There is a striking disconnect between three different ways Palestinian identity is described: in genetic studies, in Western political discourse, and in internal clan narratives.
Start with genetics. Most population studies show that Palestinian DNA is overwhelmingly Levantine - often over 80%. That category includes Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, so it does not prove continuous residence within the borders of Mandatory Palestine. Still, genetically speaking, Palestinians are largely a Levantine population.
Now look at how Palestinian identity is framed in the West. There the emphasis is on absolute indigeneity: a people wholly rooted in the land, implicitly contrasted with Jews portrayed as foreign. In that framing, outside origins are minimized or ignored.
To move beyond anecdote, I examined the appendix of Glenn Robinson’s 2009 paper “Palestinian Tribes, Clans, and Notable Families.” The list was not compiled with this issue in mind, which makes it a reasonably neutral sample of prominent Palestinian family names. After removing duplicates, roughly 95 families remained.
The origins of about 10% of the families could not be identified. Of the remainder:
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About 20% described themselves as indigenous to the local Levant.
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About 12% traced their origins to older Levantine Arab migrations that long predated Islam.
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About 69% claimed migration from Arabia or other external regions, including prestigious lineages tied to the Hejaz, Yemen, Bedouin tribes, Hashemite ancestry, companions of Muhammad, Egyptian arrivals, or Ottoman-era migrations.
In other words, among families that preserve and publicize origin traditions, roughly 80% associate themselves with roots outside Palestine.
This does not necessarily contradict the DNA evidence. Male-line tribal migrations marrying local women could easily produce a largely Levantine genetic profile alongside Arabian clan narratives. The point is not genetic purity. It is self-perception.
Why do so many families prefer to emphasize external tribal origins rather than local indigeneity? In Arab society, descent from prestigious tribes - especially those connected to early Islamic history - carries social capital. Identity narratives often follow honor and status.
That creates tension with the Western-facing narrative of exclusive indigeneity. Internally, many families celebrate migration stories. Externally, migration is rhetorically erased. Their self-definition is that they came from elsewhere, not that they are proudly native Palestinians - even when their DNA might say otherwise.
By contrast, Jewish diasporic naming traditions generally preserve identification with ancient Israelite tribes rather than with host nations. Ashkenazic Jews did not historically claim Polish or Hungarian tribal origin as a source of prestige. Surnames such as Cohen, Katz, Levi and even Loeb. Wolf and Hirsch explicitly reference biblical lineage. Whether every claim is provable is secondary; the identity myth points toward ancient Israel, not toward the countries of exile.
This small fact is of course Kryptonite to the prevailing anti-Israel propaganda that Jews are illegal settlers and Palestinians are indigenous. The Jews never relinquished their ties to the land from their origins; Palestinians by and large do it even today on countless Palestinian Facebook and family webpages.
The contrast is not about genetics. It is about where a people locates its origin story. When internal clan narratives celebrate external migration while political narratives assert exclusive indigeneity, the tension deserves examination.
Here is the entire list of Palestinian surnames as identified by Robinson and where these families say they originated from:
Family/Clan/Tribe | Region(s) | Claimed Origins | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
‘Abd al-Hadi | Nablus | Notable; claims descent from al-Hadi (Hashemite, from Mohammed). | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
‘Amr | Hebron | Linked to Banu Amr, sub-tribe of Tamim or others. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
‘Atrash | Bethlehem | Deaf clan; possible Bedouin. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
‘Azza | Hebron | Clan; possible Jewish origins in traditions. | Indigenous |
Abu Amash | Bayt Hanun | Clan; claims descent from Umash in Beirut (Lebanese ties) or from Kafr Qaddum (West Bank local). | Indigenous (if West Bank) or Migrated (if Lebanese) – assuming Indigenous based on Palestinian context |
Abu Awda | Bayt Hanun | Clan; possible Egyptian or Sudanese roots, or from Awad in Palestine (local Levantine). | Migrated (Arabian/External) if Egyptian; Indigenous if local |
Abu Ghawsh | Jerusalem | Clan; claims Kurdish origins. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Abu Hassanayn | Gaza | Clan; possible from Hassanayn in Syria or Iraq; linked to Husseini/Hashemite descent. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Abu Khusa | Gaza | Clan; possible from Khusa in Egypt or Transjordan. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Abu Mashaseeb | Dayr al-Balah | N/A (no new claims; possible local Gaza clan). | N/A |
Abu Middain | Gaza | Clan; possible Egyptian origins. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Abu Naja | Rafah | Clan; claims descent from Naja in Arabia or Morocco; some link to Quraish. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Abu Samhadana | Rafah | Clan; Bedouin, with Sinai/Egyptian ties. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Abu Sharkh | Gaza | Possible east origins, implying Transjordanian. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Abu Taha | Gaza/Rafah/Khan Yunis | Clan; possible Yemeni or Egyptian roots. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Abu Warda | Gaza | Clan; possible from Warda in Arabia or Egypt. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Adwan | Gaza | Bedouin clan; claims descent from Adwan tribe in Jordan, Hejazi origins. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Agha | Gaza | Claims Turkish or Circassian descent from Ottoman era. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Ahfat | Nablus | N/A (no new claims; possible local Nablus notable). | N/A |
Al-Ahmad | Nablus/Jenin | Common; possible descent from Ahmad (variant of Mohammed). | Indigenous |
Al-Hajj Muhammad | Nablus | Pilgrim family; claims to Mohammed. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Al-Sayf | Nablus | Sword clan; possible warrior Sahaba links. | Indigenous |
Al-Sha’ir | Rafah/Khan Yunis | Clan; claims poetic lineage, possibly from Hejaz tribes. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Alami | Jerusalem | Notable; claims Moroccan or Syrian roots. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Ashur | Khan Yunis | Possible Assyrian or Transjordanian roots. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Atallah | Hebron | Christian connotations; possible Ghassanid. | Levantine but Migrated (Pre-Islamic/Regional Arab) |
Bakr | Gaza | Linked to Banu Bakr tribe, Adnanite Arabs from Hejaz. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Bani Himar | Jerusalem | N/A (linked to Banu Himar, possibly Hejazi tribe; scarce info). | N/A |
Bani Murra | Jerusalem | Linked to Banu Murra, Hejazi tribe. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Bani Shamsa | Nablus | Clan; claims descent from Shamsa in Arabia (Qahatani or Adnani ties). | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Bani Zayd | Jerusalem | Clan; claims Arabian Peninsula origins, linked to Bani Zeid. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Barghouthi (Barghouti) | Ramallah/Al-Bira/Bethlehem | From Bani Zeid; descent from Omar ibn al-Khattab (Sahabi), via Egypt/Tunisia. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Baytuni | Jerusalem | Possible Christian origins (Beitunia ties). | Indigenous |
Buhaisi | Gaza | Clan; possible from Buhaisi in Bahrain or Hejaz. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Burqawi | Nablus | From Burqa; local roots. | Indigenous |
Dajani | Jerusalem | Notable a'yan; claims descent from Dajan tribe, possibly Hejazi or Yemeni. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Dakkak | Jerusalem | Notable; possible from Dakkak in Syria or local Jerusalem elite. | Migrated (Arabian/External) if Syrian; N/A otherwise |
Darwish | Jerusalem | Sufi connotations; possible Yemeni or Hejazi. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Dira | Gaza | N/A (scarce; possible local Gaza clan or from Dira in Arabia). | N/A |
Dughmush | Gaza | Clan; claims descent from Arab tribes in Iraq or Hejaz. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Duwaykat | Nablus | Clan; possible from Duwaykat in Nablus region (local). | Indigenous |
Dweik | Hebron | Notable; claims descent from Dweik in Arabia or Ottoman ties. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Freij | Bethlehem | Possible Christian origins. | Indigenous |
Hamad | Bethlehem | Praise; common Arab. | Indigenous |
Hanun | Tulkarm | Compassionate; possible from Hanun in Syria or local. | Migrated (Arabian/External) if Syrian |
Hasan | Jerusalem | Common name; possible descent from Hasan ibn Ali (grandson of Mohammed). | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Haniyya | Ramallah/Al-Bira | From Haniyah tribe, possible Yemeni. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Hilmi | Nablus | N/A (possible local notable; linked to Hilmi in Syria). | N/A |
Hillis | Gaza | Clan; claims Yemeni tribal origins. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Hizbun | Bethlehem | N/A (scarce; possible Christian or local Bethlehem clan). | N/A |
Husayni | Jerusalem | Claims descent from Husayn ibn Ali (grandson of Mohammed) via Yaman tribe roots. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Ja’bari | Hebron | Notable; claims descent from Jabir ibn Abdullah (Sahabi). | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Jarrar | Nablus | Clan; claims Jordanian or Hejazi ties. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Jaraf | Gaza | N/A (scarce; possible from Jaraf in Arabia). | N/A |
Jawwad | Salfit | Generous; possible from Jawwad in Arabia or local. | N/A |
Jayyusi | Nablus | Linked to Jays tribe, Arab Peninsula. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Jughan | Khan Yunis | N/A (scarce; possible local Khan Yunis clan). | N/A |
Kafarna | Bayt Hanun | Possible Christian origins, implying Ghassanid (Yemeni-Arab Christian) ties. | Levantine but Migrated (Pre-Islamic/Regional Arab) |
Kamal | Ramallah/Al-Bira | Perfection; notable, possible Turkish. | Indigenous |
Kan’an (Kanaan) | Nablus | From Kanaan; claims Syrian origins. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Ka’raja | Jerusalem | N/A (scarce; possible from Ka'raja in Jerusalem local elite). | N/A |
Khalaf | Ramallah/Al-Bira | Successor; possible caliphate ties. | Indigenous |
Khalidi | Jerusalem | From Bani Khalid tribe; descent from Khalid ibn al-Walid (Sahabi). | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Khatib | Jerusalem | Preacher family; claims Quraysh or Sahaba ties. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Khoury | Ramallah/Al-Bira | Priest; Christian, Ghassanid Arab from Peninsula. | Levantine but Migrated (Pre-Islamic/Regional Arab) |
Lahham | Jerusalem/Bethlehem | Butcher clan; possible Christian Ghassanid roots. | Levantine but Migrated (Pre-Islamic/Regional Arab) |
Madhun | Gaza | Notable; descent from Bani Hashim al-Ashraf al-Husayni (Quraish), migrated Mecca-Medina-Ta'if, then various places including Palestine in Mamluk era. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Majayda | Khan Yunis | Clan; claims descent from Majayda in Arabia (possibly Qahtani). | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Mamar | Khan Yunis | N/A (scarce; possible from Mamar in Arabia or local). | N/A |
Mansur | Nablus | Victorious; possible Ottoman ties. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Masri | Multiple | "Egyptian"; claims descent from Egyptian migrants in 19th century. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Mattar | Gaza | Possible Egyptian ties. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Milhem | Halhul | Notable; possible from Milhem in Arabia or local Hebron. | N/A |
Mughani | Gaza | Clan; claims descent from Mughani in Arabia (Quraish or Hejaz). | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Muhtasib | Hebron | Market inspector; Ottoman-era role, possible Syrian roots. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Musleh | Ramallah/Al-Bira | Reformer; possible local Ramallah notable. | Indigenous |
Nasir | Jabalya | Linked to Banu Nasr, possible Hejazi tribe. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Nasr | Qalqilya | Victory; possible Nasr tribe. | Indigenous |
Natshi | Hebron | Notable; claims descent from Natshi in Arabia (Tamim or Quraish ties). | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Nimr | Nablus | Tiger clan; notable a'yan. | Indigenous |
Nusayba (Nusseibeh) | Jerusalem | Descent from Ubadah ibn al-Samit (Sahabi) and Banu Khazraj (Ansar). | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Qasim | Nablus | Linked to Banu Qasim, Hashemite. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Qawasma | Hebron | Clan; claims Yemeni origins. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Rayyan | Nablus | Common; possible from Rayyan in Arabia (gate of Paradise link, symbolic). | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Reyyes (Rayyes) | Gaza | Notable family; claims Arab elite (a'yan) roots, possibly from Hejaz. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Rishmawi | Bethlehem | Christian; Ghassanid or Yemenite. | Levantine but Migrated (Pre-Islamic/Regional Arab) |
Salah | Jerusalem | Linked to Saladin's era, Kurdish or Arab. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Samana | Jabalya | N/A (scarce; possible from Samana in Arabia). | N/A |
Shaq’a | Nablus | Notable; claims Hejazi Arab roots. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Shahwan | Khan Yunis | Clan; claims descent from Shahwan in Arabia (Bedouin ties). | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Shawwa | Gaza | Notable; Ottoman-era origins, with claims to Syrian or Transjordanian descent. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Shawwaf | Gaza | Notable; possible from Shawwaf in Arabia or Syria. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Shami | Jenin | From Sham (Syria); Syrian origins. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Simhan | Jerusalem | N/A (scarce; possible from Simhan in Jerusalem local). | N/A |
Suwayti | Jericho | Clan; possible from Suwayti in Arabia or local Jericho. | N/A |
Ta’amra | Bethlehem | Bedouin; nomadic Arab, with Edomite/Nabatean ties via trade. | Indigenous |
Tamimi | Hebron | From Banu Tamim tribe; Adnanite descent from Ishmael via Adnan. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Tawil | Ramallah/Al-Bira | Tall clan; possible Christian Ghassanid. | Levantine but Migrated (Pre-Islamic/Regional Arab) |
Tayaha | Gaza (Tribal Confederation) | Bedouin; linked to Tayy tribe, claiming Adnanite descent from Ishmael, with Hejazi origins. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Tuqan (Touqan) | Nablus | Notable; linked to Ta'amira Bedouins, nomadic Arab roots. | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Uraqat | Jerusalem/Jericho | Bedouin clan from Huwaitat region (northwestern Arabia); ancestors from Medina (Hejaz). | Migrated (Arabian/External) |
Yahya | Jenin | John; possible Christian links. | Indigenous |
Ziyada | Ramallah/Al-Bira | Common; possible from Ziyada in Arabia or local Ramallah. | N/A |
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