Lateef
/ləˈtiːf/noun
A transliteration of the Arabic masculine name Latif, meaning kind, gentle, subtle, or gracious.
Did you know?Al-Laṭīf, meaning “the Subtle” or “the Kind,” is one of the traditional 99 names of God in Islam and appears in the Qur’an.
Etymological Timeline
Early Arabic
Arabic
laṭīf (لَطِيف)
“Gentle, kind, refined, subtle, or delicate”
7th Century
Qur’anic Arabic
al-Laṭīf (اللَّطِيف)
““The Subtle” or “The Kind,” a divine epithet referring to hidden gentleness and subtle care”
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
Laṭīf
“A masculine personal name meaning gentle, gracious, or subtle”
Medieval Period
Persian/Islamic usage
Latif
“A personal name adopted across Persianate and Muslim cultures”
19th–20th Century
English transliteration
Lateef
“An alternative English spelling of the Arabic name Latif”
Modern English
English
Lateef
“A given name or surname, especially among Muslim and South Asian communities”