alam

Alam is a term with multiple meanings and usages across languages of the Arabic-speaking and wider Muslim world. In Arabic, alam (العالم) means "the world" or "the universe" and is used in numerous phrases and titles. In Persian, Urdu, Turkish and related languages, alam carries the same core sense of the world and is also encountered as a personal name and surname. As a given name, Alam is common in South Asia and among diasporic communities, and it appears in various fields such as government, science, and the arts. As a surname, it is found among Bengali, Indian, Pakistani, and other communities.

Geographically and culturally, alam appears in place names and literary phrases, reflecting its broad semantic reach. The word stems from the Semitic root ʿ-l-m, shared across languages in the region that denote knowledge, learning, and "world" or "realm."

In transliteration, Alam can appear with different spellings depending on language and script, including Alām in Persian orthography and Alam in English rendering. It is not tied to a single origin language but represents a cross-cultural term that has been integrated into personal names and cultural vocabularies across multiple regions.

Notable individuals bearing the name span diverse professions, illustrating its broad usage rather than a single historical tradition.