Mubarak (name)

Mubarak (name)

Mubarak (Arabic: مبارك‎, Mubārak) is an Arabic given name, which has the meaning "blessed one". A variant form is Baraka or Barack (Arabic: بارك‎, Bārak), analogous to the Hebrew name Barak— ברךּ— meaning "knee" or "kneeling" derived from common Semitic roots for the concept of kneeling in praise/to receive a blessing. Mubarak and Barack are thus the Arabic and Hebrew equivalent in meaning of the Latinate word "Benedict" (from Benedictus (disambiguation) "blessed" or, literally, "well-spoken").

Etymologically, the name is from the consonantal root B-R-K, meaning "knee", and verbally "to prostrate oneself", and hence "to receive blessing". The feminine noun barakah (بركة) means "blessing". In Islam, and specifically within the Sufi tradition, it has a meaning similar to "charisma". The Hebrew cognate is berakhah.

The Biblical name Baruch is the Hebrew cognate; see Book of Baruch for an instance of the name.

The name is sometimes written differently in different countries; for example, the last name of singer Shakira (a Lebanese-Colombian) is Mebarak.

When an Arabic name is used in other languages, the patronymic is often rendered as a last name. In other contexts, Mubarak is a proper last name (e.g. cricket player Jehan Mubarak).