Naming

Names in Saudi Arabia reveal a lot about a person's ancestry and follow the lineage of names passed down from the male side of their family. The children will be named after their fathers, grandfathers, and so on. Saudi women, on the other hand, do not traditionally take their husbands' names when they marry.

The majority of Saudis use Arabic naming conventions. This should be formatted as: [personal name] [Father's given name] [Grandfather's given name] [NAME OF FAMILY/TRIBAL]. For instance, Ahmad Hussain Khan AL-SAUD (male) and Noura Hussain Khan AL-SAUD (female).

On occasion, people will add a fourth name from their father's side of the family, which is the name of their great grandfather: [personal name]. [Father's given name] [Grandfather's given name] [Name of great grandfather]. There are several ways to transliterate Arabic names into English. The same name, for example, can be written as "Majid," "Majeed," or "Mejeed." The spelling can also vary depending on whether or not contractions are used. "Saladdin," for example, could also be spelled "Sal-ad-Din" or "Sal-Addin."

Male names that are commonly used include Abdullah, Muhammad, Ahmad, Ibrahim, Ali, and Saad. Fatemah, Maryam, Nura, Layla, Ayasha, Sarah, and Maha are some popular female names. Be aware that many Saudi men may be hesitant to tell unrelated friends the names of their female family members.