Jafar, name meaning in Islam

Jafar (جَعْفَر) is an Arabic name for boys. It means stream, small river. The Prophet ﷺ told Jafar: "You resemble me in looks and in character" (Sahih al-Bukhari).

Meaning and root

In Arabic, words are built from a root of usually three letters. Jafar comes from the root ج ع ف ر, and words from the same root share its core meaning. Similar names from the same family of words are listed below.

Is Jafar in the Quran?

No. Jafar is not a word in the Quran. A name does not need to be in the Quran to be a good Muslim name: what matters is that its meaning is good. The Prophet ﷺ changed names with bad meanings and kept names with good ones.¹

How to say and write Jafar

Say it JAA-far. The capital letters show the stressed part. In English it is also spelled Jaafar and Jafer. In Arabic it is written with 4 letters, from right to left: ج jim + ع ʿayn + ف fa + ر ra.

Choosing Jafar

Jafar is a name with a good meaning, which is what the Sunnah asks for. The Prophet ﷺ said: "The most beloved of your names to Allah are Abdullah and Abdur-Rahman",³ and after these, any name with a good meaning is a sound choice. With the father's name it becomes Jafar bin (and the father's name): see what bin, bint and abu mean.

Famous people named Jafar

• Jafar ibn Abi Talib, cousin of the Prophet ﷺ who spoke for the Muslims before the king of Abyssinia

Names like Jafar

• Ali
• Aqeel
• Hamza

1. Sahih Muslim 2139, the Prophet ﷺ changing a name with a bad meaning.
2. Sahih Muslim 2315.
3. Sahih Muslim 2132.
4. Meanings follow classical Arabic usage and the standard name dictionaries; our teachers will check each one.

Our teachers will check the Arabic spelling and meaning on this page before launch.