उनके पिता ने उनका नाम फिरोज बख्त रक्खा लेकिन वे अबुल कलाम बन गये और उनका यहीं नाम बाद में भी रहा।
His father named him Abu az-Zafar Hamid but his grandfather used to address him as Iqbal and this is the name by which he became famous.