Meaning and Origin
What does the name Caliph mean? Keep reading to find the user submitted meanings, dictionary definitions, and more.
Origin and Meaning of Caliph
User Submitted Origins
Islamic/Muslim
64%
English
18%
Arabic
18%
User Submitted Meanings
- A user from Trinidad and Tobago says the name Caliph means "King /ruler/leader".
- A user from Illinois, U.S. says the name Caliph is of Arabic origin and means "Special".
International Interest
Also see international interest
Webster's Unabridged Dictionary
noun Ca"liph
Successor or vicar; the civil and religious leader of a Muslim state; -- a title of the successors of Mohammed both as temporal and spiritual rulers, used formerly by the sultans of Turkey.
Etymology: OE. caliphe califfe, F. califecf. Sp. califa), fr. Ar. khalīfan successor, fr. khalafa to succed (i. e. a successor of Mohammed)
Other Dictionary Sources
- The civil and religious leader of a Muslim state considered to be a representative of Allah on earth
Wiktionary
From Old French caliphe, from Medieval Latin calipha, from Arabic خَلِيفَة (ḵalīfa, “caliph”) and خَلِيف (ḵalīf, “successor”).
- The political leader of the Muslim world, successor of Muhammad's political authority, not religious or spiritual.
- Ahmadis call their the Khalifatul Masih.