A Name Story by Houdhoud
عَبَّاس
Abbas
ab-BAAS
“Stern; lion.”
About Abbas
Abbas is a Muslim baby boy's name meaning "stern; lion", an Arabic name carried for centuries across the Muslim world.
From the Arabic root ع-ب-س meaning 'to frown'. Used in classical Arabic as an epithet for a lion. Borne by al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib, uncle of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
Especially honored in Shia families (al-Abbas ibn Ali); common across Arab and Persian families.
Spellings of Abbas
| Spelling | Births in England and Wales, 2025 | Births in France, 2016 to 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Abbasthe spelling used on this page | 54 | 115 |
Babies registered with exactly that spelling. England and Wales: Office for National Statistics, 2025 (the list covers names given to 3 or more babies). France: INSEE Fichier des prénoms, 2016 to 2025 added together (INSEE rounds each yearly count to the nearest 5).
Origin & roots
Origin
Arabic
Gender
Boy
Root letters
In Arabic, root letters are the seed that gives a word its meaning. Every word built from them inherits that family of meaning, and Abbas is one such word.
Across history
Who has carried Abbas before.
- al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib, uncle of the Prophet (peace be upon him)
How to say it
Stressed syllable in capitals
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Common questions about Abbas
- What does the name Abbas mean?
- Abbas (عَبَّاس) means "Stern; lion". From the Arabic root ع-ب-س meaning 'to frown'. Used in classical Arabic as an epithet for a lion. Borne by al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib, uncle of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
- Is Abbas a name from the Qur'an?
- Houdhoud doesn't show a verse for this name. Abbas is an Arabic name long carried across the Muslim world. We only show a Qur'anic verse when it's verified against the Tanzil corpus.
- Is Abbas a boy or a girl name?
- Abbas is traditionally a boy's name.
- Where does the name Abbas come from?
- Abbas is an Arabic name, built on the root letters ʿ-B-S. Especially honored in Shia families (al-Abbas ibn Ali); common across Arab and Persian families.
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