A Name Story by Houdhoud
تَبَسُّم
Tabassum
ta-BAS-sum
“Smile.”
About Tabassum
Tabassum is a Muslim baby girl's name meaning "smile" — an Arabic-Urdu name carried for centuries across the Muslim world.
From the Arabic root ب-س-م meaning 'to smile'. Tabassum is the verbal noun: the act of smiling, a gentle smile.
A South Asian favourite (Pakistan, India, Bangladesh); rare in the Arab world.
Origin & roots
Origin
Arabic · Urdu
Gender
Girl
Also spelled
Tabasum, Tabassam
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 Tabassum is one such word.
How to say it
Stressed syllable in capitals
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Common questions about Tabassum
- What does the name Tabassum mean?
- Tabassum (تَبَسُّم) means "Smile". From the Arabic root ب-س-م meaning 'to smile'. Tabassum is the verbal noun: the act of smiling, a gentle smile.
- Is Tabassum a name from the Qur'an?
- Tabassum does not appear directly in the Qur'an in our verified records, though it is an Arabic-Urdu name long carried across the Muslim world. We only list a Qur'anic verse when it's verified against the Tanzil corpus.
- Is Tabassum a boy or a girl name?
- Tabassum is traditionally a girl's name.
- Where does the name Tabassum come from?
- Tabassum is an Arabic-Urdu name, built on the root letters B-S-M. A South Asian favourite (Pakistan, India, Bangladesh); rare in the Arab world.
- How is Tabassum spelled?
- Tabassum is the most common English spelling. The same Arabic name (تَبَسُّم) is also written Tabasum and Tabassam. They are one name, not different names — the spelling only reflects how each family or country transliterates the Arabic.
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