Female names
A working reference list with meanings and notes.
This is an alphabetical reference of common Arabic female names. For how Arabic naming works as a system, see how Arabic names are structured. For why "Aisha" and "Ayesha" and "Aicha" are the same name, see transliteration. Multiple common spellings are shown where they exist.
A
Aaliya / Alia — "high, exalted"
عالية
ʿaaliya
Feminine of ʿaalii.
Aamina / Amina — "trustworthy, safe"
آمنة
aamina
Mother of the Prophet Muhammad.
Abeer — "fragrance"
عبير
ʿabiir
Aida — "visitor, returning"
عائدة
ʿaa'ida
Aisha / Ayesha / Aicha — "alive, living"
عائشة
ʿaa'isha
Wife of the Prophet.
Amal — "hope"
أمل
amal
Amani — "wishes, aspirations"
أماني
amaanii
Plural of umniya.
Amira / Ameera — "princess"
أميرة
amiira
Asiya — "consoling, comforter"
آسية
aasiya
The wife of Pharaoh in the Quran who raised Moses.
Asma — "exalted, noble"
أسماء
asmaa'
Daughter of Abu Bakr.
Asrar — "secrets"
أسرار
asraar
Ayat — "signs, verses"
آيات
aayaat
Aziza — "powerful, beloved"
عزيزة
ʿaziiza
Feminine of ʿaziiz.
B
Badriya — "full-mooned"
بدرية
badriyya
Root b-d-r.
Bahar — "spring"
بهار
bahaar
Persian-origin; common across the region.
Basma — "smile"
بسمة
basma
Bushra — "good news"
بشرى
bushraa
D
Dalia / Dahlia — "vine, dahlia"
داليا
daaliyaa
Dunya — "world, life"
دنيا
dunyaa
F
Fadia — "redeemer, ransomer"
فادية
faadiya
Fadwa — "self-sacrifice"
فدوى
fadwaa
Faiza — "victorious"
فائزة
faa'iza
Farah — "joy"
فرح
faraH
Faten — "captivating"
فاتن
faatin
Fatima / Fatma / Fatimah — "weaning, abstaining"
فاطمة
faaTima
Daughter of the Prophet.
Fatin — "captivating, alluring"
فاتن
faatin
Fawzia — "victorious"
فوزية
fawziyya
Ferial — "festive, joyful"
فريال
faryaal
Firdaws / Firdous — "paradise"
فردوس
firdaws
Persian-origin; the highest level of paradise in Islamic tradition.
G
Ghada — "graceful"
غادة
ghaada
H
Habiba — "beloved"
حبيبة
Habiiba
Hadia / Hadiya — "guide, gift"
هادية / هدية
haadiya / hadiyya
Two slightly different roots and senses.
Hafsa — "young lioness"
حفصة
HafSa
Wife of the Prophet.
Halima — "gentle, patient"
حليمة
Haliima
Halima al-Sa'diyya, wet nurse of the Prophet.
Hana — "happiness"
هناء
hanaa'
Hanan — "compassion, tenderness"
حنان
Hanaan
Hanin — "longing, yearning"
حنين
Haniin
Hasna — "beautiful"
حسناء
Hasnaa'
Hayat — "life"
حياة
Hayaat
Heba / Hiba — "gift"
هبة
hiba
Hind — name of the type "Indian"
هند
hind
Pre-Islamic name; also "India."
Huda / Hoda — "guidance"
هدى
hudaa
I
Ibtisam — "smile"
ابتسام
ibtisaam
Iman — "faith"
إيمان
iimaan
Imtinan — "gratitude"
امتنان
imtinaan
Inas — "friendliness"
إيناس
iinaas
Iqbal — "advance, prosperity"
إقبال
iqbaal
Used for both genders in some regions.
Israa — "night journey"
إسراء
israa'
The Prophet's night journey.
J
Jamila — "beautiful"
جميلة
jamiila
Jana — "harvest, fruit"
جنى
janaa
K
Karima — "generous"
كريمة
kariima
Feminine of Karim.
Khadija — "premature child" (traditional gloss)
خديجة
khadiija
First wife of the Prophet.
Khawla — "gazelle"
خولة
khawla
L
Lamis — "soft to the touch"
لميس
lamiis
Lamya — "with dark lips"
لمياء
lamyaa'
Lara — "light, sea bird" (origin debated)
لارا
laaraa
Modern, possibly non-Arabic origin.
Latifa — "gentle, kind"
لطيفة
laTiifa
Layla / Leila — "night"
ليلى
laylaa
Layla and Majnun.
Leen — "softness"
لين
liin
Lina — "tender, soft"
لينا
liinaa
Lubna — "storax tree"
لبنى
lubnaa
M
Maha — "wild cow, gazelle"
مها
mahaa
Used for "beautiful eyes."
Maisa — "graceful walker"
ميساء
maysaa'
Malak — "angel"
ملاك
malak
Malika — "queen"
ملكة
malika
Manal — "attainment, achievement"
منال
manaal
Mariam / Maryam — "Mary"
مريم
maryam
The Virgin Mary; very common across Christian and Muslim Arabs.
May — "stately walk"
مي
mayy
Maysoon / Maysoun — "of beautiful face and stature"
ميسون
maysuun
Mona / Muna — "wishes, hopes"
منى
munaa
Plural of umniya.
N
Nada — "morning dew, generosity"
ندى
nadaa
Nadia — "caller, herald"
نادية
naadiya
Nadira — "rare, precious"
نادرة
naadira
Nahla — "drink of water, bee"
نهلة
nahla
Naila — "achiever"
نائلة
naa'ila
Najla — "wide-eyed"
نجلاء
najlaa'
Najwa — "confidential talk"
نجوى
najwaa
Nawal — "gift"
نوال
nawaal
Nesma / Nasma — "breeze"
نسمة
nasma
Nidal — "struggle"
نضال
niDaal
Also used as a male name.
Nisrin — "wild rose"
نسرين
nisriin
Persian-origin.
Noor / Nour — "light"
نور
nuur
Also used as a male name in some regions.
Nora — "light"
نورة
nuura
Common in the Gulf.
Nuha — "intelligence, wisdom"
نهى
nuhaa
R
Rabia — "spring, fourth"
رابعة
raabiʿa
Rabia al-Adawiyya, 8th-c. mystic.
Rahma — "mercy"
رحمة
raHma
Raja — "hope"
رجاء
rajaa'
Rana — "to gaze at"
رنا
ranaa
Rania — "queen-like, gazing"
رانية
raaniya
Rasha — "young gazelle"
رشا
rashaa
Reem / Rim — "white antelope"
ريم
riim
Rola — "diminutive form"
رولا
roolaa
Ruba — "hills, heights"
ربى
rubaa
S
Saadia — "happy, fortunate"
سعدية
saʿdiyya
Sabah — "morning"
صباح
SabaaH
Safiya — "pure, chosen"
صفية
Safiyya
Wife of the Prophet.
Sahar — "dawn, before dawn"
سحر
saHar
Salma — "safe, peaceful"
سلمى
salmaa
Salwa — "consolation, solace"
سلوى
salwaa
Samah — "generosity, forgiveness"
سماح
samaaH
Samar — "evening conversation"
سمر
samar
Samia / Samiya — "elevated"
سامية
saamiya
Samira — "evening companion"
سميرة
samiira
Feminine of Samir.
Sara / Sarah — "Sarah"
سارة
saara
The biblical Sarah.
Sawsan — "lily"
سوسن
sawsan
Shahd — "honey"
شهد
shahd
Shahrazad / Scheherazade — "of noble lineage"
شهرزاد
shahrazaad
Of One Thousand and One Nights; Persian origin.
Shaima — "with a beauty mark"
شيماء
shaymaa'
Shams — "sun"
شمس
shams
Sherine / Shireen — "sweet"
شيرين
shiiriin
Persian origin.
Soraya / Suraya — "Pleiades"
ثريّا
thurayyaa
Suha — "name of a faint star"
سهى
suhaa
Sumaya / Sumaiya — "highly placed, sublime"
سمية
sumayya
Sumayya bint Khayyat, first martyr of Islam.
T
Tahani — "congratulations"
تهاني
tahaanii
Taghreed — "warbling, birdsong"
تغريد
taghriid
W
Wafa — "loyalty, faithfulness"
وفاء
wafaa'
Walaa — "loyalty, devotion"
ولاء
walaa'
Wardah — "rose"
وردة
warda
Widad — "love, friendship"
وداد
widaad
Y
Yasmin / Yasmeen / Jasmine — "jasmine"
ياسمين
yaasmiin
Persian origin.
Yumna — "right-side, fortunate"
يمنى
yumnaa
Z
Zahra — "shining, flower"
زهراء
zahraa'
Epithet of Fatima al-Zahra.
Zaina / Zayna — "beautiful"
زينة
zayna
Zaynab / Zainab — "ornamented tree"
زينب
zaynab
Daughter and granddaughter of the Prophet, both named Zaynab.
Zubaida — "essence, prime"
زبيدة
zubayda
Wife of Harun al-Rashid.