# What does 'osama bin laden' mean? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 16, 2001, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-osama-bin-laden-mean/81997 "2001-09-16T18:02:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-osama-bin-laden-mean/81997/21 "2001-09-18T21:44:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lance the Advancer \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by squeegee \* > > \*\* > > > > > [@](#): > > > > > > It means he’s Osama, who’s the son of Mohammed, who is the son of Avad, who is the son of Laden. > > > > Thanks, Captain Amazing. > > > > Its interesting that his given name, “Osama bin Mohammed bin Avad bin Laden”, becomes “Osama bin Laden” in the press. Is it normal to use your great-grandfather’s name as a surname in OBL’s circles? Would his son, Bob become “Bob bin Avad” for short? Or is the press totally messing up Osama bin Laden’s name, and he doesn’t call himself that? \*\* > > I think his son would be known as Bob bin Laden because Osama’s father is known as bin Laden (can’t remember his first name). \*\* Well, but as you can guess, his father’s first name is Mohammed. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![bladeohlsson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5e925/32.png) [@bladeohlsson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bladeohlsson)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-osama-bin-laden-mean/81997/22 "2001-09-18T22:34:14Z")
OSAMA means king in Japanese, but I don’t think it is realted. blade ---
**Author:** ![twinsoul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9adbd/32.png) [@twinsoul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twinsoul)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2016, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-osama-bin-laden-mean/81997/23 "2016-07-07T20:00:28Z")
> [@Phobos](#): > > Not to be crass, but maybe we wouldn’t be having these problems with him if Mohammed named him the “lamb” instead. > > Small action…big effect…chaos theory? Osama is “lion”. “The lamb and the lion shall lie together” Satan is the “lightning (barack) from (o) the most high(bama)” look it up. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2016, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-osama-bin-laden-mean/81997/24 "2016-07-07T20:09:55Z")
> [@twinsoul](#): > > Osama is “lion”. “The lamb and the lion shall lie together” > > Satan is the “lightning (barack) from (o) the most high(bama)” look it up. “Lightning” in Hebrew is Baraq ( ברק), not Barack. Barack means “blessed.” Different word entirely. Obama is probably from a verb meaning “to bend.” I know this because I looked it up. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2016, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-osama-bin-laden-mean/81997/25 "2016-07-07T20:39:31Z")
> [@twinsoul](#): > > Osama is “lion”. “The lamb and the lion shall lie together” > > Satan is the “lightning (barack) from (o) the most high(bama)” look it up. I’m sorry, but from where did _you_ look it up? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2016, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-osama-bin-laden-mean/81997/26 "2016-07-07T20:46:42Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I’m sorry, but from where did _you_ look it up? It’s from a [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgHUZXgNAWo) going around. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2016, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-osama-bin-laden-mean/81997/27 "2016-07-07T20:51:32Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > It’s from a [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgHUZXgNAWo) going around. A Jewish rabbi confirmed that this prophesy from Jesus is on the up-and-up! What could be more convincing!\* \*…to a slack-jawed bigot, that is. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2016, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-osama-bin-laden-mean/81997/28 "2016-07-07T21:23:10Z")
Since this is old and the original question was answered a long time ago, I’m going to close it. If someone has serious questions about the subject they may open a new thread. Colibri General Questions Moderator [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-osama-bin-laden-mean/81997.md?page=1)