Cross-Cultural Muslim 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…

Inez

Spanish variation of Agnes

"pure, virginal"

Also spelled Ines, this name of the prudish mother of Don Juan in the Byron poem has a touch of mystery, but has also been fully integrated into the American name pool. Inez Milholland and Inez Hayes…

Lulu

Diminutive of Louise or Lucy, or Arabic

"pearl"

Lula has a firecracker personality, a singing and dancing extrovert. Interesting that Lulu was a Top 100 name when the Social Security list was born in 1880, but it's been sliding ever since and has…

Farrah

Arabic

"happiness"

Back in the late '70s, Farrah Fawcett's name was as frequently copied as her hairstyle and even made the Top 200 in 1977! Like any trend, however, it promptly fell back out of style, only to…

Marjan

Dutch, Persian, Kazakh, Arabic, Sanskrit

"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + grace; coral; purification"

A succinct and multicultural choice, Marjan's meaning and pronunciation differs depending on which root you follow. As a Dutch name, it is a variation of Marianne, a name that blends the classic…

Sabina

Latin

"Sabine"

Sabina is a sleek but neglected name with the same spirited, stylish feel of Sabrina, Serena, and Selena. It ranked towards the latter end of the US charts in the early 20th century while a more…

Sadira

Persian

"lote tree, sidr tree"

Also appearing as Sidra, this botanical name has roots in Persian, and holds multiple levels of spiritual significance. It refers to the Ziziphus spina-christi , a spikey, evergreen plant, also known…

Sadiya

Arabic

"lucky, fortunate"

This female form of Sa'id is one of several eminently usable Arabic S names.

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.

Suri

Yiddish, Hebrew, Persian, Sanskrit

Suri, a once obscure name, hit the headlines when it was chosen by Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise for their daughter in 2006. A truly multi-cultural choice, Suri is a unique name with a variety of…

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…

Tulip

Flower name, from Persian

"turban"

One of the most unusual flower names, Tulip is cute but tough to pull off as a first. It has some celebrity cred via Charlie Tamara Tulip, twin daughter of Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O'Connell. It…

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.