Mubarak (Arabic: مبارك, romanized: mubārak) is an Arabic given name. A variant form is Baraka or Barack (Arabic: بارك, romanized: bārak), analogous to the Hebrew verb "barakh" בָרַךּ, meaning "to kneel, bless", and derived from the concept of kneeling in prayer.[1][2] The Arabic prefix m- is a passive participle prefix, meaning "who or which is blessed" (baraka). Mubarak is thus the Arabic equivalent of the Latinate name "Benedict" (from Benedictus "blessed" or, literally, "well-spoken").
Etymologically, the name is from the Semitic consonantal root BRK, derivatives of which occur in numerous formulas of politeness in Arabic. The feminine noun barakah (بركة) means "blessing". In Islam, and specifically within the Sufi tradition, it has a meaning similar to "charisma". The Hebrew cognate is berakhah.[citation needed] In the Quran, the olive tree and the 27th of Ramadan are mubǎrak.[3]
The Biblical name Baruch is the Hebrew cognate of Barack. There is no specific cognate for Mubarak, which includes the Arabic participle prefix mu-.
The name is sometimes written differently; for example, the last name of singer Shakira (a Lebanese-Colombian) is Mebarak.