ʿAbbās (Arabic: عَبَّاس) is an old Arabic name that means "Lion". The name traces back to Al-‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib in 536 CE (an uncle of Muhammad) and Abbas ibn Ali, a son of Ali ibn Abi Talib, who participated in the battle of Karbala alongside his brother Husayn ibn Ali. Abbas ibn Ali is revered by Muslims, some of whom are named Abbas in remembrance and tribute to him. There is an Arabian tribe of the same name, the Banu Abbas.
The word 'Abbas' is also used as part of a place name (for example, the English villages of Compton Abbas and Milton Abbas). The name usually relates to land previously owned by an abbess (the head of an abbey of nuns).
Notable people with the name include:
Contents
Historical figures
Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (565–653), uncle of Muhammad and forefather of the Abbasids
Abbas ibn Ali (647–680), son of Ali ibn Abi Talib, died at the Battle of Karbala in an attempt to bring water for the thirsty children of his brother Husayn.
Abbas ibn al-Walid (died 750), Umayyad prince and general
Abbas ibn al-Ma'mun (died 838), Abbasid prince and general
Abbas ibn Firnas (810–887), Berber physician, inventor, and musician
Abbas ibn Abi al-Futuh (died 1154), Fatimid vizier
Wazir Abbas (died 1545), Grand Vizier of the Adal Sultanate
Abbas I of Persia (1557–1628), shah of Persia, known as King Abbas the Great
Abbas II of Persia (1632–1666), shah of Persia 1642–1666
Abbas III (1732–1740), shah of Persia 1732–1736
Abbas Mirza (1783–1833), leader of the Persian armies in the wars with Russia 1811–13 and 1826–28.
Abbas I of Egypt (1813–1854), known as Abbas Pasha, Wāli of Egypt 1848–1854
Abbás Effendí (`Abdu'l–Bahá) (1844–1921), 2nd head of the Bahá'í Faith
Abbas II of Egypt (1874–1944), known as Abbas Hilmi, Khedive of Egypt 1892–1914
Modern era
Abbas Adham (1885–1969), Iranian physician and politician
Abbas Khan Afridi (1970–2025), Pakistani politician
Abbas Ali (disambiguation), several people
Abbas Anvari (1944–2025), Iranian physicist
Abbas Aram (1906–1985), Iranian diplomat and politician
Abbas Attar (1944–2018), Iranian photographer, member of Magnum Photos
Abbas Jirari (1937–2024), Moroccan writer
Abbas Kaoud (born 1948), Egyptian squash player
Abbas Karimi (born 1997), Afghan swimmer
Abbas Kazmi (born 1955), Indian criminal lawyer
Abbas Khadir (born 1973; German: Abbas Khider), German writer of Iraqi origin
Abbas Khalili, also known as Abbas al-Khalili (1896–1972), Iraqi-born Iranian diplomat, newspaper publisher
Abbas Kiarostami (1940–2016), Iranian film director
Abbas Mahfouzi (1928–2024), Iranian Twelver Shi'a marja'
Middle name
Abu'l 'Abbas Al Dandarawi (1898–1953), Egyptian sufi scholar
Amir-Abbas Hoveyda (1919–1979), Iranian economist and politician
Bilal Abbas Khan (born 1993), Pakistani television actor
Imran Abbas Naqvi (born 1982), Pakistani actor, singer and producer
Mirza Abbas Ali (born 1975), Indian actor
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi (born 1957), Indian politician and government minister
Surname
Abu Abbas (1948–2004), known also as "Muhammad Zaidan", founder of the Palestine Liberation Front (PLF) organization
Ackbar Abbas (born 1947), Hong Kong born professor of comparative literature at the University of California, Irvine
Ali Asad Abbas (born 1976), United Arab Emirates cricketer
Ali Ismail Abbas (born 1991), Iraqi juvenile double amputee, a casualty of the United States invasion of Iraq in 2003
Allan Abbass (born 1962), Canadian professor and psychriatrist
Amina Abbas (born 1942), First Lady of Palestine
Athar Abbas (born 1955), Pakistani army general
Bassim Abbas (born 1982), Iraqi footballer
Bonfoh Abass (1948–2021), Togolese politician
Ferhat Abbas (1899–1985), political leader and first (provisional) President of Algeria
Ghulam Abbas (writer) (1909–1982), Pakistani writer
Ghulam Abbas (cricketer) (born 1947), Pakistani cricketer
Hadiya Khalaf Abbas (1958–2021), Syrian politician
Hiam Abbass (born 1960), Palestinian actress
Hisham Abbas (born 1963), Egyptian musician
Hussein Abbass (born 1969), Egyptian artificial intelligence researcher