كَرَم
Boy Arabic origin Karam
“Generosity, nobility of heart”
The noun karam is not in the Quran, but its root recurs often: “The noblest (akramakum) of you in the sight of Allah is the most God-fearing” (49:13); “We have honoured (karramna) the children of Adam” (17:70); and an early revealed verse says: “Read, and your Lord is the Most Generous (al-akram)” (96:3).
Karam is the noun of the root k-r-m: generosity, the nobility of soul that moves one to give unsparingly. From the same family come karim (“generous, noble”, and al-Karim, a name of Allah) and ikram (“honour bestowed”). Kerem is a very popular boys’ name in Turkey, where it also recalls the hero of the folk tale Kerem and Aslı.
The name Karam does not appear as such in the Quran, but its root (ك ر م) occurs 47 times. Examples:
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَٰكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثَىٰ وَجَعَلْنَٰكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَآئِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوٓا۟ إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ أَتْقَىٰكُمْ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ ١٣
O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allāh is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allāh is Knowing and Aware.
وَلَقَدْ كَرَّمْنَا بَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ وَحَمَلْنَٰهُمْ فِى ٱلْبَرِّ وَٱلْبَحْرِ وَرَزَقْنَٰهُم مِّنَ ٱلطَّيِّبَٰتِ وَفَضَّلْنَٰهُمْ عَلَىٰ كَثِيرٍ مِّمَّنْ خَلَقْنَا تَفْضِيلًا ٧٠
And We have certainly honored the children of Adam and carried them on the land and sea and provided for them of the good things and preferred them over much of what We have created, with [definite] preference.
ٱقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ ٱلْأَكْرَمُ ٣
Recite, and your Lord is the most Generous -
All the words of the root ك ر م in the Quran (47 occurrences)
No text or scholarly opinion concerns the name Karam in particular: the general rules of Islam apply.
Read the rules for choosing a name
This page is an aid to reflection, not a fatwa. For a personal case, ask a person of knowledge.
