Umar, name meaning in Islam

Umar (عُمَر) is an Arabic name for boys. It means life, long-lived. It comes from umr, life.

Meaning and root

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

Is Umar in the Quran?

No. Umar 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 Umar

Say it U-mar. The capital letters show the stressed part. In English it is also spelled Omar and Omer. In Arabic it is written with 3 letters, from right to left: ع ʿayn + م mim + ر ra.

Choosing Umar

Many parents choose Umar 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 Umar bin (and the father's name): see what bin, bint and abu mean.

Famous people named Umar

• Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second caliph
• Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, the Umayyad caliph known for his justice

Names like Umar

• Ammar
• Imran
• Aamir

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.