Lutfi (also spelled Lotfi or Luthfi, from Arabic: لطفي) is a male given name and surname of Arabic origin, meaning "kind, gentle" or "gracious". It is derived from the Arabic root لطف (laṭafa), which means "to be kind" or "to be gentle". Etymology The name belongs to a family of laṭafa-derived names common throughout the Arabic-speaking world and beyond, emphasizing qualities of kindness and benevolence. Its Turkish variants include Lütfi and Lütfü, which preserve the original Arabic meaning. Notable Bearers Throughout history, the name Lutfi and its spellings have been borne by notable figures. Among them is Lütfi Pasha (1488–1564), an Ottoman statesman and Grand Vizier under Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent, who also applied the name to his son. In the modern era, Lotfi A. Zadeh (1921–2017), the Azerbaijani electrical engineer and mathematician known for pioneering fuzzy logic, carried the name, as did Lutfi Haziri (born 1969), a Kosovar politician leading the Democratic League of Kosovo. Other figures include Lutfi Lepaja (born 1945), an Albanian writer, and Lutfi Kabirova (1932–2013), a celebrated Tajikistani opera singer. The name appears in its Turkish spelling Lütfi Doğan (1927–2023), a theologian and politician, and Lütfi Elvan (born 1962), a Turkish politician and former minister of treasury and finance. Usage and Variants Lutfi is used across Arabic-speaking countries, Indonesia, and other Muslim-majority regions. The spelling Lotfi is common in North Africa and among the Berber community, while Luthfi appears in South Asia and Southeast Asia. The Turkish variant Lütfi and its alternative Lütfü are common given names in Turkey, often used in compound names like Mehmet Lütfi. Meaning: "Kind, gentle" (from Arabic root laṭafa) Origin: Arabic Type: Given name and surname Usage Regions: Arabic-speaking world, Indonesia, Turkey, wider diaspora