Behind the Name: Arabic Place Names

ARIHAأريحا(Settlement)Arabic
Arabic form of JERICHO.

ASHURآشور(Settlement & Region)English, Arabic, Persian, Akkadian
From Akkadian 𒀸𒋩 (Assur), meaning unknown. This was the capital city of the Assyrian Empire, supposedly named for the god Ashur, though the god was in fact probably named for the city. The empire, Assyria, was also named for it. The city was destroyed in the 14th century by the forces of Tamerlane.... [more]

BAYT LAHMبيت لحم(Settlement)Arabic
Arabic form of BETHLEHEM. The Arabic word لحم (lahm) meaning "meat" is cognate with Hebrew לֶחֶם (lechem) meaning "bread".

FARISفارس(Country)Arabic
Arabic form of PERSIA.

IRANإيران(Country)Persian, Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Croatian, Serbian
Derived from Middle Persian Eran, related to Old Iranian Arya meaning "Iranian, Aryan". This is the name of a country in western Asia, formerly called Persia in the West.

ISKANDARIYAHإسكندرية(Settlement)Arabic
Arabic form of ALEXANDRIA, usually written with the definite article: الإسكندرية (al-Iskandariyah).

JAZA'IRجزائر(Settlement & Country)Arabic
Arabic form of ALGIERS and ALGERIA, usually written with the definite article: الجزائر (al-Jaza'ir).

MADINAHمدينة(Settlement)Arabic
Arabic form of MEDINA, usually written with the definite article: المدينة (al-Madinah).

MAGHRIBمغرب(Region & Country)Arabic
From Arabic المغرب (al-Maghrib) meaning "the place of the sunset, the west". This is the Arabic name of Morocco as well as the entire region of western North Africa (known as the Maghreb in English). In Arabic the name is usually written with the definite article: المغرب (al-Maghrib).

MARRAKUSHمرّاكش(Settlement)Arabic
Arabic form of MARRAKESH.

NINAWAنِينَوَى(Settlement)Arabic
Arabic form of NINEVEH.

QAHIRAHقاهرة(Settlement)Arabic
Arabic form of CAIRO, usually written with the definite article: القاهرة (al-Qahirah).

QUDSقُدْس(Settlement)Arabic
Means "holy" in Arabic. This is the Arabic name for Jerusalem, usually written with the definite article: القُدْس (al-Quds).

SAMARRAسامَرّاء(Settlement)Arabic, English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, French, German
This is the name of a city in Iraq, the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate in the 9th century. It was possibly built at the site of the ancient Assyrian city of Surmarrati, which is of uncertain meaning.

SUDANسُودان(Country)English, Arabic, German, Italian
From Arabic سُود (sud) meaning "black", referring to the darker skin of the inhabitants. This is the name of a country in Africa. In Arabic it is properly written with the definite article: السُودان (al-Sudan).

SURIYAسوريا(Country)Arabic
Arabic form of SYRIA.

TAHRANتهران(Settlement)Arabic
Arabic form of TEHRAN.

TSHADتشاد(Body of Water & Country)Arabic
Arabic form of CHAD.

TURKIYYAتركيّا(Country)Arabic
Arabic form of TURKEY.

URDANNأردنّ(River & Country)Arabic
Arabic form of JORDAN, usually written with the definite article: الأردنّ (al-Urdann).

	Usage
	Initial letter
	Type
	Meaning	expand search to ancestral names the meaning is anything from the name's write-up that is surrounded by "double quotes" separate search terms with spaces search for an exact phrase by surrounding it with double quotes this field understands simple boolean logic force a term to be included by preceding it with a + sign force a term to be excluded by preceding it with a - sign expand search to ancestral names: meanings for names further up the family tree will be included in the search
	Description	ignore name meanings the description is the meaning and history write-up for the name separate search terms with spaces search for an exact phrase by surrounding it with double quotes example: "lord of the rings" will match names from the novel 'The Lord of the Rings' this field understands simple boolean logic force a term to be included by preceding it with a + sign force a term to be excluded by preceding it with a - sign example: +greek +(legend myth) -zeus will match Greek names of myths or legends not about Zeus ignore name meanings: keywords from the name meanings are ignored
	Origin
	Length
	Syllables	syllables can only be counted in names that have been assigned pronunciations names without pronunciations are excluded from results
	Pattern	the pattern will be compared to the name * is a wildcard that will match zero or more letters example: oo will match names which contain oo _ is a wildcard that will match exactly one letter example: __z will match names which have two letters and then a z
	Sound	case sensitive see the pronunciation key for a guide on how to write the sounds sounds can only be searched in names that have been assigned pronunciations names without pronunciations are excluded from results * is a wildcard that will match zero or more letters in the pronunciation example: lee will match names which end with the sound lee* (s) will match exactly one syllable in the pronunciation example: (s)(s)rah will match names which have two syllables and then the sound rah (c) will match a consonant (k) will match a consonant or consonant cluster (v) will match a vowel (p) will match a plosive or stop consonant (p) will match a fricative consonant (n) will match a nasal consonant case sensitive: check this if you wish distinguish between unstressed lowercase sounds and stressed uppercase sounds
	Related name
	Relationship	expand search to ancestral names the "relationship" is how the name relates to its parent name example: searching for diminutive will return Betsy because it is a diminutive of its parent Elizabeth selecting *(all core forms)* will exclude peripheral forms such as diminutives, short forms, and combinations expand search to ancestral names: relationships between names further up the family tree will be included
	Namesake
	User list	enter a behindthename.com username to search that user's public personal name lists to limit your search to a specific list, put the name of the list in brackets after the username
	Options