Jaʽfar

Jaʽfar (Arabic: جَعْفَر), meaning in Arabic "stream", is a masculine name of Arabic origin, common among Middle Eastern and Muslim men, especially in Iran.

It may also be written Jafar, Jaffar, Jafer, Jaafar, or in the Egyptian Arabic pronunciation, Gafar or Gaafar.

The Turkish transliteration of the name is Cafer, in Azerbaijani Cəfər, in Bosniak Džafer and in Albanian Xhafer.

Historical persons

Ja'far ibn Abi Talib (590–629), companion of Muhammad, older brother of Ali
Jafar ibn Ali (died 680), son of Ali and Umm ul-Banin
Ja'far al-Sadiq (702–765), descendant of Ali, sixth imam of Shia Islam
Ja'far ibn Abdallah al-Mansur, (743–767) was the elder son of caliph al-Mansur.
Ja'far ibn Yahya (767–803), one of the Barmakids, vizier of Caliph Harun al-Rashid
Abu Jaafar al-Mansur, 7th-century Abbasid caliph
Ja'far al-Mutawakkil (822–861), the tenth Abbasid caliph
Abu Ma'shar Jaʿfar ibn Muhammad al-Balkhi (787–886), Persian scholar
Mir Jafar (1691–1765), military commander who betrayed the Nawab of Bengal Siraj ud-Daulah
Mir Jafar Dasni (died 841), a rebel, who rebelled against Abbasid caliph al-Mu'tasim
Ja'far ibn Mansur al-Yaman (fl. 10th century), Ismaili theologian
Ja'far ibn Fallah (died 971), Kutama Berber general of the Fatimids
Ja'far ibn al-Furat (921–1001), Ikhshidid and Fatimid vizier
Jafar ibn Ali al-Hadi (c.840–c.885), son of the tenth imam of Twelver Shia Islam, Ali al-Hadi, and a founder of the Ja'fariyya sect
Ja'far ibn Muhammad al-Hasani (died 876/7), first Sharif of Mecca
Ja'far al-Mufawwid, Abbasid prince and heir-apparent of Caliph al-Mu'tamid
Ja'far al-Muqtadir (895–832), the eighteenth Abbasid caliph
Jafar Tabrizi (also known as Farīd al-Dīn and Qeblat al-Kottāb), 15th century master in calligraphy as well as a poet and scribe
Ja'far ibn Sa'id (died 1764/5), Sharif of Mecca
Jafar Khan (died 1789), King of Persia

Modern persons

Given name

Jafar

Ja'afar Mahmud Adam (1960–2007), Nigerian Islamic scholar
Jafar Alam (born 1957), Bangladeshi politician and Member of Parliament
Jafar Alizadeh (born 1956), Iranian wrestler
Jafar Arias (born 1995), Curaçaoan footballer
Jafar al-Askari (1887–1936), prime minister of Iraq
Jafar Bazri, (born 1987), Iranian footballer
Jafar Bolhari (born 1948), Iranian psychiatrist
Jafar Ebrahimi, Iranian poet
Jafar al-Hakim (born 1965), Shiite Ayatollah in Najaf, Iraq
Jafar Hidayatullah (born 2003), Indonesian badminton player
Jafar Iqbal (born 1999), Bangladeshi footballer
Jafar Irismetov (born 1976), Uzbekistan footballer and coach
Jafar Jabbarli (1899–1934), Azerbaijani playwright, poet, director and screenwriter
Jafar Dhia Jafar (born 1943), Iraqi nuclear physicist
Jafar Khan Jamali (1911–1967), Indian politician, tribal chief and an All-India Muslim League veteran from Balochistan
Jafar Kazemi (1964–2011), Iranian political prisoner sentenced to death and hanged for co-operation with the Iranian opposition group PMOI
Jafar Mokhtarifar (born 1957), Iranian footballer
Jafar Panahi (born 1960), Iranian filmmaker
Jafar Salmasi (1918–2000), Iranian weightlifter
Jafar Shafaghat (c.1915–2000), Iranian General officer in the Iranian Pahlavi Army
Jafar Shahidi (1918–2008), scholar of Persian language and literature and historian of Islam
Jafar Sharif-Emami (1910–1998), Prime minister of Iran
Jafar Sobhani (born 1929), Iranian Shia Marja
Jafar Shojouni (1932–2016) Iranian Shia cleric and politician who served a member of the Parliament of Iran
Jafar Towfighi (born 1956), Iranian engineer and politician
Jafar Zafarani (born 1947), Iranian mathematician
Jafar Umar Thalib (1961–2019), Indonesian ulama and Islamic political figure

Jaafar

Jaafar Abbas, Sudanese writer and journalist
Jaafar Abdul Karim (born 1981), German journalist and TV presenter
Jaafar Abdul Aziz (born 1947), Bruneian aristocrat, businessman and retired general
Jaafar al-Sadr (born 1970), Iraqi politician
Jaafar Jaafar, Nigerian journalist
Jaafar Jackson (born 1996), American singer and actor
Jaafar Mohammed Saad (1950–2015), Yemeni politician and soldier
Jaafar Muhammad (1838–1919), Malaysian politician
Jaafar Munroe, Trinidadian footballer
Jaafar Sheikh Mustafa (born 1950), Kurdish politician
Jaafar Shenaishil (born 2003), Iraqi footballer
Ku Jaafar Ku Shaari (born 1957), Malaysian diplomat

Ja'far

Ja'far Kashfi, Persian philosopher of 19th century
Ja'far Modarres-Sadeghi (born 1954), Iranian novelist and editor
Ja'far Pishevari (1893–1947), Iranian politician
Ja'afar Touqan (1938–2014), Palestinian-Jordanian architect

Jaffar

Jaffar Idukki (born 1971), Indian impressionist and actor in Malayalam film
Jaffer Zaidi, Pakistani musician and lead vocalist of the Pakistani band Kaavish

Jaffer

Jaffer Rahimtoola (1870–1914), Indian barrister

Cafer

Cafer Çağatay (1899–1991), Turkish footballer
Cafer Osman Topçı (1921–1944), Crimean Tatar officer in the Soviet Army
Cafer Sadık Kutlay (1912–1988), Turkish businessman, civil engineer and politician
Cafer Seydamet Qırımer (1889–1960), Crimean Tatar politician and writer
Cafer Tayyar Eğilmez (1877–1958), Turkish politician
Cafer Tosun (born 1999), Turkish footballer

Džafer

Džafer Kulenović (1891–1956), Yugoslav politician who led the Yugoslav Muslim Organization in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, and was briefly government minister

Gaafar

Gaafar Nimeiry (1930–2009), President of Sudan

Xhafer

Xhafer Bej Ypi (1880–1940), Albanian politician
Xhafer Deva (1904–1978), Kosovo Albanian politician
Xhafer Spahiu (1923–1999), Albanian politician

Middle name

Abdul Halim Jaffer Khan (1927–2017), Indian sitar player
C. K. Jaffer Sharief or Challakere Kareem Jaffer Sharief (1933–2018), Indian politician
Akif Jafar Hajiyev (1937–2015), Azerbaijani mathematician
Mir Jafar Baghirov (1896–1956), Azerbaijani communist leader under the Soviet rule
Mufti Jafar Hussain (1914–1983), Pakistani Shia mujtahid and political leader
Ali Jaafar Mohamed Madan (born 1995), Bahraini footballer
Mohammad Jafar Mahallati, Iranian scholar of Islamic studies and a former diplomat
Mohammad Jafar Mahjoub (1924–1996), Iranian scholar of Persian literature, essayist, translator and teacher
Muhammad Jafar Moravej (1910–1999), Iranian Cleric
Mohammad Jafar Montazeri (born 1949), Iranian cleric and judge and the current Attorney-General of Iran
Mohammad Jafar Moradi (born 1990), Iranian long distance runner
Musa Bin Jaafar Bin Hassan (born 1950), Omani diplomat and academic
Mustafa Jaffer Sabodo (1942–2024), Tanzanian economist, consultant and businessman
Mohammad Jafar Yahaghi (born 1947), Persian writer, literary critic, editor and translator
Sayed Jaafar Ahmed (born 1991), Bahraini footballer
Syed Jaafar Albar (1914–1977), Malaysian politician
Sayed Jafar Naderi (born 1965), ethnic Hazara-Ismaili who controlled Baghlan Province of Afghanistan during the early 1990s
Seyyed Jafar Kashfi, Iranian calligrapher

Surname or patronymic

Jafar

Adnan Jafar (born 1949), Iraqi footballer
Badr Jafar (born 1979), Emirati business executive
Habib Jafar (born 1966), Iraqi footballer
Izz al-Din Jafar, 14th-century Eretnid sultan
Jafar Dhia Jafar (born 1943), Iraqi nuclear physicist
Mustapha Ben Jafar (born 1940), Tunisian politician and doctor
Syed Jafar, Indian-American electrical engineer and computer scientist
Talha Jafar (1853–1934), Ethiopian-Argobba rebel and governor

Jaafar

Abdul Aziz Jaafar (born 1956), retired Malaysian admiral
Azmun Jaafar (1958–2025), Indonesian civil servant and politician
Ghazali Jaafar (1944–2019), Filipino militant and government official
Hardi Jaafar (born 1979), Malaysian footballer
Isham Jaafar, Bruneian doctor
Jalaluddin Jaafar (born 1975), Malaysian footballer
Jasim Mohammed Jaafar, Iraqi politician
Jazeman Jaafar (born 1992), Malaysian car racer
Karrar Jaafar (born 2006), Iraqi footballer
Maha Jaafar (born 1994), Emirati dentist and YouTuber
Mariam Jaafar (born 1977), Singaporean politician
Megat Jaafar, Malaysian politician
Mujtaba Sayed Jaafar (born 1981), Qatari footballer
Naceur Ben Jaâfar (1923–1970), Tunisian politician and labor activist
Omar Jaafar, Malaysian politician
Onn Jaafar (1895–1962), Malay politician and a Menteri Besar (Chief Minister) of Johor in Malaysia, then Malaya
Raja Jaafar (born 1941), Raja Muda (crown prince) of Perak Darul Ridzuan
Suhaylah Abd-Jaafar (born 1964), Iraqi lawyer and activist
Tuanku Ja’afar (1922–2008), the tenth Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King) of Malaysia from 26 April 1994 until 25 April 1999 and the tenth Yang Di-Pertuan Besar (Ruler) of Negeri Sembilan
Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar (born 1946), Malaysian politician, lawyer and retired policeman

Jaffar

Kamarudin Jaffar (born 1951), Malaysian politician
Said Mohamed Jaffar (1918–1993), president of the State of Comoros

Jaffer

Armaan Jaffer (born 1998), Indian cricketer
Jameel Jaffer (born 1971), Canadian human rights and civil liberties attorney
Melissa Jaffer (born 1936), Australian actress
Mobina Jaffer (born 1949), Canadian Senator
Rahim Jaffer (born 1971), Canadian politician
Sadaf Jaffer (born 1983), American politician and scholar
Sayed Mohammed Jaffer (born 1985), Bahraini footballer
Wasim Jaffer (born 1978), Indian cricketer

Džaferović

Vanja Džaferović (born 1983), Croat-Bosnian footballer

Gaafar

Ahmed Gaafar (born 1985), Egyptian footballer
Farouk Gaafar (born 1952), Egyptian footballer
Mostafa Gaafar (born 1981), Egyptian footballer

Xhaferi

Derived names

Umm Ja'far

Zubaidah bint Ja'far, (765/66–831) also known as Umm Ja'far was an Arab Abbasid princess, wife of caliph Harun al-Rashid (r. 786–809) and mother of caliph al-Amin (r. 809–813)
Umm Ja'far Shuja, (died 861) was the mother of Abbasid caliph al-Mutawakkil
Shaghab (died 933), also known as Umm Ja'far was the mother of 10th-century Abbasid caliph al-Muqtadir

Fictional characters

Jaffar, a character in The Thief of Bagdad (1940 film) Jafar (Aladdin), the main antagonist (inspired by the character in The Thief of Bagdad) in the 1992 Disney animated film Aladdin, its first sequel, The Return of Jafar, and its 2019 live-action remake Jafar, one of the primary antagonists in Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, based on the Aladdin character Ja'far, the main protagonist in the musical Twisted, based on the Aladdin character Jaffar, a character in Prince of Persia, inspired by the character in The Thief of Bagdad
Jaffar, a character in the video game Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade
Ja'far, a character in the manga Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Zafar, a character in the television show Aladdin – Naam Toh Suna Hoga inspired from the character of the grand vizir in Disney's Aladdin