50+ Popular Pakistani Last Names With Meanings And Origins
A country or region’s last names are a window into their history and culture, and Pakistan is no exception. Located in South Asia, Pakistan is the world’s fifth-most populous country — home to more than 212.2 million people, as well as the second-largest Muslim population. There are three categories of Pakistani last names: those that follow the Arab naming convention, tribal names, and ancestral names. The names themselves can also vary pretty widely, depending on a family’s ethnicity, spoken language, and geographic location. Many have Persian, Turkish, or Arabic origins.
Pakistani last names often include a prefix or suffix, which provides additional information about a family. For example, the prefix “Haji-” means that someone has made the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, while “Mir-” indicates royal descent, and “Syed-” is used for people belonging to the family of Muhammad. Similarly, the suffix “-dad” means “given by,” and “-bakhsh” means “granted by.” To learn more, take a look at these popular Pakistani last names, along with their meanings and origins.
If you’re interested in Pakistani names, you’re undoubtedly also interested in Pakistani culture. It’s a huge melting pot filled with Indian, Persian, Afghan, Central Asian, South Asian, and Western Asian culture. There are more than 70 languages actively spoken! The people take great pride in their craftsmanship — their Arabic calligraphy can be found in buildings, on copper works, in paintings, and on carved wood. Sports are also a big deal in the middle eastern country. They have one of the world’s best cricket teams, and hockey, squash, and badminton are also very popular. Polo is a common sport in some pockets of Pakistan as well. And if you ever get the opportunity to attend a Pakistani wedding, consider yourself lucky. The Pakistani people know how to throw a celebration! Their weddings can last anywhere between three to six days. Can you imagine three whole days of amazing food, music, and a never-ending dance party?
Interested in other popular last names, along with their meanings and origins? Check out our pages on Irish last names, Japanese last names, French last names, Scottish last names, Italian last names, and more. Below, you’ll find popular Pakistani last names.
- Aamir
Transcription: عامر Meaning: Replete, full Origin: Urdu
- Abdul
Transcription: عبدال Meaning: Servant of Origin: Arabic
- Achakzai
Transcription: اڅکزی Meaning: Son of Achak Origin: Pashto
- Adil
Transcription: عادل Meaning: Just Origin: Arabic, Urdu
- Advani
Transcription: आडवाणी Meaning: Descendant of Adu Origin: Indian, Sindhi
- Agarwal
Transcription: اگروال Meaning: Someone originally from the town of Agroha in Haryana state, India Origin: Hindi/Punjabi
- Akhtar
Transcription: اختر Meaning: Star Origin: Persian
- Alakozai
Transcription: الکوزۍ Meaning: Son of Alako Origin: Pashto
- Alam
Transcription: علم, عالم Meaning: World, universe Origin: Arabic, Bengali, Urdu, Persian
- Arora
Transcription: अरोड़ा Meaning: More, also; From the ancient city of Aror, now the Sindh province of Pakistan Origin: Indian, Hindi, Punjabi
- Ashiq
Transcription: عاشق Meaning: Enamored, infatuated; admirer, lover Origin: Punjabi, Urdu
- Azmat
Transcription: عظمت Meaning: Majesty, glory Origin: Urdu
- Bai
Transcription: बाई Meaning: Lady Origin: Indian, Hindi
- Baig
Transcription: بیگ Meaning: Ruler, chief, lord, master Origin: Indian, Turkish
- Bajwa
Transcription: باجوا Meaning: Great hawk Origin: Persian
- Bakshi
Transcription: بخشی Meaning: Paymaster, scribe, secretary Origin: Indian, Bengali, Punjabi
- Bansal
Transcription: वंश Meaning: Lineage, clan, race; bamboo Origin: Indian, Sanskrit
- Begum
Transcription: بیگم Meaning: Lady, madam Origin: Indian, Persian
- Bhagat
Transcription: भगत Meaning: Devotee, worshipper Origin: Indian, Hindi
- Bhasin
Transcription: भसीन Meaning: Ray of light, sun Origin: Indian, Hindi
- Bux
Transcription: بخش Meaning: Fortune; section, portion, part Origin: Urdu, Persian, Sindhi
- Chand, Chanda
Transcription: چند, چندا Meaning: Moon Origin: Indian, Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali, Urdu
- Chauhan
Transcription: चौहान Meaning: Four (Sanskrit); hero Origin: Indian, Hindi
- Danyal
Transcription: دانیال Meaning: Known intellectual; careful to justice Origin: Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Bengali, Turkish
- Dass
Transcription: داس Meaning: To dare Origin: Indian, Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu
- Daud
Transcription: داؤد Meaning: Dear friends Origin: Arabic, Urdu, Filipino, Maguindanao, Maranao, Tausug
- Dawlatzai
Transcription: دولتزئ Meaning: Son of Dawlat Origin: Afghanistan and western Pakistan
- Dawood
Transcription: داؤد Meaning: Dear Origin: Arabic, Urdu
- Dayal
Transcription: दयालु Meaning: Kind, compassionate, merciful Origin: Indian, Hindi, Punjabi
- Devi
Transcription: देवी Meaning: Goddess, a female deity Origin: Indian, Hindi
- Dhawan
Transcription: धाव् Meaning: Runner, messenger Origin: Indian, Punjabi, Hindi
- Gandhi
Transcription: गांधी Meaning: Perfume seller Origin: Sanskrit
- Gul
Transcription: گُل Meaning: Flower or rose Origin: Pakistani, Pashto
- Haq
Transcription: حق Meaning: Real, true Origin: Arabic
- Imam
Transcription: امام Meaning: Leader, guide Origin: Arabic, Bengali
- Jafri
Transcription: جفري Meaning: Yellow flower Origin: Persian, Arabic
- Jha
Transcription: झा Meaning: Teacher Origin: Sanskrit
- Junejo
Transcription: جونیجو Meaning: Sons of Juno Origin: Pakistani, Sindhi
- Kakar
Transcription: کاکړ Meaning: The name of a Gharghashti Pashtun tribe, which is based mostly in the Balochistan Province of Pakistan, and Loy Kandahar in Afghanistan Origin: Pashto, Urdu, Hindi
- Kamaliazad
Transcription: کمالیہ زاد Meaning: Perfection of the free or independent Origin: Pakistani, Persian
- Kapoor
Transcription: कपूर Meaning: Camphor Origin: Indian, Hindi, Punajabi
- Kazimi
Transcription: کاظمی Meaning: Commonly associated with the family of Islamic Prophet Muhammad’s great-grandson Imam Musa al-Kadhim Origin: Iran, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India
- Khalil
Transcription: خليل Meaning: Friend Origin: Arabic
- Khalsa
Transcription: خالصة Meaning: To be pure or clear Origin: Indian (Sikh), Persian
- Khan
Transcription: خان Meaning: Title given to rulers and officials in central Asia, Afghanistan, and some Muslim countries; a king, a prince, a chief, a governor Origin: Turkish Khan
- Khokhar
Transcription: خوخار Meaning: Name of an agricultural community of the Punjab region in India Origin: India
- Kumari
Transcription: कुमारी Meaning: Young girl, daughter, princess Origin: Indian, Hindi
- Mahajan
Transcription: महाजन Meaning: Great number of people Origin: Sanskrit
- Malek
Transcription: مالک Meaning: Refers to people from Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and the Haryana region in India and Pakistan Origin: India, Pakistan
- Musharaff
Transcription: مشرف Meaning: Supervisor, elevated, honored Origin: Arabic
- Niazi
Transcription: نیازی Meaning: Desire, wish; friend Origin: Persian
- Pathak
Transcription: पाठक Meaning: Learner, reader Origin: Sanskrit
- Qayyum
Transcription: القيوم Meaning: Subsistence, independent, sustainer Origin: Arabic
- Rajput
Transcription: راجپوت Meaning: Prince, son of a king Origin: Sanskrit
- Seth
Transcription: सेठ Meaning: Appointed one, placed Origin: Hindi
- Siddiqi
Transcription: صدیقی Meaning: Truthful, righteous, rightly guided Origin: Arabic
- Sinai
Transcription: سینا Meaning: Writer Origin: Arabic and Hebrew
- Soltani
Transcription: سلطاني Meaning: Pertaining to or descended from Origin: Arabic
- Srour
Transcription: سرور Meaning: Joy, happiness Origin: Arabic
- Sulaiman
Transcription: سليمان Meaning: Man of peace Origin: Arabic
- Sultan
Transcription: سلطان Meaning: Ruler, kings Origin: Arabic
- Syed
Transcription: بادشاہ. Meaning: Always in controls Origin: Arabic
- Tabatabai
Transcription: طباطبایی Meaning: Rightly guided Origin: Arabic
- Tabet
Transcription: تابت Meaning: Strong, well established Origin: Arabic
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