The full Arabic name can be quite long. It can consist of a given name (called the ism), nicknames (laqab), and patronyms (nasab) and/or a family name (nisba). Sometimes these names are preceded by a kunya, which refers to the person's first born son.
The majority of Arabic given names are derived from vocabulary words, equivalent to an English vocabulary name such as Faith or Willow. The ninety-nine attributes of Allah, as listed in the Qur'an, are frequently used as names, for example Rashid and Aziz. Sometimes the attributes are prefixed with Abd al meaning "servant of the ..." (such as Abd-al-Aziz and Abd-al-Karim).
The historical figures from Islam are also a major influence on naming practices. The multiple forms of Muhammad are extremely popular, as are the names of his family and descendents, such as Umar, Ali, Bakr and Fatima. Military leaders are often honoured as well; for example Tariq and Amir. The names of prophets and other figures from the Qur'an are also used - Ibrahim and Mariam are two examples that have English biblical equivalents (Abraham and Mary).