Mukhtar (name)

Mukhtar (also spelled Muktar, /ˈmʊktɑːr/ or "Muhtar") meaning "chosen" in Arabic: المختار, is the head of a village or mahalle (neighbourhood) in many Arab countries as well as in Turkey and Cyprus.^[1][2] The name is given because mukhtars are usually selected by some consensual or participatory method, often involving an election. Mukhtar is also a common name. In Arab countries it is more often a surname (laqab), whilst in non-Arab Muslim countries it is common as a first name (ism).