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
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
Stressed syllable in capitals
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Common questions about Umm Kulthum
- What does the name Umm Kulthum mean?
- Umm Kulthum (أُمّ كُلْثُوم) means "Mother of Kulthum (a kunya)". A classical kunya. Borne by Umm Kulthum bint Muhammad, a daughter of the Prophet ﷺ, and famously by the 20th-century Egyptian singer.
- Is Umm Kulthum a name from the Qur'an?
- Umm Kulthum does not appear directly in the Qur'an in our verified records, though it is an Arabic name long carried across the Muslim world. We only list a Qur'anic verse when it's verified against the Tanzil corpus.
- Is Umm Kulthum a boy or a girl name?
- Umm Kulthum is traditionally a girl's name.
- Where does the name Umm Kulthum come from?
- Umm Kulthum is an Arabic name, built on the root letters K-L-Th. Classic Arab name; less common as a first name in diaspora.
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