Prophets' Names

Names that sound alike across the four languages. This page compares names, not teaching. Several figures are understood differently in each tradition, and a few names have a disputed history. Each row says where.

Side by side

Each cell shows the word in its own script, then an easy pronunciation in gold, then the scholarly transliteration in small italics. Scroll sideways on a narrow screen. "Not verified" means we could not confirm the form and have left it empty on purpose. See the guide for the key.

English
Arabic
Hebrew
Aramaic (Syriac)
Mandaic
Adam
ʾ-d-m
آدَم
aa-dam
ʾĀdam
אָדָם
a-dam
ʾāḏām
Adam; also “human being”
ܐܕܡ
a-dam
ʾāḏām
ࡀࡃࡀࡌ
a-dam
adam
Noah
n-w-ḥ
نُوح
nooh
Nūḥ
נֹחַ
no-akh
Nōaḥ
ܢܘܚ
nookh
Nūḥ
Peshitta Matt 24:37
ࡍࡅ
noo
Nū
The final ḥ is lost in Mandaic.
Abraham
ʾ-b-r-h-m
إِبْرَاهِيم
ib-raa-heem
Ibrāhīm
אַבְרָהָם
av-ra-ham
ʾAḇrāhām
ܐܒܪܗܡ
av-ra-ham
ʾAḇrāhām
ࡁࡓࡀࡄࡉࡌ
bra-heem
Brahim
Mandaic drops the first vowel. The Arabic form has the long ī.
Isaac
ṣ-ḥ-q / s-ḥ-q
إِسْحَاق
is-haaq
Isḥāq
יִצְחָק
yits-khak
Yiṣḥāq
ܐܝܣܚܩ
ees-khaq
ʾĪsḥāq
Peshitta Matt 1:2
not verified
Hebrew has ṣ; Arabic and Syriac both have s here. Wiktionary treats the Arabic as borrowed from the Hebrew name. Mandaic form not verified.
Ishmael
š-m-ʿ + ʾl
إِسْمَاعِيل
is-maa-eel
Ismāʿīl
יִשְׁמָעֵאל
yish-ma-el
Yišmāʿēʾl
“God hears” (Gen 16:11)
ܐܝܫܡܥܝܠ
eesh-ma-eel
ʾĪšmāʿīl
Peshitta Gen 16:11
not verified
Arabic s, Hebrew and Syriac š. The name is built from “hear” (š-m-ʿ) and “God” (ʾēl). Mandaic form not verified.
Jacob
ʿ-q-b
يَعْقُوب
yaq-oob
Yaʿqūb
יַעֲקֹב
ya-a-kov
Yaʿăqōḇ
ܝܥܩܘܒ
ya-kob
Yaʿqōḇ
not verified
Mandaic form not verified.
Joseph
y-s-p
يُوسُف
yoo-suf
Yūsuf
יוֹסֵף
yo-sef
Yôsēf
ܝܘܣܦ
yow-sef
Yawsep
not verified
Mandaic form not verified.
Moses
m-š-(h)
مُوسَى
moo-sa
Mūsā
מֹשֶׁה
mo-sheh
Mōšeh
ܡܘܫܐ
moo-shay
Mūšē
ࡌࡉࡔࡀ
mee-sha
Mīša
Arabic s corresponds to š in the other three.
Aaron
h-r-n
هَارُون
haa-roon
Hārūn
אַהֲרֹן
a-ha-ron
ʾAhărōn
ܐܗܪܘܢ
a-ha-ron
ʾAhrōn
not verified
Mandaic form not verified.
David
d-w-d
دَاوُود
daa-wood
Dāwūd
דָּוִד
da-vid
Dāwiḏ
ܕܘܝܕ
da-weed
Dawīḏ
Peshitta Matt 1:1
not verified
Mandaic form not verified.
Solomon
š-l-m
سُلَيْمَان
su-lay-maan
Sulaymān
שְׁלֹמֹה
shlo-mo
Šĕlōmōh
ܫܠܝܡܘܢ
shle-mon
Šlēmōn
wikt · Peshitta Matt 6:29
not verified
Built on the same root as “peace” (Greetings page). Mandaic form not verified.
Jonah
y-w-n
يُونُس
yoo-nus
Yūnus
יוֹנָה
yo-na
Yônâ
Jonah; also “dove”
ܝܘܢܢ
yow-nan
Yawnān
Peshitta Matt 12:39
not verified
The names share the stem y-w-n, but the endings differ, so we do not call them identical.
Job
ʾ-y-b
أَيُّوب
ay-yoob
Ayyūb
אִיּוֹב
ee-yov
ʾIyyôḇ
ܐܝܘܒ
ee-yob
ʾĪyōḇ
Peshitta James 5:11
not verified
Mandaic form not verified.
Zechariah
z-k-r
زَكَرِيَّا
za-ka-ree-yaa
Zakariyyā
זְכַרְיָה
ze-khar-ya
Zĕḵaryâ
“the LORD remembered”
ܙܟܪܝܐ
zakh-rya
Zḵaryā
not verified
Built on the root z-k-r, “remember”. Mandaic form not verified.
John
ḥ-n-n | ḥ-y-y
يَحْيَىٰ
yah-yaa
Yaḥyā
Quranic name
different name
יוֹחָנָן
yo-kha-nan
Yôḥānān
“the LORD is gracious”
ܝܘܚܢܢ
yo-han-nan
Yōḥannān
ࡉࡅࡄࡀࡍࡀ
yoo-ha-na
Iuhana
The Quranic name Yaḥyā is not a cognate of Yôḥānān. The traditional reading links it to ḥ-y-y, “to live”. Some scholars suggest a link through the Arabic spelling of the Christian Arabic form Yuḥannā (Wiktionary summarises both). Quran 19:7 says this name was not given to anyone before. Mandaic Iuhana is the name of the central Mandaean figure.
Jesus
y-š-ʿ
عِيسَى
ee-sa
ʿĪsā
Quranic name
see note
יֵשׁוּעַ
ye-shoo-a
Yēšûaʿ
ܝܫܘܥ
ee-shoo
Yēšūʿ (Eastern: Īšōʿ)
ࡏࡔࡅ
ee-shoo
’šu / īšū
Wiktionary notes that Quranic ʿĪsā has no clear derivation from Yēšûaʿ (origin uncertain), while the Christian Arabic name Yasūʿ (يَسُوع) is the regular equivalent of Yēšûaʿ. We therefore give ʿĪsā as the Quranic name and do not claim a shared root. Mandaean sources treat this figure differently from the Quran; this page compares names, not teaching.
Messiah, the anointed
m-š-ḥ / m-s-ḥ
مَسِيح
ma-seeh
masīḥ
as in al-Masīḥ (Quran 3:45)
מָשִׁיחַ
ma-shee-akh
māšîaḥ
ܡܫܝܚܐ
m-shee-kha
mšīḥā
ࡌࡔࡉࡄࡀ
m-shee-ha
mšiha
From the root “to anoint”. Arabic s corresponds to š in the others. In Mandaic the title is used in its own tradition and should not be read as the Quranic sense.
Sources

Online sources

Printed and other reference works (cited from the dictionaries, not linked)

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