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A Name Story by Houdhoud

أُمّ كُلْثُوم

Umm Kulthum

umm-kul-THOOM

Mother of Kulthum (a kunya).”

About Umm Kulthum

Umm Kulthum is a Muslim baby girl's name meaning "mother of kulthum (a kunya)" — an Arabic name carried for centuries across the Muslim world.

A classical kunya. Borne by Umm Kulthum bint Muhammad, a daughter of the Prophet ﷺ, and famously by the 20th-century Egyptian singer.

Classic Arab name; less common as a first name in diaspora.

Origin & roots

Origin

Arabic

Gender

Girl

Also spelled

Umm Kalthoum, Oum Kalthoum

Root letters

ك ل ثK-L-Th

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

Across history

Who has carried Umm Kulthum before.

  • Umm Kulthum bint Muhammad, daughter of the Prophet ﷺ
  • Umm Kulthum (1898–1975), Egyptian singer

How to say it

umm·kul·THOOM

Stressed syllable in capitals

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Umm Kulthum: Meaning, Pronunciation, and Origin · Houdhoud