Omar (biblical figure)


Omar was the name of a man mentioned in the Bible, the ancestor of a Semitic Edomite and Canaanite clan, the son of Eliphaz. Omar's brothers were Teiman, Zepho, Ga'atam, Kenaz and Amalek.
Esau and his wife Adah were his grandparents. Accordingly, he was a great-grandson of Isaac the son of Abraham.
Historically, his name is first mentioned in the Book of Genesis, Chapter 36, verse 11. The name is not found in use by Jewish texts nor is it in use in modern day Hebrew, but a similar name 'Omer' is a common name in Israel.

The name Omar in various cultures

It is not clear if the name Omar in several cultures is after the biblical figure.
The name Omar is also a common Hispanic name in central America and the United States. It is not clear that this name originates in the biblical name.
The name Omar is also the English transliteration of the Arabic name of the Muslim leader Omar Ibn al-Khattab today written Umar. In Arabic, it is pronounced with an opening pharyngeal sound and is not of the biblical origin.
In Portuguese, the name means literally 'The Sea'.

Famous name bearers of Omar