His birth name was Ahmad Khan, and he was born into the Abdali tribe of Pashtuns. After his accession to power in 1747, he became known as Ahmad Shah. His tribe also changed their name from Abdali to Durrani. Afghans often refer to him as Ahmad Shah Baba, meaning "Ahmad Shah the Father".

In historical sources, his tribe's name is interchangeably used between Abdali and Durrani, and he is commonly referred to by names including