How Arabic names work
A given name, then the father's and often the grandfather's name, and sometimes a family name. Which part to use depends on the country.
The usual structure
In most Arab countries a full name is a chain: the person's given name, the father's given name, often the grandfather's given name, and in many families a family or tribal name at the end. In Ahmed Khalid Hassan Al-Mansouri, Ahmed is the person, Khalid his father, Hassan his grandfather, and Al-Mansouri the family name.
Not everyone has a family name. In Egypt and several other countries, many people's last name is simply their grandfather's or father's given name. In Ahmed Hassan Mahmoud, Hassan may be the father and Mahmoud the grandfather.
Words inside names
- bin, ibn: son of; bint: daughter of. Common in the Gulf states. In Khalid bin Ahmed, Ahmed is the father.
- Al- or El-: the, as in Al-Mansouri or El-Sayed. It belongs to the name and may be written al, Al, El or joined.
- Abu: father of, as in Abu Khalid, a respectful way to address a man by his eldest son's name.
- Abd or Abdul: servant of, always followed by one of the names of God (Abdullah, Abdul Rahman). It is not a name on its own: do not shorten Abdul Rahman to Abdul.
How to address someone
When there is a clear family name, Dear Mr. Al-Mansouri is correct in English. In the Gulf states and in Egypt, people are also commonly addressed at work by the given name with a title: Mr. Ahmed, Ms. Fatima. This is normal and polite there, not over-familiar. When the last word may be a father's or grandfather's name, the given name with a title, or the full name, is the safe choice.
Avoid addressing someone by the middle element: in Ahmed Khalid Hassan, Mr. Khalid is the father.
Mohammed, Muhammad, Mohamed
These are spellings of the same name, among the most common given names in the world. Copy the person's own spelling. Because it is so common, many people named Mohammed are known at work by their second name; follow the signature.
Married names
In most Arab countries women keep their own names after marriage.
Quick answers
Is Ali a first name or a last name?
Both. It is a very common given name, and also appears as a father's or family name at the end of a full name.
How do I address Khalid bin Ahmed?
Mr. Khalid. Bin Ahmed means son of Ahmed.