Boy · Arabic · Muslim
Sultan
سلطانSay it sul-TAAN
- Meaning today
- King, ruler, authority
- Original meaning
- "power, authority, dominion; hence a ruler or sovereign" Lane, p. 1405–1406
- Say it
- sul-TAAN
- Written
- سلطان
- Other spellings
- Sultaan, Sulthan
Sultan
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Sultan meaning
Sultan (سلطان) is a Muslim boy's name of Arabic origin.
Power, authority, dominion; hence a ruler or sovereign
Also used to mean: king
Sultan (سلطان) is the Arabic sulṭān, from the root s-l-ṭ, "to have power over". Lane's lexicon defines it first as strength, might and power, then as dominion and authority, the power of a king or a governor, and finally as a ruler or sovereign, the sense most common in later writing and the source of the royal title. In the Quran it usually means authority or a clear proof, as in the challenge that no one can pass beyond the heavens and the earth "except with authority" (55:33). The sarangi master Ustad Sultan Khan was a celebrated Indian bearer.
Source: Lane, An Arabic–English Lexicon (1863–93), Book I, Part 4, p. 1405–1406 · entry sulṭān (سُلْطَانٌ), root s-l-ṭ · See the entry
In the Quran: 55:33 (bi-sulṭān (بِسُلْطَٰنٍ)) · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: Lane, Arabic–English Lexicon, sulṭān, Book I p. 1405–1406 · Quran 55:33 · Wikipedia, Sultan Khan (musician)
Famous namesakes
- Ustad Sultan Khan, sarangi player
Popularity abroad
- #360 England and Wales, boys 2025
Office for National Statistics
Official birth registrations. India publishes no national name statistics.
Spellings
Sultan · Sultaan · Sulthan