Abbas is an Arabic name meaning "stern" or "lion", from a word that describes a frowning, formidable face. Al-Abbas, the uncle of the prophet Muhammad, gave his name to the Abbasid dynasty, and Abbas ibn Ali is deeply revered by Shia Muslims. In the United States the name is used by Muslim families and has stayed outside the top 1000, peaking at number 1671 in 2018 and ranking number 2284 in 2025.