Maalouf

Coat of arms of the Maalouf family.
Pronunciation	[maʕaːˈluːf]
Language(s)	Arabic
Meaning	Derived from the Arabic Maayuf (معيوف) meaning "exempted" under Islamic rule.
Region of origin	Lebanon
Related names	Malouf, Maloof, Maluf, Malluf, Maaluf

Maalouf (alternative spellings: Maloof, Malouf, Maluf, Malluf; Arabic: معلوف or المعلوف) is an Arabic surname.

The Maalouf family belongs to the group of tribes known as Ghassanids that emigrated from Yemen to Houran in modern Syria prior to the collapse of the Marib dam (Arabic: سد مأرب) around 102 AD The clan governed Houran and large surrounding regions for nearly 500 years until the Islamic conquest in 637 AD.

After the arrival of Islam, some members converted to Islam while most remained Christian mainly Melkite Greek Catholic and Antiochian Orthodox. Several prominent leaders received the special appellation of Maayuf (Arabic: معيوف) meaning “exempted” or “protected.” When the ruling government subsequently rescinded this appellation, many clan members retained it in the form of a surname Maalouf, or Al-Maalouf.

Ibrahim Maalouf nicknamed "Abi Rajih" (Arabic: ابي راجح) reflecting his wisdom was a prominent and rich landowner in the town or village of Upper Damia in Houran. He had seven sons: Issa (Arabic: عيسى), Medlej (Arabic: مدلج), Farah (Arabic: فرح), Hanna (Arabic: حنا), Nasser (Arabic: ناصر), Nehme (Arabic: نعمة), and Semaan (Arabic: سمعان). For political, social and religious reasons, and as a result of a conflict that his family engaged in with neighboring clans in 1519 AD, Ibrahim decided to sell his land and leave Houran for the mountains of Lebanon, an area that became known for its rule of law under the Ottoman Empire.