Nehme (surname)
Nehme (Arabic: نعمة) is a prominent Lebanese surname which is derived from the given name Nehme. As of 2014, Nehme is the 39th most common surname in Lebanon with about 13,000 people holding the surname, or about one in 380 people.[1]
| Pronunciation | [ˈnaʕme] |
|---|---|
| Origin | |
| Word/name | Arabic |
| Meaning | "blessing" or "grace" |
| Region of origin | Lebanon |
| Other names | |
| Variant form(s) | numerous |
| [1] | |
Etymology and history
The name derives from the Arabic word for “blessing” or “grace”.[2]
The Nehme family is believed to stem from the Daou family tree with one of its sons, Nehme Daou, as the father of all Nehme families within the Levant.[3] Lehfed, a small village near Byblos in the Byblos district of modern-day Lebanon, is believed to be the ancestral home of the Nehme family.[4]
As Mount Lebanon was an area of continuous civil unrest at the end of the 19th century, many Nehme families were forced to flee to nearby towns, including the city of Deir el Qamar,[5] while others ventured further south to reach the city of Haifa and beyond.[6]
The surname Nehme is most prominent within Christian families in the north of Lebanon;[3][7] Shia, Sunni, and Druze families in the country also share the surname.[8][9] For example, a Shia branch of the family tree is also present in the south of Lebanon, specifically in the town of Mahrouna.[10]
Variations
Because of the challenges facing transliteration, many variations of Nehme exist such as Naameh, Nemeh, Neme, Nimah and Naama.
There are other Nehme families in the Middle East which may not be related to the Lebanese branch, for example in Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, who usually have the "Al-" or "Abu" prefix, such as Al-Neama or Abu Nimah.
Notable people
Nehme
- Abeer Nehme (born 1980), Lebanese singer and musicologist
- Abraham Nehmé (1927–2022), Archbishop of the Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Homs
- Adel Nima (born 1970), Iraqi football coach and former player
- Angelo Nehme (born 2004), Danish footballer
- Ghassan Nehme (born 1995), Lebanese basketball player
- Laïla Nehmé (born 1966), Lebanese-French archaeologist
- Lina Murr Nehmé (born 1955), French-Lebanese author and professor
- Raoul Nehme (born 1956), Lebanese minister of economy and trade
- Rodrigo Nehme (born 1982), Mexican actor
- Stephen Nehmé (1889–1938), Lebanese Maronite professed religious from the Lebanese Maronite Order
- Tania Nehme (born 1966), Australian film editor
- Safaa Ali Nema (born 1959), Iraqi wrestler
Abu-Nehme
- Hasan Abu Nimah (born 1935), Jordanian ambassador
- Ali Abunimah (born 1971), Palestinian-American journalist
Al-Nehme
- Ahmad Alenemeh (born 1982), Iranian association football player
See also
- Nehme (given name), an Arabic given name
References
- "Nehme Surname Meaning, Origins & Distribution". 27 January 2018. Archived from the original on 27 January 2018. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
- "نعمة translation English | Arabic dictionary | Reverso". dictionary.reverso.net. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
- "Daou Family (Levant)". www.familytreedna.com. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
- "Library of Joseph & Adonis Nehme". Adonis Nehme.
- "Nehme Family Tree". Deir El Qamar Website by Georges Dib Nehme. BEAGG - Tala El Khoury.
- Blessings in the Sand. Advantage Media Group. 2016. pp. Introduction, XI. ISBN 978-1-59932-686-3.
- "Message: "Re: Nehme" - Behind the Name". surnames.behindthename.com. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
- Mardelli, Bassil A. (2010). Middle East Perspectives: Personal Recollections (1947 - 1967). iUniverse. p. 240. ISBN 9781450211178.
- "آل نعمة". www.yabeyrouth.com. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
- Makki, Hassan (7 July 2011). "Baldati eDialogue - Mahrouna". Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 23 December 2018.