What’s in a name?

Many years ago I was part of a group responsible for choosing the name of a new Total Knee Implant. It was a fascinating process which included a fun exercise where we had to describe what we thought the product would be if it was a colour, an animal, a celebrity (among other things). It also included a lot of research on how the names would translate into other languages, if the abbreviation of the name would create a problem and how the name would be presented on the packaging.

I was reminded of this when discussing naming conventions with an Arabic friend. When I moved to Dubai I thought Arabic names sounded very long and often repetitive, and seem to change according to the circumstances. Unlike Western names with the First name, Middle Name and Surname convention, traditional Arabic naming system typically consists of five elements:

1. the ism (given name)
2. the kunya (patronymic name, which is related to the persons first born child),
3. the nasab (family lineage),
4. the laqab (nickname),
5. the nisba (geographic or tribal affiliation).

I initially found it confusing but now I understand that each element adds depth and meaning to the overall name, crafting an intricate mosaic of heritage and tradition.