Siddiqui
A Muslim surname meaning “descendant of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq,” the honored first caliph of Islam.
The #4,169 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 36,314 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Siddiqui is an Arabic-based Muslim surname formed from al-Siddiq, an honorific meaning “the very truthful” or “the veracious,” famously applied to Abu Bakr, the first caliph of Islam. The ending -i is a nisba suffix used in Arabic and Persian to indicate belonging or descent, so the name broadly means “of the Siddiq” or “descendant of the truthful one.” In South Asia it is especially associated with families claiming descent from Abu Bakr through the line of the early Muslim community.
History
The surname is common among Muslim communities in South Asia, especially in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, and also appears in diaspora communities worldwide. It functions as a hereditary identity marker tied to revered ancestry rather than to an occupation or place-name. In modern usage it is often rendered Siddiqui, though related spellings vary according to transliteration.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The name is ultimately linked to Abu Bakr’s title al-Siddiq, one of the best-known honorifics in early Islamic history.