A Name Story by Houdhoud
حَيْدَر
Haidar
HAY-dar
“Lion.”
About Haidar
Haidar is a Muslim baby boy's name meaning "lion", an Arabic name carried for centuries across the Muslim world.
Classical Arabic epithet for a lion. Used as an honorific for Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib.
Especially common in Shia families (Iraqi, Lebanese, South Asian).
Spellings of Haidar
حَيْدَر is one name, written in Latin letters in more than one way. Every spelling below is the same name.
| Spelling | Births in England and Wales, 2025 | Births in France, 2016 to 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Haidarthe spelling used on this page | 13 | 5 |
| Haider | 149 | 85 |
| Hyder | 3 | Not listed |
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 Haidar is one such word.
Across history
Who has carried Haidar before.
- Used as an epithet for Ali ibn Abi Talib
How to say it
Stressed syllable in capitals
Discover names like Haidar
Other names with the same heart: close in origin, sound, and spirit.
Common questions about Haidar
- What does the name Haidar mean?
- Haidar (حَيْدَر) means "Lion". Classical Arabic epithet for a lion. Used as an honorific for Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib.
- Is Haidar a name from the Qur'an?
- Houdhoud doesn't show a verse for this name. Haidar 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 Haidar a boy or a girl name?
- Haidar is traditionally a boy's name.
- Where does the name Haidar come from?
- Haidar is an Arabic name, built on the root letters Ḥ-D-R. Especially common in Shia families (Iraqi, Lebanese, South Asian).
Browse names like Haidar
Collections Haidar belongs to.
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