Lakab

Lakab is a term used in Arabic and related languages to denote an epithet or honorific title attached to a person’s name. In languages such as Arabic, Urdu, Persian, and Turkish, laqab (written لقب) functions as a descriptive or honorary name that can accompany or substitute for a given name. The term is commonly transliterated in various ways, including laqab, laqāb, or lakab, depending on linguistic and regional conventions.

Historically, a laqab expresses status, lineage, achievement, or personal quality. It is often conferred by rulers or poets and appears alongside the given name and patronymic in traditional naming. Classic examples include Umar ibn al-Khattab, known by the laqab al-Farooq (the one who distinguishes between truth and falsehood), and Abu Bakr, known as as-Siddiq (the Truthful). Rulers and scholars across the Islamic world also bore laqab-like honorifics in chronicles and biographical works.

In modern usage, laqab remains a topic in onomastics and literary studies. In everyday speech, the term is rarely used outside historical or religious contexts, but it continues to appear in biographies, poetry, and scholarly discussions. In Urdu and Persian literature, laqab is used to ascribe admired qualities to poets, saints, and rulers, or to illuminate character in descriptions and narratives.

Notes on naming: understanding laqab alongside kunyā (a teknonym) and nisba (a lineage or origin marker) helps clarify Arabic naming conventions. See also: epithet; onomastics; Arabic names.