Another possible origin of the name is the tribal designation of the Nasrid Dynasty, known as the Banu al-Ahmar "Arabic: Sons of the Red (male)", a sub-tribe of the Qahtanite Banu Khazraj tribe.
Dobeseden prevod Alhambra, "rdeča" (ženska), odraža barvo rdeče gline okolice iz katere je utrdba narejena.