Houdhoud, the hoopoe

A Name Story by Houdhoud

هِشَام

Hisham

hi-SHAAM

Generous; one who breaks bread.”

About Hisham

Hisham is a Muslim baby boy's name meaning "generous; one who breaks bread" — an Arabic name carried for centuries across the Muslim world.

From the Arabic root ه-ش-م. Connoting generosity in the classical Arabic sense of breaking bread to feed guests. Hashim (the great-grandfather of the Prophet ﷺ) was so named for this quality.

Common across Arab and Maghrebi families.

Origin & roots

Origin

Arabic

Gender

Boy

Root letters

ه ش مH-Sh-M

In Arabic, root letters are the seed that gives a word its meaning. Every word built from them inherits that family of meaning — and Hisham is one such word.

Across history

Who has carried Hisham before.

  • Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik (691–743), Umayyad caliph

How to say it

hi·SHAAM

Stressed syllable in capitals

Discover names like Hisham

Other names with the same heart — close in origin, sound, and spirit.

Looking for a name made for your family?

I’ll ask six warm questions about your family — heritage, the sound you love, who you’d like to honor — and find names made for yours. About ninety seconds.

Free · No sign-up

Hisham: Meaning, Pronunciation, and Origin · Houdhoud