The tribal system is still a fundamental part of Libyan society. Most Libyan surnames carry the tribal name and therefore one can easily identify a person's tribe simply by knowing his surname.

Western Libya:

• Warfallah (Warfalla, Werfella) (anti-Qaddafi): the largest Arab tribal group in west Libya, consisting of 52 sub-tribes and estimated at around one million people, inhabiting the area of Musratha or Misurata District including the town of Bani Walid.
• Az-Zintan: close to the Warfallah tribe: found mainly in the Western Mountain between the Berber towns of Jado and Yefren and Kabaw.
• Awlad Busayf (West Libya).
• Maslata: found in the area of Msallata, west Libya.
• Masrata: found in west Libya, with a large presence in Tripoli.
• Al-Rijban, Ar-Rujban (Western Mountain, Nafousa Mountain).
• Al-Majabra, al-Mujabra: south-west of Tripoli, close to the Western Mountain, and in the Jalo area in Cyrenaica in Eastern Libya. The most prominent member of this tribe is the Libyan head of the army Major General Abu-Baker Younis Jaber - one of the original members of the 12 officers of the Revolutionary Command Council led by Gaddafi in 1969.

Central Libya:

The central region refers to the desert area between Cyrenaica (East) and Tripolitania (West), which from ancient times was the border area between the two regions.

• Qaddafi, Qadadfah (Gaddadfa, Gadhadhfa, Qathathfa, Gathafi) (pro-Qaddafi): centred around Sert (Sirte). An influential ruling tribe in today's Libya, originally found around the present-day Sert in central Libya and Sabha in the south, the present capital of Fazzan. The leader of the September revolution, Col. Mua'mmar al-Qaddafi, belongs to the Al-Qaddafi tribe.
• Al-Magarha, al-Magariha, al-Megrahi (alliance unclear): one of the largest tribe in the central-western region of Libya, and traditionally strong allies of the Gaddadfa tribe. The former Libyan Prime Minister Abdessalam Jalloud belongs to this tribe. Also the release of the alleged Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi was secured by Al-Qaddafi family.
• Al-Magharba (The Westerners).
• Al-Riyyah.
• Al-Haraba.
• Al-Zuwaid.

Eastern Libya:

• Az-Zuwayya, Zuwayya, Zawiya (alliance unclear): the largest and most influential tribe in Eastern Libya (Cyrenaica), largely found in Benghazi, Ejdabiyah, Kufra, Tazerbu (Tazirbu) and the surrounding areas.
• Bani Salim (Banu Saleem): like their brothers the Bani Hilal of Tripolitania the Bani Saleem tribes were brought from Arabia in the 11th century to assist in the spread of Islam in North Africa by the Fatimid rulers. While the Bani Slaeem settled in Cyrenaica as the first stop to strengthen the forces in the east of Libya the Bani Hilal continued their journey towards Tripolitania.
• Mesratha, Musratha, Misurata (anti-Qaddafi): an Eastern Libyan tribe inhabiting a number of towns and villages including Benghazi and Darna (Darneh). The name is the same as the name of the third largest town in Libya: Misuratha, in west Libya.
• Al-Awagir, al-Waqir (pro-Qaddafi): found in the Barqa region of Cyrenaica, with history of resistance against the Italians.
• Tawajeer: one of the prominent tribes of Cyrenaica.
• Ramla: one of the prominent tribes of Cyrenaica.
• Kargala: one of the prominent tribes of Cyrenaica.
• Kawar: a group of tribes in the region of Kaouar.
• Al-Abaydat, Abdiyat: a group of 15 tribes found in the area of Tobruk
• Drasa.
• Masamir, Masameer.
• Al-Barasa.
• Al-Fawakhir.
• Farjan: found mainly west of Ajdabiya (Ejdabiyah), Sirte, and also in Zliten further west.