Adam (Name)

Adam (transliteration: Ādam, Arabic: آدم) is an ancient Middle Eastern name for boys used in various cultures, referring to the first human created by God, called Prophet Adam in Islam. In Arabic Adam means “one who has tanned skin”¹, although whether this is the original meaning of the name is uncertain.² The scholar Al-Raaghib al-Asfahaani mentions various potential meanings of the name, none of which is certain. One such meaning is “that which has a good scent”, since in Arabic the related word al-idām is used to refer to things added to food to improve its scent and flavor.³

The name Adam may also be spelled as Aadam.

The name Adam is used 25 times in the Quran, such as in verse 3:59:

The likeness of Jesus in God’s sight is that of Adam: He created him from dust, then said to him, “Be,” and he was.

Another example is verse 19:58:

These are some of the prophets God has blessed, from the descendants of Adam, and from those We carried with Noah, and from the descendants of Abraham and Israel, and from those We guided and selected. Whenever the revelations of the Most Gracious are recited to them, they would fall down, prostrating and weeping.

There is one Companion of the Prophet Muhammad named Adam:

• Adam bin Rabee’ah bin al-Harith آدم بن ربيعة بن الحارث

Below is the name Adam written in Arabic naskh script:

Below is the same name written in Arabic kufi script:

1. Al-Mufradaat fi Ghareeb al-Qur’aan by al-Raaghib al-Asfahaani (d. c. 1109 CE), entry for آدم.
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid.