# Habib

Habib (Arabic: حبيب, romanized: ḥabīb; Arabic pronunciation:), sometimes written as Habeeb, is an Arabic masculine given name, occasional surname, and honorific, with the meaning "beloved" or "my love", or "darling". It also forms the famous Arabic word ‘Habibi’ which is used to refer to a friend or a significant other in the aspect of love or admiration.
The name is popular throughout the Muslim World, though particularly in the Middle East and Africa. In other countries, especially in Yemen and Southeast Asian countries such as Brunei, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia, it is an honorific to address a Muslim scholar of Sayyid (a descendant of Muhammad) families and where it is one of the names of the Islamic prophet Muhammad – حبيب الله Habib Allah (Habibullah/ Habiballah) - "Most Beloved of Allah (God)".
The name, as is the case with other Arabic names, is not only confined to Muslims. Notable examples of Christian individuals named Habib include Habib the Deacon, Gabriel Habib and the Philosopher Habib.
Habiba is the female equivalent.

## Etymology

The name stems from the Arabic verb ḥabba (حَبَّ), meaning to "love", "admire, be fond of".
Another variant which is used as a given name and adjective of the stem from that verb is "maḥbūb" (مَحْبُوب) meaning "well-beloved", commonly written as Mahbub, the female equivalent Mahbuba (Arabic: maḥbūbah مَحْبُوبَة).
The Hebrew equivalent of the name is Haviv (Hebrew: חָבִיב) used as both a first name and last name with the same meaning, "darling" or "likeable" in Hebrew.

## Surname

* Juliana Habib, Colombian Beauty pageant contestant.
* Aftab Habib, English cricket player
* Anwara Habib, d.2018, Bangladeshi politician
* Arif Habib, Pakistani businessman
* Brian Habib, American football player
* Cyrus Habib, American Jesuit, politician
* Dina Powell née Habib, Egyptian-born American government official
* Irfan Habib, Indian historian
* Jawed Habib, Indian hairstylist and businessman
* Mamdouh Habib, Australian-Egyptian once held at Guantanamo Bay
* Meyer Habib, French politician
* Naomi Habib, Israeli neuroscientist
* Philip Habib, d.1992, American diplomat
* Rafik Habib, Egyptian researcher, activist, author, and politician.
* Ralph Habib, d.1969, French film director of Lebanese and Egyptian origin
* Huzama Habayeb, Palestinian novelist, columnist and translator

## Given name
### Habib

* Habib The Deacon, Syriac Christian martyr
* Habib (singer) (1947–2016), Iranian pop singer and songwriter
* Habib (actor), Pakistani film actor
* Habib Achour (1913–1999), Tunisian trade unionist
* Habib Ben Ali (1941–1996), Tunisian criminal and brother of Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali
* Habib Beye (born 1977), French-Senegalese footballer
* Habib Borjian, linguist
* Habib Bourguiba (1903–2000), Tunisian politician
* Habib Bourguiba Jr. (1927–2009), Tunisian diplomat
* Habib Dehghani (born 1983), Iranian footballer
* Habib Diallo (born 1995), Senegalese professional footballer
* Habib Esfahani (1835–1983), Iranian poet, grammarian and translator
* Habib ibn Maslama al-Fihri, 7th-century Arab general
* Habib Girgis (1876–1951) Egyptian Dean and Coptic Saint
* Habib Habibou (born 1987), French footballer
* Habib Jemli, Tunisian politician
* Habib Kashani (born 1955), Iranian businessman
* Habib Koité (born 1958), Senegalese-born Malian musician
* Habib Levy (1896–1984), Iranian Jewish historian
* Habib Nasib Nader (born 1979), British actor
* Habib Qahwaji (1932–2023), Palestinian teacher, writer and political activist
* Habib Sabet (1903–1993), Iranian businessman
* Habib Samaei (1905–1946) Iranian musician
* Habib Wahid (born 1976), Bangladeshi composer and musician
* Habib Zargarpour (born 1964), Iranian art director

### Habeeb

* Habeeb Salloum, Arab-Canadian freelance writer

### Khabib

* Khabib Allakhverdiev (born 1982), Russian boxer
* Khabib Ilyaletdinov (born 1965), Russian footballer
* Khabib Nurmagomedov "Habib Nur Muhammed" (born 1988), Russian Mixed Martial artist
* Khabib Syukron (born 1988), Indonesian footballer

### Other spellings containing the term
## Honorific title

* Habib Ali al-Jifri (born 1971), Islamic scholar
* Habib Alwi bin Thahir al-Haddad, mufti of Johor Bahru
* Habib Abdullah ibn Alawi al-Haddad, a Muslim patron saint
* Habib Abu Bakr al-Aydarus, a Muslim patron saint
* Habib Ali bin Abdurrahman Alhabshi, a cleric and preacher
* Habib Muhammad bin Ali bin Yahya, Mufti of Kutai
* Habib Muhammad Luthfi bin Yahya, Indonesian Islamic cleric
* Habib Munzir Al-Musawa, Indonesian Islamic cleric
* Habib Umar bin Hafiz al-Shaikh Abubakr, Islamic scholar
* Habib Uthman bin Yahya, mufti of Batavia

## Fictional characters

* Habib Halal, character in Australian film Fat Pizza