Why Islamic Names Have So Many Spellings: Arabic, Urdu and English Explained

You have probably seen the same name written in several ways: Umar, Omar and Umer. Ayesha, Aisha and Aysha. Hussain, Husayn and Hussein. They are not different names. They are different attempts to write an Arabic name in a script that was not made for it. This guide explains why that happens, and how to choose a spelling for your child, your documents or your website without regret.

The root of the problem: sounds that English does not have

Arabic has several sounds that do not exist in English, and English has vowels that Arabic writes differently. Anyone who writes an Arabic name in Latin letters has to make choices, and different people make different choices.

• The letter ع (ayn). It is a sound made deep in the throat, and it has no English equivalent. It may be written as an apostrophe, as an extra vowel, or not at all. This is why you see Ali and Aali, or Umar and ‘Umar.
• The letters ح and خ. The first is a strong breathy h, and the second is similar to the “ch” in the Scottish “loch”. They are written as h and kh, but a simple h is often used for both.
• The emphatic letters ص ض ط ظ. These are heavier versions of s, d, t and z. In English they are usually written the same as the lighter ones, so you cannot tell them apart.
• The letter ق (qaf). It is written q, but some write k, as in Qasim and Kasim.
• The letters ث and ذ. They are written th and dh, but some people write s and z. See Thabit and Sabit, or Dhahhak and Zahhak.
• Short and long vowels. Arabic marks short vowels with small signs that are often not written, so a reader has to know the name already. English then chooses between u, o, oo and ou, which is how Umar becomes Omar, and Yusuf becomes Yousuf.

Why Urdu adds another layer

Urdu uses the Arabic script, so the Arabic spelling stays the same, but Urdu speakers often pronounce some Arabic letters differently. For example, the letters ز ذ ض and ظ are all pronounced as z in Urdu, while in Arabic they are different sounds. This means a name like Zahid, Zafar or Zaid can have different Arabic spellings that sound the same in Urdu, and a family may write the Roman spelling based on how they say it, not on the Arabic.

The result is that the Roman spelling of a name often reflects the pronunciation of the person writing it. This is why one name can appear in several forms across Pakistan, India, the Gulf and the UK.

Common examples

• Umar: Umar, Omar, Umer
• Usman: Usman, Uthman, Osman, Othman
• Hussain: Hussain, Husayn, Hussein, Hossein
• Aisha: Aisha, Ayesha, Aysha, A’isha
• Khadijah: Khadija, Khadijah, Khadeejah
• Abdur Rahman: Abdur Rahman, Abdul Rahman, Abd al-Rahman
• Muhammad: Muhammad, Mohammed, Mohammad, Mohamed

All of these are accepted ways of writing the same Arabic names. Our name pages list the common variants, so you can see which one you like.

Transliteration systems

Scholars and libraries use fixed systems, such as the one used by the Library of Congress or the German DIN system, in which each Arabic letter has a fixed Latin equivalent, usually with dots and lines over letters. These are accurate but look unusual to ordinary readers, so most people use a simplified form, and the result is that no single spelling is the official one for English.

How to choose a spelling

1. Start with the Arabic or Urdu spelling. That is the fixed form. Make sure it is correct.
2. Choose the Roman spelling that makes people say the name as you do. If you want it to be said “Oo-mar”, Umar is clearer than Omar for English readers.
3. Check the other documents. If a parent’s passport already has a certain spelling, a matching spelling can save you trouble with visas and records.
4. Think about the future. A name that will be typed into forms, emails and exam papers should not be too unusual.
5. Be consistent. Use the same spelling on the birth certificate, the passport, the school records and the bank. A mismatch is the most common problem.
6. Check the meaning with the right letters. Some spellings suggest a different Arabic word. If you are unsure, check the Arabic form.

For more on choosing a name, read our guide to choosing an Islamic name.

For website owners and writers

If you write about names, pick one main spelling for each name and use it every time, and mention the common variants once, so search engines and readers can connect them. On our pages, we show the Arabic and Urdu spelling together with the English, and list the common variants for that reason.

Frequently asked questions

Which spelling is correct?

The Arabic spelling is the fixed one. Among Roman spellings, none is official, so choose one that is clear and consistent.

Does a different spelling change the meaning?

Not usually, but sometimes a spelling can suggest a different Arabic word, so check the Arabic.

Why do Arabic speakers write the same name differently from Urdu speakers?

Because they pronounce some letters differently, and write the Roman form based on what they hear.

Can I correct the spelling on a document later?

Often yes, but it can take time and paperwork, so it is better to decide before you register the name.

Sources and further reading: The standard Arabic-to-Latin transliteration systems published by the Library of Congress (ALA-LC) and the Deutsche Morgenländische Gesellschaft (DIN 31635). Spellings listed here are common usage and are not official.