Arabic names are typically made up of five parts instead of the customary three-part names used in many areas of the world. The first part is what is called the ‘ism,’ or the first name. There is also the ’nasab,’ which is a name that indicates the person’s heritage. The ’nisbah’ is the surname or family name, and the ‘kunya’ is a name used to refer to the bearer’s firstborn son or daughter. The ‘ism’ is usually full of meaning and family history. Much thought is put into naming every child, and the meaning of each name is deeply considered. When writing the names in Arabic it’s important to pay attention to the intricacies of the written language. A slight change in any of the characters in the name could change the entire meaning.
Aaliyah
Origin: Arabic Meaning: High, heavens, exalted Alternative Spellings & Variations: Aliya, Aliah, Alia, Aliyah, Aleeah, Aleeia Famous Namesakes: Aliya LeeKong, American chef and television personality; Aaliyah, American singer; Aliya Mustafina, Russian gymnast Peak Popularity: Aaliyah was the 65th most popular name for girls in the United States in 2020.
Aisha
Origin: Arabic Meaning: Womanly, she who lives, alive Alternative Spellings & Variations: Aishat, Aaisha, Ayesha, Aicha, Aischa, Ayse Famous Namesakes: Aisha Kahlil, American singer; Aisha Hinds, American actress; Ayesha Khan, Pakistani actress; Aisha Tyler, American television personality Peak Popularity: In 1977, 1,540 baby girls were named Aisha; this was the peak of its popularity in the United States.
Amina
Origin: Arabic Meaning: Faithful, trustworthy Alternative Spellings & Variations: Aminah, Aaminah, AaminaFamous Namesakes: Amina, Queen of Zazzau and famous Hausa warrior; Amina Afzali, Afghani politician; Amina Mohamed, Somali lawyer and politician Peak Popularity: About 13,349 baby girls have been given the name Amina in the United States since 1880. In 2017, 1,177 babies were named Amina which is the highest record of its use.
Amira
Origin: Arabic, HebrewMeaning: PrincessAlternative Spellings & Variations: Amirah, Emira, Ameera, Meera Famous Namesakes: Amira Ben Amor, Tunisian long-distance runner; Amira Hass, Israeli journalist; Amira Willighagen, Dutch singer; Amira Casar, actress Peak Popularity: The peak popularity of the name Amira in the United States was in 2019 when 1,162 girls were given the name. It has remained a popular name since then.
Fatima
Origin: ArabicMeaning: Captivating Alternative Spellings & Variations: Fatimah, FatmaFamous Namesakes: Fatimah Abdullah, Malaysian politician; Fátima Báñez, Spanish politician Peak Popularity: Fatima was most popular in 2001; 1,405 girls were given the name that year.
Fareeda
Origin: Arabic Meaning: Unique Alternative Spellings & Variations: Farida, Faridah, Fareedah Famous Namesakes: Farida of Egypt, Queen of Egypt; Farida Jalal, Indian actress; Farida Parveen, Bangladeshi singer Peak Popularity: In 2015, 54 girls were named Fareeda in the United States. This was the peak of its popularity.
Farrah
Origin: ArabicMeaning: Happiness, joy Alternative Spellings & Variations: Farah, Farhaa, Ferrah, Fareeha Famous Namesakes: Farrah Abraham, American television personality; Farrah Fawcett, American actressPeak Popularity: Farrah has peaked and dropped in popularity over the years in the United States. It first peaked in 1977 when 1,516 girls were given the name. It dipped in popularity then peaked again in 2012 when 183 women were named Farrah.
Habiba
Origin: ArabicMeaning: Beloved Alternative Spellings & Variations: Habibah Famous Namesakes: Habiba Djahnine, Algerian film producer; Habiba Ghribi, Tunisian athlete Peak Popularity: In 2014, 45 girls were given the name Habiba in the United States.
Halima
Origin: ArabicMeaning: Gentle, mild-mannered Alternative Spellings & Variations: Halimah Famous Namesakes: Halimah Yacob, President of Singapore; Halima Aden, model; Halima Ahmed, political activist Peak Popularity: In 2019, 87 babies were named Halima in the United States at the peak of its popularity.
Hana
Origin: ArabicMeaning: Happiness, bliss Alternative Spellings & Variations: Hannah, Hanaa Famous Namesakes: Hana Mae Lee, actress; Hana Pestle, American musician; Hana Kuk, Hong-Kong singer and songwriter Peak Popularity: In 2002, 411 baby girls were named Hana in the United States. This was the peak of its popularity.
Imani
Origin: Arabic Meaning: Faith Alternative Spellings & Variations: Iman, Emani, Imaani Famous Namesakes: Imani Coppola, American singer and songwriter; Imani Hakim, American actressPeak Popularity: In 1996, 1171 baby girls were given the name Imani. This is the highest record of its use.
Jamila
Origin: ArabicMeaning: Beauty Alternative Spellings & Variations: Jamilah, Jameela, Djamila, Gamila Famous Namesakes: Jameela Jamil, British actress and model; Jamila Afghani, Afghan activist; Jamila Cholimbo (Mila J), American singer and songwriter Peak Popularity: Jamila was most popular in the United States in 1977. In 2018, 167 babies were given the name as compared to in 1977 when 418 babies were given the name.
Kamilah
Origin: ArabicMeaning: PerfectAlternative Spellings & Variations: Kamila, Kamilla Famous Namesakes: Kamilla Gainetdinova, Russian skater; Kamila Gasiuk-Pihowicz, Polish politician Peak Popularity: The name Kamilah has grown in popularity over the years in the United States. Its peak use was in 2019 when 340 babies were given the name.
Khadijah
Origin: Arabic Meaning: Early baby, respected Alternative Spellings & Variations: Khadija, KhadigaFamous Namesakes: Khadija al-Salami, Yemeni film producer; Khadija Arib, Dutch politician; Khadijah Whittington, American basketball player Peak Popularity: In 1994, 1,615 babies were named Khadija; this was the peak of its popularity in the United States. There has been a sharp dip in popularity since then. In 2016, only 138 babies were given the name.
Layla
Origin: Arabic Meaning: Night Alternative Spellings & Variations: Leila, Laila, Lila, Lilah Famous Namesakes: Layla El, wrestler; Layla Anna-Lee, actress Peak Popularity: The name Layla has shot up in popularity over the last decade in the United States. In 2019, at its peak popularity, 6,491 girls were given the name.
Malika
Origin: Arabic Meaning: Queen Alternative Spellings & Variations: Malikah Famous Namesakes: Malika Ayane, Italian singer; Malika Menard, Miss France 2010; Malika Oufkir, Moroccan writer Peak Popularity: The peak popularity of the name Malika was in 1996 when 183 girls were given the name.
Mariam
Origin: Arabic Meaning: Beloved, star of the sea Alternative Spellings & Variations: Maryam, Meriem, Mariyam Famous Namesakes: Maryam d’Abo, English actress; Maryam Monsef, Afghan Canadian politician; Maryam Nawaz Sharif, Pakistani politician Peak Popularity: In 2016, 569 babies were given the name Mariam during its peak popularity.
Nabila
Origin: Arabic Meaning: NobleAlternative Spellings & Variations: Nabeela, Nabilah, Nabeelah Famous Namesakes: Masuma Rahman Nabila, Bangladeshi actress; Nabilah Lubis, Indonesian writer; Nabila Ramdani, journalist Peak Popularity: The popularity of the name Nabila has peaked and dipped over the past decade in the United States, but has never been very popular. At its peak in 2004, only 28 babies were given the name.
Nadia
Origin: ArabicMeaning: Delicate, tender Alternative Spellings & Variations: Nadiyya, Nadya, NadiyyahFamous Namesakes: Nadia Comaneci, Olympic gymnast; Nadia Petrova, Russian tennis player; Nadia Ali, singerPeak Popularity: Nadia is a popular name in the United States. In 2005, at its peak popularity, 1,922 girls were given the name.
Naima
Origin: Arabic Meaning: Content, to be contented Alternative Spellings & Variations: Naimah, Naema Famous Namesakes: Naima Adedapo, singer; Naima Khan, Pakistani actress; Naima Mora, American modelPeak Popularity: In 2006, 299 babies were given the name Naima in the United States. This is the peak of its popularity.
Nyla
Origin: Arabic Meaning: Winner Alternative Spellings & Variations: Nylah Famous Namesakes: Nyla, dancehall singer and songwriter; Nyla Usha, actress Peak Popularity: The name Nyla has become popular in the United States in the last few years. In 2020, 1,202 girls were given the name.
Salma
Origin: ArabicMeaning: Peace Alternative Spellings & Variations: Selima, Salima Famous Namesakes: Salma Hayek, Mexican actress; Lalla Salma, princess consort of Morocco; Salma Yaqoob, British politician Peak Popularity: Salma was most popular in 1999 when 442 girls were given the name.
Sara
Origin: ArabicMeaning: Joy and delight Alternative Spellings & Variations: SarahFamous Namesakes: Sarah, Duchess of York and former British princess; Sara Bareilles, American singer-songwriter; Sara Errani, Italian tennis player; Sara Gilbert, actressPeak Popularity: Sara has been one of the top 200 names given to girls in the United States since 1880.
Shakira
Origin: ArabicMeaning: Thankful Alternative Spellings & Variations: NoneFamous Namesakes: Shakira, singer and songwriter; Shakira Austin, American basketball player Peak Popularity: In 2002, 512 girls were given the name Shakira.
Zainab
Origin: Arabic Meaning: Fragrant flower Alternative Spellings & Variations: Zaynab, Zeyneb, Zinab, Zineb, Zeinab, Zaineb Famous Namesakes: Zainab Ahmad, American prosecutor; Zainab Chottani, fashion designer; Zeinab Badawi, Sudanes-British radio and television journalist Peak Popularity: In 2017, 308 girls were named Zainab in the United States. This was the peak of its popularity.
Zaria
Origin: ArabicMeaning: Princess, blooming flower Alternative Spellings & Variations: Zarya, Zahrah Famous Namesakes: Zaria Mimano, English humanitarian Peak Popularity: In the year 2000, 568 girls were given the name Zaria in the United States.
Popular Arabic Baby Names For Boys
Here are some of the most popular Arabic names for boys.
Abdullah
Origin: Arabic Meaning: God’s follower Alternative Spellings & Variations: Abdallah, Abdalla, Abdala, Abdellah, Abdollah Famous Namesakes: Abdullah Gül, President of the Republic of Turkey; Abdullah II of Jordan, King of Jordan; Abdullah of Pahang, King of Malaysia Peak Popularity: Although it’s a common Arabic name, Abdullah isn’t very popular in the United States. In 2014, 413 boys were given the name Abdullah; this is the peak of its popularity.
Ahmed
Origin: Arabic Meaning: Greatly praised, one who praises God Alternative Spellings & Variations: Ahmad, Ahmet Famous Namesakes: Ahmed Ahmed, Egyptian-American actor; Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr, former President of Iraq; Ahmed Plummer, former NFL player; Ahmed Musa, Nigerian footballer Peak Popularity: In 2000, 475 boys were given the name Ahmed in the United States.
Ali
Origin: ArabicMeaning: Champion, elevated, high Alternative Spellings & Variations: Alli, Aly, Allie Famous Namesakes: Ali Salem, Egyptian playwright; Ali Daei, Iranian footballer; Ali Sastroamidjojo, eighth and tenth Prime Minister of Indonesia Peak Popularity: The name Ali is growing in popularity in the United States. In 2018, 1,093 babies were given the name.
Amir
Origin: Arabic Meaning: Prince, chief, commanderAlternative Spellings & Variations: Ameer, Aamir, Emir Famous Namesakes: Amir Blumenfeld, American-Israeli comedian; Amir Celestin, American basketball player; Amir Johnson, American basketball player Peak Popularity: Amir is a fairly popular name in the United States and is growing in popularity. In 2020, 3,154 boys were named Amir.
Farouq
Origin: Arabic Meaning: One who tells right from wrong Alternative Spellings & Variations: Faruk, Farook, Farooq, Farooqi, FaaruuqFamous Namesakes: Farouk of Egypt, former King of Egypt and Sudan; Farooq Abdullah, Indian politician; Farooq Sheikh, Indian actor Peak Popularity: Farouq isn’t a popular name in the United States. In 2014, only six babies were given the name.
Galib
Origin: Arabic Meaning: Victor, to defeat, to overcome Alternative Spellings & Variations: Ghalib Famous Namesakes: Ghalib Shiraz Dhalla, American writer; Umar Arteh Ghalib, former Prime Minister of Somalia Peak Popularity: Galib isn’t a popular name in the United States.
Hafiz
Origin: ArabicMeaning: Guardian, custodian, one who remembers Alternative Spellings & Variations: Haafiz, Hafeez, Hafez Famous Namesakes: Hafiz al-Iraqi, Islamic scholar; Hafez al-Assad, former President of SyriaPeak Popularity: In 2016, only 11 babies were given the name Hafiz in the United States.
Habib
Origin: Arabic Meaning: Most loved, beloved Alternative Spellings & Variations: HabeebFamous Namesakes: Habib Bourguiba, Tunisian politician; Habib Koité, Malian musician; Habib Habibou, French footballer Peak Popularity: Habib is a fairly popular name in countries in the Middle East and some parts of Africa. However, in America, only 39 babies were named Habib in 2019 and this was the peak of its popularity.
Hamid
Origin: Arabic Meaning: Praiseworthy, lauded Alternative Spellings & Variations: Hameed, Hamad, Haamed, Hamed, Hamit Famous Namesakes: Hamed Haddadi, Iranian basketball player; Hamid Drake, American musician; Hamid Karzai, former President of Afghanistan Peak Popularity: In 1989, 26 babies were named Hamid at the peak of its popularity in the United States.
Hassan
Origin: Arabic Meaning: Beautifier, handsome, benefactor Alternative Spellings & Variations: Hasan, Al-Hasan, Hussein, Hussain, HassonFamous Namesakes: Hasan Minhaj, American comedian; Hasson Arbubakrr, former NFL player; Hassan Adams, NBA player; Hassan Whiteside, American basketball player Peak Popularity: In 1997, 256 babies were named Hassan in the United States.
Ibrahim
Origin: ArabicMeaning: Father of many Alternative Spellings & Variations: Ebrahim, Ibraheem, Ibrahem Famous Namesakes: Ibrahim Halidi, Prime Minister of ComorosPeak Popularity: Ibrahim is a fairly popular name in the United States. The peak of its popularity was in 2019 when 819 boys were given the name.
Idris
Origin: ArabicMeaning: Interpreter, smart, studious Famous Namesakes: Idris Elba, English actor; Idris I of Morocco, first ruler and founder of the Idrisid Dynasty of Morocco Peak Popularity: In 2020, 275 babies were named Idris.
Ismail
Origin: ArabicMeaning: Heard by God Alternative Spellings & Variations: Esmail, Ismaeel, Isma’il, Ishmael Famous Namesakes: Esmail Koushan, Iranian film director; Ismail Ogan, Turkish wrestler; Ismail Haniyeh, Palestinian politician Peak Popularity: Ismail isn’t quite as popular in the United States as it is in the Muslim world. In 2016, 171 babies were given the name; this is the highest record of its use.
Jamal
Origin: Arabic Meaning: Beauty Alternative Spellings & Variations: Jamel, Gamal, Djamel, Jammal Famous Namesakes: Jamal Adams, American football player; Jamal Crawford, American basketball player; Jamal Khashoggi, Saudi Arabian journalist; Jamal Woolard, American entertainer Peak Popularity: Jamal was a pretty popular name for boys in the 1990s. In 1993, 1,246 boys were named Jamal at the peak of its popularity.
Kabir
Origin: Arabic Meaning: The great, leader, powerful Alternative Spellings & Variations: Kabeer, Kabier Famous Namesakes: Kabir, 15th-century Indian poet and mystic saintPeak Popularity: The popularity of the name Kabir is on the rise in the United States. While only six babies were named Kabir in 1976, in 2020, 262 babies were named Kabir.
Kareem
Origin: Arabic Meaning: Noble, generous Alternative Spellings & Variations: Karim, Kerim Famous Namesakes: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, American basketball player; Kareem Jackson, American football player; Karim Massimov, Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Peak Popularity: Kareem has been in the top 1,000 names since 1972. In 1977, its peak popularity, 449 babies were given the name.
Khalid
Origin: Arabic Meaning: Immortal, everlasting Alternative Spellings & Variations: Khaleed, Khaled, KalidFamous Namesakes: DJ Khaled, American DJ; Khalid Robinson (Khalid), American singer Peak Popularity: Khalid was most popular in the United States in 1994 when 214 babies were given the name.
Malik
Origin: Arabic Meaning: King, Owner Alternative Spellings & Variations: Maleek, Malyk, Malek, Malick, MaalekFamous Namesakes: Malik Yoba, American actor; Malik Abdul Aziz (Muslim name of Mike Tyson), American boxer; Malik Obama, half-brother to Barack Obama Peak Popularity: Malik used to be quite a popular name in the United States, although in recent years its popularity has dipped. In 1996, 4,025 babies were named Malik.
Muhammad
Origin: Arabic Meaning: To praiseAlternative Spellings & Variations: Mohammad, Mohammed, Muhammed, Mohamed, Mihammad, Mahomet, Mahometus Famous Namesakes: Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, President of Somalia; Muhammad Ali, American boxer; Muhammad Anwar El-Sadat, third president of Egypt Peak Popularity: The popularity of the name Muhammad is on the rise in the United States. In 2020, 1,056 babies were given the name.
Nasir
Origin: Arabic Meaning: Helper, one who gives victory Alternative Spellings & Variations: Nasser, NaseerFamous Namesakes: Nasir Jones, American rapper; Nasir Gebelli, Iranian-American game developer Peak Popularity: Nasir is growing in popularity in the United States, in 2019, 924 babies were named Nasir.
Omar
Origin: Arabic Meaning: Gifted speaker Alternative Spellings & Variations: Omer, Oumar, Umar, Omer Famous Namesakes: Omar Epps, American actor; Omar Sharif, Egyptian actor Peak Popularity: In 2007, 3,216 babies were given the name Omar, this was the peak of its popularity in the United States. Although its popularity has dipped, it remains a fairly popular name in the United States.
Rahim
Origin: Arabic Meaning: Compassionate, kind Alternative Spellings & Variations: Raheem Famous Namesakes: Raheem Beyah, American computer scientist; Raheem Brock, American footballer; Raheem Kassam, British politician Peak Popularity: Rahim isn’t a very popular name in the United States.
Rashid
Origin: Arabic Meaning: Guided rightly Alternative Spellings & Variations: Rasheed, Rachid, Rashed Famous Namesakes: Rashid Khan, Indian actor; Rashid Mahazi, Australian footballer Peak Popularity: In 1996, 67 babies were named Rashid.
Tariq
Origin: Arabic Meaning: He who knocks at the door Alternative Spellings & Variations: Tareeq, Tarek, Tarik, Tareq Famous Namesakes: Tariq Ali, British-Pakistani writer; Tariq Lamptey, English footballer; Tariq Trotter, American rapper Peak Popularity: Tariq isn’t a very popular name in the United States. However, in 1998, it surged in popularity when 514 babies were given the name.
Yusuf
Origin: Arabic Meaning: God increases Alternative Spellings & Variations: Yussuf, Yousef, Youssef, Youcef, Yusef, Yousif, Youssof, YousafFamous Namesakes: Youssef Chahine, Egyptian film director; Yusuf Islam, British musician; Yusef Komunyakaa, American poet Peak Popularity: In 2019, 515 babies were given the name Yusuf, at the peak of its popularity in the United States.
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