325+ Arabic Names (with Meanings and Popularity)

Asma is an important name in the Muslim religion. Asma was a niece of Muhammad whose refusal to betray her uncle and father helped them escape to Mecca. Downside in English-speaking countries is that Asma sounds like asthma, the illness that blocks airways and makes it difficult to breathe.

Qadir is a classic Muslim name that represents one of the ninety-nine attributes of Allah. Since the initial Q is pronounced as K, this handsome name is sometimes Anglicized as Kadir.

The M and the R add welcome strength.

The Arabic name Idrissa is related to the more common form Idris, which is the name of a Quranic prophet usually equated with the biblical Enoch). Idrissa is more commonly seen in North and Western Africa. Idrissa Gueye, the Senegalese footballer who plays for Aston Villa in the UK, is probably the most famous person with this name.

A beautiful and evocative place-name that deserves wider use.

Spelled this way, Adine could be a relative of either the Irish Aideen, which means jealousy, or the Arabic Adina, meaning slender. We'll go with the slender.

An Arabic name with Quranic connections -- it represents one of the essential qualities -- that would have no trouble assimilating. Sabira or Sabirah is a form used for girls, and Sabri can be used for either sex.

Short form of the name Anglicized as Saladin, very popular throughout the Arab world.

This name belongs to the eponymous heroine of Rossini's opera; 'Zelmira' (1822) about a (fictional) princess of Lesbos who saves her father and husband and her kingdom.

Kadir is derived from Qadir (many Arabic K names are phonetic versions of Q-starting names); a classic Muslim name reflecting one of the ninety-nine attributes of Allah.

Pretty and feminine Muslim name popular in Egypt.

An Arabic name that can easily cross cultures. Janan might make a distinctive honor name for an ancestral Jan, Jane, or John.

Could be some disconnect between spelling and pronunciation.

This female form of Qadir represents one of the ninety-nine attributes of Allah.

Zahira is the feminine form of Zahir. Some may relate it to the more familiar Zahara.

Soft, sultry resonance.

Eliya may be thought of as a female variation on the popular Biblical boys' name Elijah or a spelling variation of the popular girls' name Aliyah. It may not rank among the US Top 1000 and it may cause some spelling and pronunciation confusion, but it does have genuine roots as a name.

Could cause pronunciation problems.

Fashion designer surname that could make a dynamic first.