A variant of Suhayb, an Arabic name meaning “reddish-haired” or “ruddy.”
Sohaib — also rendered Suhayb — carries one of the most remarkable origin stories in Islamic history, belonging to Suhaib ibn Sinan al-Rumi, known as Sohaib the Roman. Born to an Arab family in Mesopotamia, he was captured by the Byzantine Empire as a child, grew up speaking Greek and Latin in Roman territory, and eventually made his way to Arabia where he became one of the earliest and most devoted companions of the Prophet Muhammad.
His designation "al-Rumi" — the Roman — far from marking him as foreign, became a badge of honor, symbolizing that Islam's earliest community was built by people from every corner of the known world. The name Sohaib comes from the Arabic root meaning "reddish" or "auburn," likely referring to the complexion or hair color of an early bearer. It is among the names considered blessed in Islamic tradition precisely because of al-Rumi's legacy, a man who reportedly surrendered his entire fortune to the Meccans who blocked his emigration to Medina, upon which, according to tradition, a Quranic verse was revealed praising those who sell themselves for God's pleasure. This story gives the name a quality of radical generosity and faithfulness that parents in Muslim communities — across Pakistan, the Arab world, and increasingly in the Western diaspora — consciously invoke when choosing it for their sons.