Azad

Azad is a given name and surname of Persian origin, derived from azād meaning "free" or "liberated." In Urdu, Hindi, and related languages, the term is used as a masculine personal name and as a surname, and it appears in place names and organizational titles.

In the Indian subcontinent and among diaspora communities, Azad is common as a first or last name. It also appears in historical and political phrases such as Azad Hind, the government-in-exile established by Subhas Chandra Bose in 1943 to seek India's independence.

Notable individuals with the name include Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (1888–1958), an Indian Muslim scholar and senior leader of the Indian National Congress who served as the first Minister of Education of independent India.

Azad Kashmir is a Pakistan-administered region whose name includes Azad, reflecting the word's meaning of "free" in Persian and Urdu. The term is widely recognized in cultural, historical, and political contexts in South Asia and among communities abroad.