Affan, name meaning in Islam

Affan (عَفَّان) is an Arabic name for boys. It means chaste, modest.

Meaning and root

In Arabic, words are built from a root of usually three letters. Affan comes from the root ع ف ف, and words from the same root share its core meaning. Similar names from the same family of words are listed below.

Is Affan in the Quran?

No. Affan is not a word in the Quran. A name does not need to be in the Quran to be a good Muslim name: what matters is that its meaning is good. The Prophet ﷺ changed names with bad meanings and kept names with good ones.¹

How to say and write Affan

Say it af-FAAN. The capital letters show the stressed part. In English it is also spelled Affaan. In Arabic it is written with 4 letters, from right to left: ع ʿayn + ف fa + ا alif + ن nun.

Choosing Affan

Many parents choose Affan to name their child after someone from the early generations of Islam, hoping the child will grow up with the same qualities. With the father's name it becomes Affan bin (and the father's name): see what bin, bint and abu mean.

Famous people named Affan

• Affan ibn Abi al-As, father of the caliph Uthman

Names like Affan

• Uthman
• Afifa
• Zahid

1. Sahih Muslim 2139, the Prophet ﷺ changing a name with a bad meaning.
2. Sahih Muslim 2315.
3. Sahih Muslim 2132.
4. Meanings follow classical Arabic usage and the standard name dictionaries; our teachers will check each one.

Our teachers will check the Arabic spelling and meaning on this page before launch.