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Afghan Last Names

These Afghan last names are real surnames used in Afghanistan, listed A to Z with Pashto or Dari script and meanings. They include Pashtun tribal names like Ahmadzai and Barakzai, Tajik and Hazara names, and names taken from provinces.

234 real surnames with meanings, A to Z.

A

  • Achakzai اڅکزی

    Durrani Pashtun tribe, sons of Achak

  • Afridi اپریدی

    Karlani Pashtun tribe of the Khyber region

  • Ahadi احدی

    Of Ahad, the one

  • Ahmadi احمدی

    Of Ahmad, most praised

  • Ahmadkhel احمدخېل

    Pashtun clan, clan of Ahmad

  • Ahmadyar احمدیار

    Friend of Ahmad

  • Ahmadzada احمدزاده

    Born of Ahmad

  • Ahmadzai احمدزی

    Pashtun Ghilzai tribe, sons of Ahmad

  • Akbari اکبری

    Of Akbar, greatest

  • Alami عالمی

    Of the world; learned

  • Alikhel علي خېل

    Pashtun clan, clan of Ali

  • Alizada علیزاده

    Born of Ali

  • Alizai علیزی

    Durrani Pashtun tribe, sons of Ali

  • Alokozai الکوزی

    Durrani Pashtun tribe of Kandahar and Helmand

  • Amin امین

    Trustworthy, faithful (Arabic)

  • Amiri امیری

    Of the amir; commander

  • Andar اندړ

    Ghilzai Pashtun tribe of Ghazni

  • Andarabi اندرابی

    From Andarab valley

  • Andkhoi اندخویی

    Place-based name: from Andkhoy

  • Ansari انصاری

    Descendant of the Ansar, helpers of the Prophet

  • Anwari انوری

    Of Anwar, most radiant

  • Arghandiwal ارغندیوال

    From Arghandi or Arghandab

  • Arsala ارسلا

    Jabarkhel Pashtun family of Nangarhar

  • Atmar اتمر

    Pashtun family name of Laghman

  • Ayubi ایوبی

    Of Ayub (Job)

  • Azimi عظیمی

    Of Azim, great

  • Azizi عزیزی

    Of Aziz, dear or mighty

B

  • Babakarkhel بابکرخېل

    Ghilzai Pashtun sub-clan, clan of Babakar

  • Babar بابړ

    Pashtun tribe of the Sulaiman mountains region

  • Badakhshi بدخشی

    Place-based name: from Badakhshan

  • Badghisi بادغیسی

    Place-based name: from Badghis

  • Baghlani بغلانی

    Place-based name: from Baghlan

  • Bakhtiari بختیاری

    Fortunate; of Bakhtiar

  • Balkhi بلخی

    Place-based name: from Balkh

  • Baluch بلوچ

    Of the Baluch people

  • Bamyani بامیانی

    Place-based name: from Bamyan

  • Bangash بنګښ

    Pashtun tribe of Kurram and Kohat

  • Barakzai بارکزی

    Durrani Pashtun tribe, sons of Barak; former royal line

  • Barech بړېڅ

    Pashtun tribe of the southern desert, Shorawak

  • Behsudi بهسودی

    From Behsud; Hazara tribe

C

  • Changezi چنگیزی

    Of Genghis; Hazara family name

  • Charikari چاریکاری

    Place-based name: from Charikar

D

  • Daikundi دایکندی

    Hazara tribe and province

  • Daizangi دایزنگی

    Hazara tribe of central Afghanistan

  • Danish دانش

    Knowledge, learning (Persian)

  • Daoud داوود

    Arabic form of David

  • Daulatzai دولتزی

    Pashtun clan, sons of Daulat (wealth)

  • Dilazak دلزاک

    Ancient Pashtun tribe

  • Dostum دوستم

    Uzbek family name; possibly from Persian dust, friend

  • Durrani درانی

    Pashtun tribal confederation, pearl of pearls

F

  • Fahim فهیم

    Understanding, intelligent (Arabic)

  • Faizi فیضی

    Of Faiz, grace or abundance

  • Farahi فراهی

    Place-based name: from Farah

  • Farhang فرهنگ

    Culture, learning (Persian)

  • Farooqi فاروقی

    Descendant of Umar al-Faruq

  • Faryabi فاریابی

    Place-based name: from Faryab

  • Fazli فضلی

    Of Fazl, grace or virtue

G

  • Gailani گیلانی

    Descendant of Abdul Qadir Gilani, Sufi family

  • Ghafari غفاری

    Of Ghaffar, the forgiver

  • Ghafoori غفوری

    Of Ghafur, forgiving

  • Ghani غنی

    Rich, self-sufficient (Arabic)

  • Ghaznawi غزنوی

    Place-based name: from Ghazni

  • Ghilzai غلزی

    Large Pashtun tribal confederation of eastern Afghanistan

  • Ghorbandi غوربندی

    From Ghorband valley

  • Ghori غوری

    Place-based name: from Ghor

H

  • Habibi حبیبی

    Of Habib, beloved

  • Haidari حیدری

    Of Haidar, lion; epithet of Ali

  • Hakimi حکیمی

    Of Hakim, wise; physician

  • Hamdard همدرد

    Sympathetic; sharer of pain

  • Hamidi حمیدی

    Of Hamid, praiseworthy

  • Hamidzada حمیدزاده

    Born of Hamid

  • Haqqani حقانی

    From Arabic haqq, truth or God; a widespread Muslim surname

  • Hashimi هاشمی

    Descendant of Hashim, the Prophet's clan

  • Hassanzai حسنزی

    Pashtun clan, sons of Hassan

  • Hazara هزاره

    Of the Hazara people

  • Hekmatyar حکمتیار

    Friend of wisdom

  • Helmandi هلمندی

    Place-based name: from Helmand

  • Herawi هروی

    Place-based name: from Herat

  • Hotak هوتک

    Ghilzai Pashtun tribe that founded the Hotaki dynasty

  • Hotaki هوتکی

    Of the Hotak Pashtun tribe

  • Hussaini حسینی

    Descendant of Imam Hussain

  • Hussainzada حسین‌زاده

    Born of Hussain

I

  • Ishaqzai اسحاقزی

    Durrani Pashtun tribe, sons of Ishaq (Isaac)

  • Istalifi استالفی

    Place-based name: from Istalif

J

  • Jabarkhel جبارخېل

    Ahmadzai Ghilzai sub-clan, clan of Jabar

  • Jafari جعفری

    Follower of Imam Jafar; common among Hazaras

  • Jaghori جاغوری

    From Jaghori; Hazara tribal region

  • Jaji جاجی

    Pashtun tribe of the Aryob valley, Paktia

  • Jalali جلالی

    Of Jalal, majesty

  • Jalalzai جلالزی

    Pashtun clan, sons of Jalal

  • Jawzjani جوزجانی

    Place-based name: from Jawzjan

K

  • Kabuli کابلی

    Place-based name: from Kabul

  • Kakar کاکړ

    Large Pashtun tribe of the south and Balochistan

  • Kandahari کندهاری

    Place-based name: from Kandahar

  • Karimi کریمی

    Of Karim, generous

  • Karimzada کریم‌زاده

    Born of Karim

  • Karzai کرزی

    Popalzai Pashtun clan from the village of Karz

  • Kasi کاسی

    Pashtun tribe of the Quetta area

  • Khalid خالد

    Eternal, everlasting (Arabic)

  • Khalili خلیلی

    Of Khalil, friend; Hazara and Tajik family

  • Kharoti خروټی

    Ghilzai Pashtun tribe of Paktika

  • Khattak خټک

    Karlani Pashtun tribe, clan of Khushal Khan

  • Khogyani خوګیانی

    Pashtun tribe of Nangarhar

  • Khosti خوستی

    Place-based name: from Khost

  • Khpalwak خپلواک

    Independent, self-ruling (Pashto)

  • Kohdamani کوهدامنی

    From Koh-i Daman valley

  • Kohistani کوهستانی

    From Kohistan, the mountain land

  • Kuchi کوچی

    Afghan nomad; Pashtun nomadic herders

  • Kunari کنړی

    Place-based name: from Kunar

  • Kunduzi کندزی

    Place-based name: from Kunduz

L

  • Laghmani لغمانی

    Place-based name: from Laghman

  • Latifi لطیفی

    Of Latif, gentle

  • Lodi لودي

    Pashtun tribe, lineage of the Lodi sultans

  • Logari لوګری

    Place-based name: from Logar

  • Ludin لودین

    Pashtun family name, possibly linked to the Lodi tribe

M

  • Mahmoodi محمودی

    Of Mahmud, praised

  • Majidi مجیدی

    Of Majid, glorious

  • Mandozai مندوزی

    Pashtun clan of Khost

  • Mangal منګل

    Karlani Pashtun tribe of Paktia and Khost

  • Mansoor منصور

    Victorious, aided by God

  • Mashwani مشواڼی

    Pashtun tribe of Kunar and Hazara region

  • Massoud مسعود

    Fortunate; Tajik family of Panjshir

  • Mazari مزاری

    Place-based name: from Mazar-i-Sharif

  • Mirzad میرزاد

    Born of the mir (noble)

  • Mohammadi محمدی

    Of Mohammad, praised

  • Mohammadzai محمدزی

    Barakzai Pashtun sub-clan, former Afghan royal family

  • Mohaqiq محقق

    Researcher, scholar; Hazara family name

  • Mohmand مومند

    Pashtun tribe of Nangarhar and the border region

  • Mohseni محسنی

    Of Mohsen, benefactor

  • Mousavi موسوی

    Descendant of Imam Musa al-Kazim

  • Mujaddidi مجددی

    Descendant of Ahmad Sirhindi, the Mujaddid (renewer); Naqshbandi Sufi family

  • Mujahid مجاهد

    Striver, fighter (Arabic)

  • Musakhel موسی خېل

    Pashtun clan, clan of Musa (Moses)

  • Muslimyar مسلمیار

    Friend of Muslims

N

  • Nabizada نبی‌زاده

    Born of Nabi, prophet

  • Naderi نادری

    Of Nader, rare; Ismaili Hazara family

  • Nangarhari ننګرهاری

    Place-based name: from Nangarhar

  • Naseri ناصری

    Of Naser, helper

  • Nasiri نصیری

    Of Nasir, helper

  • Nasrat نصرت

    Help, victory (Arabic)

  • Nawabi نوابی

    Of the nawab; governor's family

  • Nazari نظری

    Of Nazar, sight or regard (Arabic nazar)

  • Niazi نیازی

    Pashtun tribe of the Lodi branch

  • Nimrozi نیمروزی

    Place-based name: from Nimroz

  • Noori نوری

    Of Nur, light

  • Noorzai نورزی

    Durrani Pashtun tribe, sons of Nur (light)

  • Nuristani نورستانی

    Place-based name: from Nuristan

O

  • Omari عمری

    Of Omar, long-lived

  • Omarzai عمرزی

    Pashtun clan, sons of Omar

  • Orakzai اورکزی

    Pashtun tribe of the Tirah region

  • Osmani عثمانی

    Of Osman (Uthman)

P

  • Paghmani پغمانی

    Place-based name: from Paghman

  • Paiman پیمان

    Pact, promise (Persian)

  • Paktiawal پکتیاوال

    Place-based name: from Paktia

  • Panjshiri پنجشیری

    From the Panjshir valley

  • Parwani پروانی

    Place-based name: from Parwan

  • Popal پوپل

    Popalzai Pashtun family name

  • Popalzai پوپلزی

    Durrani Pashtun tribe, lineage of the Karzai family

  • Poya پویا

    Dynamic, seeking (Persian)

Q

  • Qaderi قادری

    Follower of the Qadiriyya Sufi order

  • Qanuni قانونی

    Lawful; Tajik family name

  • Qasemi قاسمی

    Of Qasem, distributor

  • Qayoumi قیومی

    Of Qayyum, self-subsisting

  • Quraishi قریشی

    Of the Quraysh, the Prophet's tribe

  • Qurbani قربانی

    Of sacrifice; common among Hazaras

R

  • Rabbani ربانی

    Of the Lord; divine

  • Rahimi رحیمی

    Of Rahim, merciful

  • Rahimzada رحیم‌زاده

    Born of Rahim

  • Rahmani رحمانی

    Of Rahman, the merciful

  • Rashidi رشیدی

    Of Rashid, rightly guided

  • Rasuli رسولی

    Of Rasul, messenger

  • Rezaie رضایی

    Of Reza, contentment; common among Hazaras

S

  • Saberi صابری

    Of Saber, patient

  • Sadat سادات

    Descendants of the Prophet (plural of sayyid)

  • Sadiqi صادقی

    Of Sadiq, truthful

  • Sadozai سدوزی

    Popalzai Pashtun sub-clan of Ahmad Shah Durrani

  • Safi صافی

    Pashtun tribe of Kunar and Kapisa

  • Sahak ساهک

    Ghilzai Pashtun sub-tribe

  • Saidi سعیدی

    Of Said, happy

  • Salangi سالنگی

    From the Salang pass area

  • Salehi صالحی

    Of Saleh, righteous

  • Samadi صمدی

    Of Samad, eternal

  • Samangani سمنگانی

    Place-based name: from Samangan

  • Sarwar سرور

    Chief, leader (Persian)

  • Sarwari سروری

    Of Sarwar, chief or leader

  • Sayed سید

    Descendant of the Prophet; lord

  • Sediq صدیق

    Truthful, sincere (Arabic)

  • Shahrani شهرانی

    Probably from Shahran in Badakhshan; Uzbek family of the north

  • Shamali شمالی

    From the Shomali plain north of Kabul

  • Shams شمس

    The sun (Arabic)

  • Sharifi شریفی

    Of Sharif, noble

  • Sherani شیراني

    Pashtun tribe of the Sulaiman mountains

  • Sherzad شېرزاد

    Lion-born (Persian and Pashto)

  • Sherzai شېرزی

    Barakzai Pashtun clan, sons of the lion

  • Shinwari شینواری

    Pashtun tribe of Nangarhar and the Khyber area

  • Siddiqi صدیقی

    Descendant of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq

  • Sistani سیستانی

    Place-based name: from Sistan

  • Spanta سپنتا

    Holy, sacred (Persian, from Avestan spenta)

  • Stanikzai ستانکزی

    Pashtun tribe of Logar

  • Sulaimankhel سلیمان خېل

    Ghilzai Pashtun tribe, clan of Sulaiman

  • Sultani سلطانی

    Of the sultan; royal

  • Sultanzada سلطان‌زاده

    Born of the sultan

  • Sultanzai سلطانزی

    Pashtun clan, sons of the sultan

T

  • Taheri طاهری

    Of Taher, pure

  • Takhari تخاری

    Place-based name: from Takhar

  • Tani تڼی

    Karlani Pashtun tribe of Khost

  • Taniwal تڼیوال

    Of the Tani Pashtun tribe

  • Taraki ترکی

    Ghilzai Pashtun tribe of Ghazni and Mukur

  • Tareen ترین

    Pashtun tribe, Sarbani branch

  • Tarkani ترکاڼی

    Pashtun tribe of Bajaur and Kunar

  • Tokhi توخی

    Ghilzai Pashtun tribe of Zabul and Ghazni

  • Totakhil توتاخېل

    Ghilzai Pashtun sub-clan

  • Turkmani ترکمنی

    Of the Turkmen people

U

  • Uruzgani ارزګانی

    Place-based name: from Uruzgan

  • Utmankhel اتمان خېل

    Pashtun tribe, clan of Utman

  • Uzbek ازبک

    Of the Uzbek people

W

  • Wahidi واحدی

    Of Wahid, the one

  • Wali ولی

    Guardian; saint (Arabic)

  • Walizada ولی‌زاده

    Born of Wali, guardian or saint

  • Wardak وردګ

    Pashtun tribe of Maidan Wardak province

  • Wardaki وردکی

    Place-based name: from Wardak

  • Waziri وزیری

    Of the Wazir Pashtun tribe; also minister's family

Y

  • Yaftali یفتلی

    From Yaftal, Badakhshan

  • Yaqubi یعقوبی

    Of Yaqub (Jacob); common among Hazaras

  • Yousafzai یوسفزی

    Pashtun tribe, sons of Yusuf (Joseph)

  • Yousufi یوسفی

    Of Yusuf (Joseph)

Z

  • Zabuli زابلی

    Place-based name: from Zabul

  • Zadran ځدران

    Karlani Pashtun tribe of Paktia and Khost

  • Zaheer ظهیر

    Supporter, helper (Arabic)

  • Zahir ظاهر

    Apparent, manifest (Arabic)

  • Zakhilwal زاخېلوال

    Pashtun family name of eastern Afghanistan

  • Zamani زمانی

    Of the era; timely

  • Zazai ځاځی

    Pashtun tribe of Paktia (Jaji variant)

  • Zia ضیا

    Light, radiance (Arabic)

Generate random afghan surnames

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Results (6)

  • Farooqi

    فاروقی

    Descendant of Umar al-Faruq

  • Babar

    بابړ

    Pashtun tribe of the Sulaiman mountains region

  • Khpalwak

    خپلواک

    Independent, self-ruling (Pashto)

  • Spanta

    سپنتا

    Holy, sacred (Persian, from Avestan spenta)

  • Takhari

    تخاری

    Place-based name: from Takhar

  • Ghafari

    غفاری

    Of Ghaffar, the forgiver

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    The best known Afghan last names and their origins

    Many names that appear often in history and news belong to the Durrani confederation of southern Afghanistan. Popalzai, Barakzai, Alokozai, Achakzai, Noorzai, Alizai and Ishaqzai are all Durrani tribes. Ahmad Shah Durrani, who founded the Afghan state in 1747, came from the Sadozai lineage of the Popalzai, the same tribe as the Karzai family. The Barakzai later became the royal line, and its Mohammadzai branch ruled the country until the 1970s.

    The Ghilzai confederation of the east and south gives another set of well known names. Ahmadzai, Hotak, Tokhi, Kharoti, Sulaimankhel and Taraki are all Ghilzai tribes or clans. Mirwais Hotak led a rising in Kandahar in 1709 that founded the short-lived Hotak dynasty. Tribes of the southeast, such as Wardak, Mangal and Zadran, and eastern tribes like Shinwari and Mohmand also appear in the list, often used by families as a surname on documents.

    Place names, faith names and titles

    A large group of names simply say where a family comes from. Balkhi means from Balkh, the ancient city whose most famous son, the poet Rumi, is called Balkhi in Persian. Mazari means from Mazar-i-Sharif, Laghmani from Laghman, Bamyani from Bamyan, Samangani from Samangan and Uruzgani from Uruzgan. Shamali points to the Shomali plain north of Kabul. Many Afghans adopted a name like this when they first needed a surname for school, military service or a passport.

    Religious and honorific names form another group. Mujaddidi marks descent from a respected Sufi family, and Mousavi points to sayyid descent from Imam Musa al-Kazim. Amiri comes from amir, commander, and Sultani means royal. Personal names with -i or -zada added are common too, such as Rashidi, Ayubi and Hamidzada, born of Hamid. Persian words also appear, like Farhang, culture, and names of Hazara tribes like Daizangi or Uzbek families like Dostum.

    Tips for reading and choosing names

    Pashto and Dari are written in Perso-Arabic script, so English spellings vary. Yousafzai may appear as Yusufzai, Ahmadzai as Ahmedzai, Noorzai as Nurzai and Mohammadzai as Muhammadzai. When a name does not turn up in the list, try swapping oo and u, a and e, or o and u. The script shown next to each name helps confirm the original form. The ending زی, zai, is written the same way in all these tribal names.

    Tribal names carry identity and, at times, political weight. Barakzai recalls the monarchy, Popalzai the Karzai family and Taraki a communist president, so a character with one of these names may be read as connected to that history. For a regional feel, Durrani tribes fit Kandahar and Helmand, Zadran and Mangal fit Paktia and Khost, and place names like Herawi or Balkhi fit the Persian-speaking west and north. Use these names with the same care you would give any living community.

    Frequently asked questions

    Which Afghan last names belonged to royal families?

    Sadozai, a lineage of the Popalzai tribe, was the family of Ahmad Shah Durrani, founder of the Afghan state. Barakzai, and in particular its Mohammadzai branch, supplied the kings who ruled from the 19th century until the monarchy ended in 1973.

    What does -khel mean?

    Khel is a Pashto word for a clan or lineage group, usually smaller than a tribe. Names like Sulaimankhel, Utmankhel and Ahmadkhel mean the clan of Sulaiman, Utman or Ahmad. It works in a similar way to the ending -zai, which means descendants of.

    Why do some names end in -i, like Balkhi?

    The -i ending turns a place or a word into an adjective meaning of or from. Balkhi means from Balkh, Laghmani from Laghman and Amiri of the amir. It is shared with Persian and is especially common among Dari speakers.

    Is Yousafzai an Afghan or Pakistani name?

    Both. The Yusufzai are a large Pashtun tribe whose main homeland lies in the Swat valley and nearby districts of Pakistan, with members in Afghanistan as well. Malala Yousafzai, from Swat, has made the Pakistani spelling widely known.

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