Chakroun

Chakroun (Arabic شكرون) is an Arabic and French family name (surname) originating in Lebanon. It is the third most common surname in the South of Lebanon (Al Janub) and the most common surname in the towns of Irkay, Kfarrumman, Roumin, Bnaafoul, and Loubyeh.

Etymology and History

The name originally derives from Shukr (Arabic شكر ), an Arabic term denoting thankfulness, gratitude, or acknowledgment by humans. This surname was given in the early 18th century to a person who demonstrated all these qualities. Then after decades and decades, the name eventually evolved into Chakroun which is the name found today.

In the late 1800s, the ‘Chakroun’ family was mostly responsible for the uniting of most of the villages and towns in the South of Lebanon. This helped strengthen the relationships between the Muslims, Druze and the Christians, after the 1860 Lebanese conflict had caused serious tensions between them. The ‘Chakroun’ family then started to settle in the South of Lebanon in the village of Irkay and then slowly moving to other villages such as: Kfarumman and Roumin.

Although this surname is mostly found in Lebanon, there are a lot of people in other countries who also share this surname. Some of these countries include: Tunisia, Iraq and Morocco.

Variations

Variations of the surname Chakroun also remain very common. These include different spellings of the English term and different pronunciations.

The Arabic term is very much the same, however the English term is sometimes spelled differently by changing the first letter or adding an ‘a’ after the ‘k’. For example:

• Shakroun
• Chakaroun
• Shakaroun
• Chakroun

Notable people sharing the surname "Chakroun"

• Mohammad Chakroun, a successful businessman from the town of Irkay who died of lung cancer. He has three sons:
• Ghassan Chakroun, an important lawyer in Lebanon known for solving a lot of difficult and meticulous cases. He works with the Lebanese army and as such became very favorable among them and well known.
• Walid Chakroun, a professor at Kuwait University who is very well known in the Middle East as he was the former director of the Region-At-Large in ASHRAE.
• Hassan Chakroun, a well-known deceased soldier in the Lebanese army who fought during the Lebanese Civil War. He is hailed as a hero in Irkay because he died at such a young age and was thought to have had a very promising future ahead of him.

Sources

• Chakroun,Rami Telephone Interview, 6 July 2010.
• Najdi, Tarek, Telephone Interview, 6 July 2010.
• Rida, Ziad, Telephone Interview, 6 July 2010.
• Chakroun, Nadim, Direct Interview, 6 July 2010.
• Rist, John M. (1982). Human Value: A Study in Ancient Philosophical Ethics. BRILL. ISBN 9004067574