Ka’b

Ka’b (Arabic: كَعْب) is an attested Arabic name whose lexical meaning is ‘heel’ or ‘ankle’. It is historically recorded for multiple individuals in early Islamic sources. Most prominently, Kaʿb ibn Mālik is known as a Companion (Sahabi) of the Prophet Muhammad; another bearer, Kaʿb ibn al-Ashraf, is recorded in sira literature as a poet of the early period. The name is therefore anchored in primary biographical works (siyar) and classical Arabic lexica that list كَعْب as a common noun meaning ‘heel’. As a rare given name today, Ka’b connects to related early names and figures like Kaʿb ibn Mālik and Kaʿb ibn al-Ashraf and is found in manuscripts and isnads where those individuals are mentioned. It is suitable for families seeking a short, historically grounded Arabic name with direct lexical meaning rather than a later honorific formation. The name has no direct single-verse Quranic occurrence as a proper name, but its bearers are documented in hadith and sira literature; use as a modern given name is uncommon.