Cross-Cultural Muslim Names

Sophia

Greek

"wisdom"

Sophia, which was the Number 1 girls' name in the US from 2011 to 2013, is among the top girl names in the Western World, with a sensuous sound and high-minded meaning. A real winner, Sophia reached…

Eliza

Hebrew

"pledged to God"

Eliza is a name with a wonderful combination of streamlined zest and Eliza Doolittle charm and spunk. It's a classic that's popular right now -- but not too popular. Eliza has not been in the Top 100…

Dahlia

Flower name, from Swedish surname

"Dahl's flower"

One of the flower names, used occasionally in Britain (where it's pronounced DAY-lee-a). It seems to have recovered from what was perceived as a slightly affected la-di-dah air. The flower was named…

Camille

French

"young ceremonial attendant"

At one time just the sound of the name Camille could start people coughing, recalling the tragic Lady of the Camellias , the heroine played by Greta Garbo in the vintage film based on a Dumas story,…

Sabrina

Celtic, Latin name for the River Severn

Sabrina, the bewitchingly radiant name of a legendary Celtic goddess, is best known as the heroine of the eponymous film, originally played by Audrey Hepburn, and later as a teenage TV witch; it…

Laila

Spelling variation of Layla or Sami variation of Helga, Arabic or Finnish

"night; holy"

Beguiling and lovely, Laila is one of the lilting variations of Leila and Layla. It's the name of the former-boxer daughter of Muhammad Ali and of actor Shawn Wayans. In Finland, the Sami people use…

Mariam

Arabic variation of Mary

"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"

Popular among parents with Arab roots. Also found as Maryam. Mary was ultimately derived from the Hebrew name Mariam. The original meaning of Mariam is uncertain, but theories include "drop of the…

Nadia

Russian, Arabic

"hope; tender, delicate"

Nadia, an accessible Slavic favorite, has a strong run of popularity in the US in the early 2000s, partially thanks to the character on Lost called Nadia but actually named Noor, but it's since…

Mina

Hindu equivalent of Pisces or diminutive of Wilhelmina, German

"resolute protection"

Most famous as a Dracula victim (where Mina is short for Wilhelmina), Mina is a name that can stand on its own or be a diminutive of any name ending in -mina, most usually Wilhelmina. This Old World…

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…

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…

Dalia

Hebrew, Spanish, or Swahili

"branch; dahlia; gentle"

Similar in sound to the flower name Dahlia, this gentle but distinctive name, heard in many cultures, hits that Golden Mean between too popular and too unusual. In Lithuanian mythology, Dalia is a…

Anika

Dutch, German, Slovene, and Polish diminutive of Anne, Hindi, Sanskrit

"grace; army, splendour"

Sweet but spiky, Anika is a multicultural choice with broad appeal. Familiar in the UK, Czechia, Poland, and the US, it is in the Top 100 in Slovenia. It is additionally popular in Bangladesh, India,…

Zora

Serbo-Croatian

"dawn"

Zora is a meaningful literary heroine name honoring Zora Neale Hurston, an important black writer and leader of the Harlem Renaissance. Spelled Zorah, it is a biblical place name, and is also the…

Zoya

Russian and Greek variation of Zoe, Greek

"life"

Now that Zoe is getting wildly popular in the U.S. and the U.K. -- one poll puts it at number one in Wales -- parents may start hunting down fresh twists like this.

Susan

English diminutive of Susannah, Hebrew

"lily"

Although Susan had her heyday from the thirties to the sixties, and is now common among moms and new grandmas, and though most modern parents would prefer Susanna/Susannah, we have spotted some…

Susanna

Hebrew

"lily"

Susanna is an old and under-appreciated name, perhaps because of the recent overpopularity of Susan, that is certainly due for a comeback. The Susannah spelling is just as appropriate as Susanna. The…

Sonia

Russian and Scandinavian variation of Sophia

"wisdom"

Early European import, well known in the 1940s via Norwegian skating movie star Sonja Henie, that has sailed back across the Atlantic, despite the rising popularity of other Russian names.

Dina

Hebrew variation of Dinah or Adinah

"judged or delicate"

Dina is a 20th century version of either Dinah or Adinah, two Old Testament names not related to each other. Dinah was the beautiful daughter of Jacob and Leah, while Adinah or Adina was a male…