Sayyid (also spelled Syed, Seyd, Sayed, Sayyad, Sayyed, Saiyid, Seyed, Said and Seyyed) is

an honorific title denoting people (Sayyid for males, Sayyida for females) accepted as
descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his grandsons, Hasan ibn Ali and
Husayn ibn Ali, sons of Muhammad's daughter Fatimah and his son-in-law Ali (Ali ibn Abi Talib).
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Women sayyids are given the titles Sayyida, Alawiyah, or Sharifa. In some regions of the Islamic
world, such as in India, the descendants of Muhammad are given the title Amir or Mir, meaning
commander, general, or prince. Children of a Sayyida mother but a non-Sayyid father are
referred to as Mirza.[2]
In the Arab world, sayyid is the equivalent of the English word "liege lord" or "master" when
referring to a descendant of Muhammad, as in Sayyid Ali Sultan.[3] The word sidi (from the
contracted form sayyid, 'my liege')[clarification needed] is often used in Arabic.[4]
Although not verified, many Arabic language experts state that it has its roots in the word Al
Asad Arabic: meaning lion, probably because of the qualities of valour and leadership.
[citation needed]
In the early period, the Arabs used the term Sayyid and Sharif to denote descendants from both
Hasan and Husayn. However, in the modern era, the term 'Sharif' (Sharifah for females) has
been used to denote descendants from Hasan, and the term 'Sayyid' (Sayyidah for females) has
been used to denote descendants from Husayn.[5]
Although reliable statistics are unavailable, conservative estimates put the number of Sayyids in
the tens of millions.[6]