I had recently heard the name “[name_m]Anwar[/name_m]” and loved it! However, I searched it online and found out it is a Muslim (or Arabic) name. I am not Muslim, nor are any of my known family members. Would it be wrong to use a traditionally Muslim name?
I’m not well-versed on the subject and would never want to offend anyone, so any help would be appreciated!
[name_m]Anwar[/name_m] has become increasingly popular within different cultures as it’s the name of the brother of [name_f]Gigi[/name_f] Hadid
I like [name_m]Anwar[/name_m]. If I heard the name I would presume that the child was muslim, though, so it might be a little strange to people. In the middle spot it would be nice and unexpected.
If I heard of someone named [name_m]Anwar[/name_m], I would assume he is muslim. I agree that it may work as a middle name, not so much as a first, for me.
I think [name_m]Anwar[/name_m] would be okay to use, although like pp, I’d expect the child to be Arab, but I’d also probably expect it to be a boy’s name. It has an absolutely lovely meaning!
I commend your sensitivity to issues of cultural appropriation! Seriously, I think a lot of Berries don’t put enough thought into this, and it’s really important. As a general rule, if you’re white, it’s problematic to use a name from a culture that has been subjected to colonialism/Western imperialism. So while [name_m]Anwar[/name_m] is a lovely name with a lovely meaning, I’d say it’s off-limits.
Alternatives:
[name_m]Anders[/name_m]
[name_m]Ansel[/name_m]/[name_m]Anselm[/name_m]
[name_m]Anatol[/name_m]/[name_m]Anatoly[/name_m]
[name_m]Anton[/name_m]/[name_m]Antony[/name_m]
[name_f]Anwen[/name_f]
[name_u]Owen[/name_u]
[name_m]Gawen[/name_m]
Regardless it doesn’t work for a girl. I don’t think any ethnic name is off limits. Names are for anyone interested to use them.
I don’t think that you should be limited to certain names just because you are or aren’t of another religion, culture, ethnicity, etc.
[name_m]Anwar[/name_m] is a boy’s name so I wouldn’t use it on a girl. I think for the people who are familiar with [name_m]Anwar[/name_m] it’s known to be masculine.
Thank you to everyone who has replied! I should mention that I am not entirely sure of my ancestry, as I am a melting pot of various different ethnicities. But, being that I have no knowledge of whether I have Arabic in me, I think it is important to be sensitive when it comes to the topic of possible cultural appropriation.
It’s a lovely name, but I wouldn’t want to use it if it were offensive to anyone!
P.S. It is traditionally masculine, but I’ve heard of girls with the name as well! I am looking at it for a baby girl 
You could also consider ~
[name_f]Arwen[/name_f]
[name_u]Rowan[/name_u]
[name_f]Anais[/name_f]
[name_f]Anala[/name_f]
[name_f]Amaya[/name_f]
[name_f]Amara[/name_f]
[name_f]Rhoswen[/name_f]
[name_f]Tanwen[/name_f]
[name_f]Bronwen[/name_f]
[name_f]Anwen[/name_f]
[name_f]Mawar[/name_f]
I’ve only heard [name_m]Anwar[/name_m] on black [name_m]Christian[/name_m] or nonreligious men, so [name_m]Anwar[/name_m] doesn’t even read as Arab or Muslim to me. I think the bigger issue is that you want to use it for a girl. That seems like it would be doubly insulting to someone who feels that [name_m]Anwar[/name_m] should only be used on Arab or Muslim men.
I would not use it for a girl, especially for a non-Muslim/Arabic girl.
[name_m]Anwar[/name_m] is a male name so I wouldn’t recommend it for girls plus I don’t know if it is case for anyone but it isn’t a name with good ties for me.
I think it’s okay to use a name from another culture (particularly as a middle), but I think using [name_m]Anwar[/name_m] on the opposite gender could show a lack of research. I’d definitely keep it for a boy.
I agree with pp who have said that it doesnt seem ok to name a little girl [name_m]Anwar[/name_m]. [name_f]Anwen[/name_f] would be a more appropriate, similar choice. There’s also [name_f]Arwen[/name_f], Arsinoe, [name_f]Dagmar[/name_f]
For some reason I didn’t see that this post was on the Girls Names forum. Absolutely do not name a girl [name_m]Anwar[/name_m]! [name_f]Anwen[/name_f], [name_f]Arwen[/name_f], [name_u]Adair[/name_u], [name_f]Cinnabar[/name_f] or [name_f]Isamar[/name_f], [name_f]Sahar[/name_f], [name_u]Shamar[/name_u], [name_f]Tamar[/name_f]…there are a lot of soundalikes that you could use.
I think that for a girl it would be troublesome as it is generally known as a boys name (especially due to the rise in fame of [name_m]Anwar[/name_m] Hadid) so for a girl maybe have it as a middle name rather than a first. As for the cultural significance I wouldn’t consider it offensive in the least.
The name “Anwar” should’ve gained popularity on [name_f]November[/name_f] 24, 2022 because it was the day [name_m]Anwar[/name_m] bin [name_m]Ibrahim[/name_m] became the 10th Prime Minister of [name_f]Malaysia[/name_f]!