Abbas

Abbas is a male given name and surname of Arabic origin. The name is commonly said to derive from al-Abbās, an epithet meaning “the lion,” and it has long been used across the Arab and Muslim world. It is associated with early Islamic history through Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib, the paternal uncle of the Prophet Muhammad, and has become a widely used name in various cultures and languages.

In historical contexts, Abbas appears in two prominent dynastic lineages. The Abbasid Caliphate (750–1258) was a major Islamic caliphate descended from Abbas, the uncle of Muhammad, with its capital at Baghdad. Its era is noted for cultural and scientific flourishing during the Islamic Golden Age. In Persia, members named Abbas led the Safavid dynasty, most famously Shah Abbas I (reigned 1588–1629), who strengthened the empire and fostered Isfahan as a political and cultural center, and Shah Abbas II (reigned 1642–1666).

In contemporary times, Mahmoud Abbas (born 1935) is a prominent political figure who has served as President of the Palestinian Authority since 2005 and as chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization. The name remains common today as both a given name and surname, with various spellings such as Al-Abbas in different languages and transliteration systems.