Boy · Arabic · Muslim
Affan
عفانSay it af-FAAN
- Meaning
- From ʿ-f-f: abstaining from what is unlawful or unbecoming; chaste Lane, p. 2088
- Say it
- af-FAAN
- Written
- عفان
- Other spellings
- Affaan, Afan
Affan
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Affan meaning
Affan (عفان) is a Muslim boy's name of Arabic origin.
From ʿ-f-f: abstaining from what is unlawful or unbecoming; chaste
Affan (عفان) is an Arabic name from the root ʿ-f-f. Lane explains the root as abstaining from what is unlawful or unbecoming, and gives ʿiffa as abstinence, continence or chastity, with related words describing a person who is chaste and modest. Name lists give Affan the same sense, usually "chaste" or "modest", so the popular meaning follows the root. Lane does not treat the form ʿaffān separately, so the meaning rests on the root. The name is known above all through ʿAffān ibn Abī al-ʿĀṣ, father of ʿUthmān, the third caliph, who is remembered as ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān. The girls' name Iffat comes from the same root.
Source: Lane, An Arabic–English Lexicon, Book I, Part 5 (1874), p. 2088 · entry ʿaffa (عَفَّ), ʿiffa (عِفَّةٌ), root ʿ-f-f · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: Lane, ʿ-f-f, p. 2088 (Part 5 scan, leaf 372) · Britannica, ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān
Famous namesakes
- ʿAffān ibn Abī al-ʿĀṣ, father of the caliph ʿUthmān
Spellings
Affan · Affaan · Afan