32 Arabic Baby Names and Their Meanings
You’re pregnant and you have to start thinking about a name for your child? Whether you know the future sex of your baby or not, we suggest you take a look at a list of Arabic baby names and their meanings, to widen your choices.
These types of names are always in style and are used all over the world. Moreover, they have very special meanings. The richness of the Arabic language is present in each and every one. For example, there are more than 100 names inspired by the word lion, such as Laith, one of the most popular. There are also many names of flowers, feelings, qualities, and also of religious origin.
Imagine if your son could be named after an Arab king or your girl after a princess! Like the idea? Keep reading!
List of Arabic baby names and their meaning
Arabic names for boys
- Abdul: Comes from the Arabic language words abdu llah, which translates as “servant of Allah”. All names beginning with abdul or abdel refer to the same thing, such as Abdel Azîm, servant of the Mighty One, Abdel Ghaffâr, “servant of the forgiving”, or Abdel Haqq, “servant of Truth”.
- Daysam: This name refers to the ‘dark night’.
- Farid: Its meaning is “incomparable or unique”. We can also find it in its variations Faryd or Fareed.
- Hassan: This name means “beautiful”. It was the name of the grandson of the prophet Mohammed, so it’s very popular in Islamic culture.
- Ibrahim: Means “father of many” or “father of the people”. It is the Arabic variant of Abraham.
- Jamal: Comes from the Arabic word jamari, which means “beautiful, handsome”.
- Khalil: Means “greatness and superiority”, although it’s sometimes translated as “friend”.
- Omar: Means “He of long life”. This name also refers to “orator or great speaker”.
- Said: Originally spelled Sa’id, meaning “fortunate” and “happy”. In Spanish or French, its variation is Felix.
- Mohamed: This name means “the one who deserves to be praised”. It comes from the prophet Mohammed, who was one of the founders of Islam.
- Nadir: Means “strange, rare, unique”. Historically, the name was masculine but is now used for both sexes.
- Nasim: Masculine name meaning “fresh air”.
- Rabi: Related to an element of nature; its meaning is “spring breeze”.
- Usama: Means “lion”.
- Walid: This name has been used by many caliphs and, therefore, is very popular. It comes from the word walada, which translates as “to be born”.
- Yusuf: Is the Arabic variant of Joseph.
Names for girls
- Aisha: Is the name of the last queen of Granada and has several meanings, including “alive”, “life” and “joyful”.
- Amira: Comes from amîr, which is interpreted as “prince”; in its feminine version, it means “princess”.
- Aneesa: This name means “good companion” or also “woman friend”.
- Basima: The meaning of this name is “smiling”.
- Fatima: Means “unique” or “singular maiden”. The name is widely used in Arabic culture because Fatima was the youngest daughter of Mohammed and among Christians because of the popularity of Our Lady of Fatima.
- Fairuz: Means “emerald”.
- Farah: In Arabic, this name means “joy”, “happiness”, and “light”.
- Hana: Means “happiness” and “peace”. It’s believed to be an abbreviated variant of Johana.
- Hanin: A girl’s name meaning “nostalgia”.
- Jalila: Means “outstanding” or “important”.
- Janani: Means “heart” or “soul”. It has many variations, such as Janan, Jananyah, Jananee, Janania, Jananie, Janany, and Jananya.
- Kalila: Feminine name that refers to a “loved” and “very dear” woman.
- Nayla: Means “she who triumphs”.
- Sadira: Comes from the Arabic word referring to a lotus tree, but is also believed to mean “dreamer”.
- Yasmin: Undoubtedly one of the most popular and beautiful Arabic baby names because of its meaning, as it means “beautiful like the Jasmine flower”. Its variants are Jasmine and Jasmin.
- Yassira: Means “easy” or also “forgiving”.
Why choose Arabic baby names?
Many Arabic names are inspired by elements of nature, plants, animals, and religion. They’re also bearers of a distinctive musicality and many parents choose them because they sound very sweet and harmonious.
If you like to innovate, Arabic names are a great choice! A good way to find the right one for your baby is to pronounce it repeatedly and combine it with your last name.
Choosing an Arabic baby name from this list will help you in your search, but you should know that you have other options, such as names related to literature, geography, or movies. Also, if you prefer, you can make your choice according to your favorite letter of the alphabet.
In any case, we recommend that you look for a name for your baby carefully and do it calmly, taking advantage of your entire pregnancy. Keep in mind that the name will be your first gift to your baby and that they’ll carry it with them forever.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Salazar, S. (2016). El gran libro de los nombres para tu bebé Guía ilustrada de nombres para niño y niña. Barcelona: Planeta.
- Tomás de Antonio, CM (1989). El nombre propio en la lengua árabe. Miscelánea de estudios árabes y hebraicos , 38 . Recuperado de https://digibug.ugr.es/handle/10481/33909