325+ Arabic Names (with Meanings and Popularity)
Across 17 pages
of 17
Mohammed
Arabic
"greatly praised"
This variation of Muhammed is not as popular as some, but it still is a widely used choice.
Hassan
Arabic
"handsome"
Hassan is among the more familiar Arabic choices, and also one with an attractive meaning. It has appeared in the US Top 1000 every year since 1971. In one Nigerian tribe, it's used for the first…
Zayd
Arabic
"increase, growth"
Zayd (or its most common variant Zaid), an old and still well used Arabic name, was a enslaved man whom Muhammad adopted as his son.
Samir
Arabic
"a friend to talk with in the evening"
Samir has a pleasing sound and lovely meaning. One of those distinctive names that can also fit right in—and you could always call him Sam.
Zariyah
Arabic, Hebrew, Russian
"scattering wind; God has helped; sunrise, dawn"
Zariyah has several possible origins: the Arabic Zahrah which means "flower" or Zariya "scattering wind"; the Hebrew name Azariah, meaning "God has helped"; or the Russian word Zaria which means…
Noor
Arabic; Dutch variation of Eleonora
"light"
An interesting name associated with the elegant American-born Queen Noor of Jordan. Noor is very popular among modern Muslim parents around the world and is beginning to cross over, perhaps because…
Ahmad
Arabic
"most commended, praisworthy"
As a form of the popular Arabic name, Hamid, Ahmad could be seen as a contraction for one of the 99 names for Allah, al-Ḥamīd , however, it might also be a variation of Muhammad as they share the…
Amani
Variation of Imani, Arabic
"faith"
Popular with Muslim and African-American parents, this virtue name also fits in with the trendy i ending names being seen at the moment. It debuted on the US Top 1000 in 1996. Kenyan…
Idris
Welsh; Arabic
"ardent lord; studious, interpreter"
A name that crosses cultures, Idris was virtually unknown in the US before the emergence of the charismatic actor Idris Elba, first on The Wire and then for depicting Nelson Mandela. Since then, the…
Kareem
Arabic
"noble, generous"
A favorite Muslim name, Kareem first appeared on the US Top 1000 list in 1972 (jumping in at Number 405!), coinciding with the early career of basketball great turned writer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (born…
Ahmed
Arabic
"greatly praised"
This variation of Ahmad is one of the most popular Arabic names among Muslim families the world over and is now the most used spelling in the USA. It shares the same root as other popular Arabic…
Samira
Arabic
"companion in evening conversation"
Shiny cousin of Samara with an intriguing meaning. Increasingly associated with the charming Samira Wiley, a perennial scene-stealer on "Orange is the New Black" and "The Handmaid's Tale."
Zahir
Arabic
"helper, supporter"
A popular name in the Middle East and one of the most evocative choices of its genre. One of the 99 names of Allah. The feminine form is Zahira.
Mustafa
Arabic
"the chosen one"
Mustafa is a name widely used in Turkey, as it was the given name of the man popularly known as Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey. Mustafa is also an epithet of the prophet Muhammad and was the…
Abdullah
Arabic
"servant of Allah"
Abdullah is an alternative transcription of the name Abd Allah, which translates to "servant of Allah". Popular across throughout the Muslim world, it ranks in the Turkish Top 100 and the UK Top 200.…
Inaya
Arabic, Bengali and Urdu
"care, concern"
Inaya is a soft and expressive name that derives from the Arabic word "inayah", meaning "care, concern, help". It is an indirect Qur'anic name, and the strictly feminine form of the unisex Inayat . A…
Zainab
Variation of Zaynab
Zainab—the name of a flowering tree and of a granddaughter, daughter, and two wives of the Prophet Muhammed—was a newcomer to the US Top 1000 in 2013. While simplified variations Zaina or Zayna are…
Yahir
Hebrew and Arabic
"he will enlighten, he shines; to be visible, shining"
This Hebrew and Arabic name hit the US Top 300 in 2004 via an unusual inspiration: A Mexican pop singer and telenovela star known simply as Yahir, who was himself named after a Brazilian soccer…
Aliya
Arabic, Hebrew
"heavens, highborn, exalted; to ascend, to rise"
Simpler and less tied to the singer in this form, Aliya is a feminine form of the Arabic name Ali, meaning "lofty, sublime, high" or "exalted." Boosted to fame by the ill-fated singer, Aaliyah, and…
Salma
Arabic
"safe"
Mexican-born actress Salma Hayek lends a large dollop of glamour to this name that would otherwise resemble the middle-aged Selma.