What is "kunya"

n. An honorific in Arabic names, typically deriving from the name of the bearer's first-born son.

A kunya (, kunyah) is a teknonym in Arabic names, the name of an adult derived from his or her eldest child.

A kunya is expressed by the use of abū or umm in a genitive construction, i.e. "father of" or "mother of" as an honorific in place of or alongside given names in the Arab world and the Islamic world more generally.

A kunya is a component of an Arabic name, a type of epithet, in theory referring to the bearer's first-born son or daughter. By extension, it may also have hypothetical or metaphorical references, e.g. in a nom de guerre or a nickname, without literally referring to a son or a daughter. Use of a kunya implies a familiar but respectful setting.

Kunya may refer to:

• Kunya (Arabic), an honorific in Arabic names
• Kunya River, a river in northwestern Russia
• Kunya, Russia, name of several inhabited localities in Russia