Surname Al Asfour - Meaning and Origin

Al Asfour: What does the surname Al Asfour mean?

The last name Al Asfour (sometimes also spelled Al-Asfour) is an Arabic surname that has its origins in the Middle East. It is derived from the Arabic phrase ‘al asfar’, which means ‘the yellow one’ and is taken as a reference to the famous yellow stone in Ma’rib (old Yemen).It is believed that the first person to bear the name Al Asfour was a Sheikh from Yemen.

Most people who carry the last name Al Asfour today are descended from him, and the surname is seen among people from many countries in the Middle East, including Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

In recent years, due to migration, the surname can now also be found in European countries, such as France, United Kingdom, Spain, Switzerland and Germany, as well as in North America, including Canada and United States.

Overall, the Al Asfour surname is now found across the world, with large concentrations of people with this name generally found in the Middle East. Despite its commonness, those who carry this surname share an ancestral connection that marks a unique part of the history of the region.

Al Asfour: Where does the name Al Asfour come from?

The last name ‘Al Asfour’ is commonly used and found in many Arab countries such as Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. In Iraq, the Al Asfour family are known to be of Iraqi-Kurdish origin and are related to the Al-Sabah royal family of Kuwait.

The Al Asfour family is also related to the assembled tribes of Qatar, a small country on the Persian Gulf. The Al Asfour family have certainly left their mark on the region, as some members of the family have held positions of power in Qatar.

Today, Al Asfour is mainly found in Middle Eastern countries, due to the fact that these countries are known to be populated mainly by Muslim communities. While the name can also be found in parts of North Africa and Europe, the activity of migration is less common in these places.

Finally, the name Al Asfour can be found in North America, particularly in the United States where people of Middle Eastern descent have migrated to the country in large numbers in more recent times. There is further evidence of a growing Al Asfour population in Canada too.

Variations of the surname Al Asfour

The surname Al Asfour is a common Arabic last name, which is derived from Asfor, an Arabic word meaning birds. Its variants include Al-Saffar, Al-Saffar, Al-Safar, and Al-Saffouh. Additionally, in some parts of the Middle East, the surname has been shortened to Al Safar or Al Safari.

In other instances, Al Asfour has been spelled differently in some countries or cultures. For example, it has been spelled Asfour in Syria and Lebanon, Asfor in Jordan, and Asfoury in Egypt.

In some countries, the surname Al Asfour has been localized. In Turkey, for example, the surname is spelled Asural or Osural. It is also localized in Greece, as Asouras. In addition, the variant Asfur has also been found to be used in Iran.

Occasionally, different spellings have come to be used because of different language influences. In Morocco, for example, Al Asfour has been adapted to Spanish and thus written Al Astore.

Finally, some families have changed the spelling of their surname. For example, some members of the Al Asfour family have changed the spelling of their surname to Al-Saffarani.

Famous people with the name Al Asfour

• Abdul-Rahim Al-Asfour: A professional association footballer from Syria who played as a striker for the Syrian national team.
• Mazen Al-Asfour: A Syrian actor who has starred in films such as The Other Son, Hidden Half, and On the Edge of Heaven.
• Bassel Al-Asfour: A Syrian human rights activist who, alongside his wife, created the Naji Al-Aasfoor Human Rights Foundation.
• Mohammad Al-Asfour: A Syrian opera singer who specialises in classical works from the Arab world.
• Omar Al-Asfour: An actor best known for his roles in the Syrian television series Alya Wa Al Sultan.
• Tariq Al-Asfour: A Syrian soccer player who played for FC Schaffhausen in Switzerland.
• Hamdi Al-Asfour: A retired Jordanian football player who was part of the Jordan national team which won the AFC Asian Cup in 2004.
• Bassam Al-Asfour: A Syrian film director and screenwriter who is known for his works such as Beach Hotel and Passion for Life.
• Mohammed Al-Asfour: A Syrian film director who has created several films such as The Time of the Emperor and In an Age of Darkness.
• Yahya Al-Asfour: A Jordanian soccer player who currently plays for Al-Hussein.

Other surnames

Al Asfoor