar ethnicity in Indonesia e.g. Muhammad Arsyad bin Abdullah al-Banjari
al-Minankabawi - from the people of Minangkabau ethnicity in Indonesia e.g. Syeikh Ahmad Khatib al-Minankabawi, Syeikh Ismail Khalidi al-Minankabawi
al-Mandaili - from the people of Mandailing ethnicity in Indonesia e.g. Haji Abdur Rahman al-Mandaili

People

al-Maliki, related to Malik al-Ashtar. e.g. Nouri al-Maliki.
al-Faruqi, related to Faruq the Great. e.g. Ismail al-Faruqi.

Faith

al-Nasiri, with nasiri meaning "Christian", more literally: "Nazarene"
al-Majusi, with majus meaning "Zoroastrian"
al-Falaki, with falak meaning "astronomy" e.g. Syeikh Tahir Jalaluddin al-Falaki

Multiples

One can have more than one nisba, one can be related to a city, a clan, a profession and a person at the same time. Examples include:

Ali ibn Abi Hazm al-Qarshi al-Dimashqi, from the tribe of Quraish and from Damascus (Dimashq).
Abd al-Qahir ibn Tahir al-Tamimi al-Shafi`i al-Baghdadi, from the tribe of Bani Tamim, from the city of Baghdad and a follower of Muhammad ibn Idris ash-Shafi`i.
Makhdoom Yahya Maneri al-Suharwardi al-Hashimi al-Muttalabi, from the town of Maner Sharif, of the Sufi order Suhrawardiyya, of the tribe Banu Hashim and clan of Abd al-Muttalib.

The nisba is optional but is quite widespread.

Examples

Ansari — from Ansar, the people of Medina who helped Muhammad
Tabataba'i — someone who has two Seyyed as parents
Hanbali — someone following Ahmad ibn Hanbal's school of Islamic jurisprudence

References