Meaning & Origin
A male given name from Arabic.
Hanif is a boy's baby name of Arabic origin, from the Arabic hanif, meaning 'true believer' or 'one who is upright, orthodox' — in Islamic theology, a hanif is one who maintains the original monotheistic faith of Abraham before it was corrupted, pure and devoted to God alone.
Hanif carries deep Islamic theological meaning — the Quran describes Abraham as a hanif, the first and purest of monotheists whose submission to God preceded both Judaism and Islam as distinct religions. Pakistani novelist Mohsin Hamid (who chose a different first name) and Pakistani cricketer Hanif Mohammad (1934-2016), one of the greatest batsmen in cricket history, represent the name's cultural significance in South Asia.