Expert: Hanin - 3/28/2010

Question
QUESTION: I would like to know the meaning of "GHANEM" as the last name in Pakistan, the social status of the name would have, and also in all Arab countries as well, what it would mean ets.
I thank you so much!

ANSWER: Hello Victoria.

The meaning of the name Ghanem is ''the winner, the obtainer''.
It is both a first and a last name.
The social status of the name, well there doesn't seem to be a special one. The name is known all around the Arab world, there is no particular place where you can say it's most famous.


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: What is the most honorable,respected and high social status name in Arab world? You can give me several,starting from most down.I have tried to research this and can't seem to come-up with it.

Answer
Hello agian Victoria..

In the Arab world it is important to know that there are Arab people and there are arabized people.
Arabs who are descendants from the Arab peninsula are the real Arabs, while the rest are arabized people with different ancestries.
Family names that are most honorable within the Arabian peninsula, would be traceable names because they prove that the person is a ''real'' Arab.
Family names that you can trace hundreds of years back, are therefore honroable.
They are basically names of tribes, such as Al-qahtany, Al-adnany, Al-tamimy, Al-shimmary, Al-hamdany, Al-maliky, Al-hashimy, and many more.

Family names with low social status, well I am not sure if there are any, because as long as you are related to a tribe your name would be respected a lot more than when you for example use your fathers name as a sure name.
Lets say someone is called Mohammed and his father is Ali.
Mohammed Ali would be a very ordinary name rather plain. When we add the family name, if let's say this Mohammed is from a respected tribe, for example Mohammed Al-shimmary, now the name would sound more respectful more honorable, because now we know where he is from, we would recognise the great deeds of his tribe -if there are any- we would be able to trace back his ancestors, etc.