Boy · Arabic (Urdu and Persian usage) · Muslim
Haider
حیدرSay it HAI-dur
- Meaning today
- Lion, brave
- Original meaning
- "a lion; in Persian and Urdu also a title of Ali" Lane, p. 531
- Say it
- HAI-dur
- Written
- حیدر
- Other spellings
- Hyder, Haidar, Haydar
Haider
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Haider meaning
Haider (حیدر) is a Muslim boy's name of Arabic origin (Urdu and Persian usage).
A lion; in Persian and Urdu also a title of Ali
Also used to mean: brave
Haider (حیدر) is Arabic ḥaydar, one of the old names for the lion. Lane's lexicon records ḥaydar and al-ḥaydara for the lion and explains that it stands out among lions as a king among men, for its thick neck and strong forelegs. Steingass's Persian dictionary adds that Ḥaidar is a title of ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib, the Prophet's cousin and son-in-law, and the name is used by Indian Muslims, Shia and Sunni alike. The 18th-century ruler of Mysore, Haidar Ali, carried it, and Hyderabad is named with it.
Source: Lane, An Arabic–English Lexicon (1863–93), Book I, Part 2 (1865), p. 531 · entry ḥaydar (حَيْدَرٌ), root ḥ-d-r · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: Lane, Arabic–English Lexicon, ḥaydar, Book I p. 531 · Steingass, ḥaidar, p. 435
Famous namesakes
- Haidar Ali (c. 1720–1782), ruler of Mysore
Popularity abroad
- #306 England and Wales, boys 2025
Office for National Statistics
Official birth registrations. India publishes no national name statistics.
Spellings
Haider · Hyder · Haidar · Haydar