- Origin: Arabic ممتاز
- Meaning: “excellent; distinguished.”
- Gender: Unisex
The name is derived from the Arabic root م-ت-ز (m-t-z), meaning “to be distinguished, eminent, or excellent.” As an adjective, Mumtaz literally means “distinguished,” “excellent,” “outstanding,” or “exalted.”
It is often used as a word of exclamation in the same way “that’s cool” or “that’s great” is used in English.
It is also used as a given-name. In the Arabic-speaking world, it is a masculine name but in Southeast Asia, it is unisex. A notable female bearer was Mumtaz Mahal (1593–1631),
the beloved wife of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, for whom the Taj Mahal was built. Her real name was Arjumand Banu Begum, but she was titled Mumtaz Mahal, meaning “Distinguished One of the Palace.”
Mümtaz is the Turkish form, it is mostly masculine but is occasionally used on females.
A strictly feminine form is Mumtaza(h)
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