Qureshi
Qureyshi (also known as Qureshi, Quraishi, Qurayshi, Qureshy, Quraishy, Qoraishi, Qoreshi, Koraishi, Kureshi, Kureshy, Kureishi, Coreish) is a Muslim family name, though in English it has many spelling variations but in Arabic, there is a single spelling as "قريشي", which means part of Qureish Family (Arabic: قريش).
- For people with the surname, see Qureshi (surname)
Pronunciation | [qureːʃiː], [qureʃiː] |
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Origin | |
Meaning | Member of the Quraish tribe |
Region of origin | Makkah, Hijaz, modern day Arabia |
Other names | |
Variant form(s) | Qureshi, Kureshi, Qurashi, Quraishy, Qureishy, Qureyshi, Qurayshi, Quraishi, Qureshy, Quraishy, Qoraishi, Qoreshi, Koraishi, Kureshi, Kureshy, Kureishi, Kourashi, Coreishi |
Most bearers of the name, by far, are in Pakistan (82%: 1,210,000, out of 1,470,000 worldwide), where it is the ninth commonest surname. India has the second most (11%: 162,000), followed by Saudi Arabia (2.5%: 36,300) and England (0.65%: 9,580).[1]
History
According to the Dictionary of American Family Names, the Qureshis are descendants of the Quraysh, the leading tribe in Mecca at the time of the birth of the Islamic prophet Muhammad (ad 570); Muhammad's father was a member of it. The Quraish at first opposed Muhammad's teachings and are said to have persecuted him and his followers, but by the time of his death they had begun to convert to the new faith and played an important role in bringing Arabia under the banner of Islam.[2]
References
- "Qureshi Surname Meaning & Statistics". Forebears. Retrieved 31 March 2017. Data as of 2014. Frequency counts rounded to three significant digits; percentages to two significant digits. See the Talk page.
- Dictionary of American Family Names. 2013, Oxford University Press.