Arabic Names

Appearing in the name of the 54th chapter in the Quran and used as a given name and a surname, Qamar is a unisex option, with the celestial meaning of "moon". It is occasionally written as Kamar too. 



Qamar

Thought to be one of the ten angels who accompanies the sun on its daily course: a lovely image redolent of mythology. If you're looking for <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/316/baby-names-that-mean-new-beginnings?all=1">names that mean new beginnings</a>, this makes an unusual and evocative choice.
As an anglicized spelling of Raabi'a, it means "fourth", as in the saint and mystic Rabia of Basra.

Rabia

Also written as Salsabil, this is used as a term in the Quran and in the hadiths to denote a water spring or fountain in paradise (or Jannah).

Salsabeel

Bright, friendly, and multicultural, Baya is both an Arabic title-name meaning "lady" and a Spanish word name, with the sweet meaning of "berry". 
 
Most of its real world usage is owing to its Arabic roots, as evidenced by its frequency in Algeria and India rather than in Spain (or another Spanish speaking country).

Baya

A unisex Arabic name that belonged to the author of the 11th century Persian epic poem, the Shahnameh, Firdaus comes from the Arabic word firdaws meaning "paradise, heavenly, garden". Predominantly masculine in Malaysia, and Indonesia, it may lean neutral or feminine elsewehere.
 
Also transcribed as Firdos, Firdous, Ferdous ,Firdausi, and Ferdowsi, the name may be pronounced differently depending on language and place. In Arabic, feer-DOWS (dow to rhyme with the sound in down) is heard, which fir-DA-uws and feh-DA-os are heard in Indonesian and Malay. 
 
A spiritual choice, Firdaus can be related to the concept of Jannah in Islamic tradition, the final resting place or abode of the righteous and good.

Firdaus

Concise, multicultural, and well travelled, Lin is a deceptively simple looking choice with its roots in a variety of languages.
 
As a Chinese name, it is a unisex option, pronounced as LEEN, and typically attributed either the meaning "forest" or "fine jade, green gem", associating the name with the color green in both its transcriptions. From its Arabic roots however, it is a variation of the pretty Lina, meaning "soft, tender". As above, it would be pronounced as LEEN.
 
In Korean, Lin can mean "luster of jade", "neighbor" or "clear water" depending on what hanji symbol is used, and it this case, it would be said as LIHN, to rhyme with pin. As a Burmese name, it is a unisex option, meaning "clear, bright", again pronounced to rhyme with pin. 
 
In English, it is used as an alternative spelling to Lynn, or as a short form for the likes of Linette, Linnea, and so on. As such, it could mean "lake", from the Welsh llyn or "likeness, image, idol" from the Welsh eilun. Other sources could be the Scandinavian Elin meaning "bright, shining torch", Spanish Linda, meaning "pretty, beautiful", or the Germanic element lind meaning "soft, flexible, tender".
 
As we said, those three letters are deceptively simple! And to complicate matters further, it is also a form of Linus in a variety of languages!

Also spelled as Maysun, Maisson, and Mayssoun, this name has been notably borne by two, early Arabic-language women poets, Maysūn bint Jandal and Maysūn bint Baḥdal, lending it a historical and prestigious air. It likely comes from the Arabicmays, meaning "proud bearing" or perhaps more figuratively, "attractive and graceful", though another theory is that it means "red of face" in Persian.
 
Familiar though not overly popular among Arabic-speaking families, the name is notably borne by actress and comedian Maysoon Zayid, known as one of America's first Muslim women comedians.

Maysoon

A soft and sweet unisex Arabic name with an international sound, Mishal can also be spelled as Mishaal. British broadcaster Mishal Husain is a notable bearer.

Mishal

An animal inspired Arabic name, that could work in Hebrew too. 

Namirah

A popular Arabic name borne by a famed Lebanese actress and singer, could provide an intriguing alternative to Sarah. 

Sabah

Zamzam has to be the ultimate impact name. Despite all those Zs, Zamzam, is not a trendy modern invention by some rock star; in fact Zamzam derives from the Well of Zamzam, which is the holiest place in Mecca. According to Islamic belief, it is a miraculously-generated source of water from God, which began thousands of years ago when Hagar's infant son Ishmael was thirsty and kept crying for water. The Zamzam well revealed itself to Hagar. Millions of pilgrims visit the well each year while performing the Hajj in order to drink its water. 
 In the USA in 2014, fifteen little girls were given this name and in the UK, there were seven; we suspect at least some were named Zamzam by parents who had recently drank from the well.

Zamzam

Tabari

Talib is a North African name with an admirable meaning, associated with rapper Talib Kweli.

Talib

Captivating Arabic choice, sometimes transcribed as Fa'izah.

Faizah

An alternative transliteration of the Arabic name Lamia, with its bright, glowing meaning. This spelling may help distinguish it from the Greek Lamia, a woman driven to become a child-eating monster after her children were taken away. 

Lamiah

Singer-actress Queen Latifah -- born Dana Owens -- makes this North African Muslim name sing. 

Latifah

A floral Arabic name which holds significance to those who follow Twelver Shi'ism (the largest group of Shia Muslims), Narjis is said to have been the name of Muhamad al-Mahdi's mother. Also known as the Hidden Iman, Muhamad al-Mahdi is believed to be last of the Twelve Imans who will appear at the end of times to bring peace and redemption to Islam. 
 
The name itself ultimately comes from the Greek Narcissus, a mythological name, tied to the young man who spent so long staring at his own reflection in a pool of water that he fell in, drowned, and was turned into a flower, most commonly known as a daffodil. This givens Narjis a golden, yellow hue and a springy feel. 
 
Other forms of the name include the Persian Narges, the Urdu Nargis, the Turkish Nergis, and the North African Narjess, while notable bearers are Narjis Khatun, digital creator and wife of cricketer Mohammad Amir, and Narjis J al-saedy, an entrepreneur and founder of a facial aesthetics company.

Narjis

A bright and spirited Arabic name with a serious meaning, Naziha can also be spelled as Nazeeha, Nazeehah, or Nezihe while the masculine form is Nazih. It is pronounced as na-ZEE-ha or as nu-ZEE-ha ("na" being like the sound in nap and "nu" being like the sound in number). Notable bearers include artist Naziha Mestaoui, journalist Naziha Syed Ali, and feminist Naziha al-Dulaimi (the first woman minister in modern Iraq history). 

Naziha

Rashida is an evocative and alluring name, currently represented by Rashida Jones, daughter of Peggy Lipton and Quincy Jones, who has been featured in The Office, Parks & Recreation, and The Social Network. 

Rashida

This more elaborate version of the name is heard occasionally, but Samira or the related Samara is simpler and just as rhythmic.

Sameria

Arabic names have become much more widely known and used around the world over the past few decades. 

The Arabic name Muhammad has risen to become reportedly the 

 in the entire world when all its spellings are counted together. Muhammad is Number 1 in England as well as throughout the Arab world and also ranks among the Top 100 boys’ names in Scotland, Ireland, Germany, and Australia.

Arabic baby names widely used over the decades

 include Omar and Xavier, Leila (in all its variations) and Zara. Celebrities have helped popularize such Arabic names as Zayn, Aaliyah, Farrah, and Iman.

 in the Top 500 in the US include Amir, Malik, Nasir, Omar, and Xavier. 

 in the US Top 500 include Aaliyah, Amina, Layla, Fatima, and Zara. 

 include Maryam, Noor, Ahmed, and Ali. Muslim parents of every nationality often choose Arabic baby names, so other choices such as Zayn and Zara, Samar and Rashid, Jana and Yousouf are widely used around the world.

Here is our complete list of Arabic names,  ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.

Arabic names are common in the Muslim community, and include stylish choices such as Layla, Amir, Zara, and Zayn, with meanings and popularity (Page 19)

325+ Arabic Names (with Meanings and Popularity)