Mukhtar (name)

Mukhtar (also spelled Muktar, /ˈmʊktɑːr/ or "Mihtar") 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. The name is given because mukhtars are usually selected by some consensual or participatory method, often involving an election. Mukhtar or Mihtar is also a common name. In Arab countries such as Yemen it is more often a surname of Ottoman lineage (laqab), whilst in non-Arab Muslim countries it is common as a first name (ism).