Muslim names, boy and girl, suggestions needed!

General Name Discussion
1

Hello all, I need your help with some suggestions. My husband and I have been discussing names and he’s now mentioned that he’d like to name the baby something that is reflective of his heritage (I don’t identify much with my heritage and so I’m happy to look at names that he can find meaning in in that respect…he did mention if we could find something reflective of both that’d be even better though lol)

He is Guyanese ([name_f]Indian[/name_f]) and was raised Muslim, although he is no longer practicing, it still forms a large part of his heritage. So my first request is suggestions of names that would be considered Muslim/Arabic (and I know that not all Arabs are Muslims etc and one could argue that there aren’t even any “Muslim” names per se, but I don’t want to get into that conversation please! lol)

My family background is Dutch and Italian with a bit of English and [name_m]French[/name_m] thrown in for good measure apparently lol. I was raised Catholic, but am not practicing either and it really doesn’t hold a lot of significance for me. I am a spiritually seeking person yes, but not religious. Same as my husband.

I mentioned my children’s names in a another thread but hesitate to do so now because my other children are from a previous marriage…I had kids very young and though I love their names entirely, it just doesn’t matter to me if this baby goes with the “sibset”…this child is a new leaf being turned for every member of our family and so I prefer to find a name that is “the” name without worry for how it sounds with the others…bearing that in mind, and for background or possibly to spark some creative ideas, their names are [name_m]Theron[/name_m] [name_u]Loki[/name_u], [name_f]Phaedra[/name_f] [name_f]Lily[/name_f] and [name_m]Bastian[/name_m] [name_m]Levi[/name_m]. My name is [name_f]Tanya[/name_f] and my husband is [name_u]Sacha[/name_u] and our last name is a very common Muslim surname.

If the baby is a girl, we will definitely honour my husband’s grandmother by using her name as a middle name (spelling to be determined) which is Zeleka.

[name_f]One[/name_f] more bit of criteria…my husband has mentioned, and I agree, that we don’t want the baby’s first name to be “too” ethnic (ie. [name_m]Muhammad[/name_m])

So far we both like one name that fits some of our criteria: [name_f]Layla[/name_f]…but it might be too common for me. My husband came up with a good idea for a boy, [name_m]Gabriel[/name_m], who is an angel in both Islam and Christianity…however I’m not sold…and it’s my uncle’s name…hmm

Wow I have an issue with being short and concise don’t I! lol sorry for my long winded posts…I am really stumped this time around! I’ll stop talking now. lol :wink:

2

[name_m]Hi[/name_m] there! I am by no means an expert in Muslim names, but here are a few that might fit:

Girls: [name_f]Aisha[/name_f], [name_f]Amina[/name_f], [name_f]Farah[/name_f], [name_f]Jamila[/name_f], [name_f]Nadia[/name_f], [name_f]Nisha[/name_f], [name_f]Noor[/name_f], [name_f]Yasmin[/name_f]. I also love [name_f]Zahra[/name_f], but [name_f]Zahra[/name_f] Zeleka might be too much.

Boys: Ayman, [name_m]Karim[/name_m]/[name_m]Kareem[/name_m], [name_m]Jaleel[/name_m], [name_m]Omar[/name_m], [name_m]Yusuf[/name_m], [name_u]Zaki[/name_u]

Ayman and [name_u]Zaki[/name_u] don’t seem overly “ethnic” to me, mostly because they are so similar to [name_m]Eamon[/name_m] (I’ve known several Eamons) and [name_m]Zach[/name_m]. [name_m]Omar[/name_m] is probably my favourite of them all. I’d be tempted to use it if we didn’t have a friend by that name who would probably think we’d named our kid after him!

3

The best place to find names that work for mixed Muslim/[name_m]Christian[/name_m]/Jewish households is in the old testament, because it’s the root of all three traditions. There are several names there that work very well cross-culturally.

[name_f]One[/name_f] of my favorite names of the moment is [name_f]Miriam[/name_f], and the common spelling for the Arabic translation is [name_f]Maryam[/name_f]. I have a good friend from Iran who is Muslim and she spells her name [name_f]Mariam[/name_f]. I think its so lovely, I have no idea why it’s not used more often.

Also my name ([name_f]Sarah[/name_f]), is used quite a in Muslim countries (and almost everywhere!). I took a trip to the UAE and Kuwait a few years ago and several people that I met mentioned that they had family members named [name_f]Sarah[/name_f]. It might be too common for you, but I’ve always loved it and it’s a wonderful cross-cultural name.

4

[name_f]Mariam[/name_f] was the first thing that came to my mind too!

[name_f]Aida[/name_f] (Eye-da, not [name_m]Ah[/name_m]-ee-da)
[name_f]Anisa[/name_f]
[name_f]Aziza[/name_f]
[name_f]Lila[/name_f]
[name_f]Salma[/name_f]
[name_f]Sana[/name_f]
[name_f]Senna[/name_f]
[name_f]Zara[/name_f]
[name_f]Zora[/name_f]

5

It will be very difficult to find a Muslim name that isn’t too “ethnic”. Most Muslim names come from the name [name_m]Muhammad[/name_m], his family, historical figures or positive attributes.

Boys

[name_m]Ahmad[/name_m]
[name_u]Ali[/name_u]
Farid
[name_m]Khalil[/name_m]
[name_m]Zain[/name_m]
[name_m]Omar[/name_m]
[name_m]Adil[/name_m]
[name_m]Tariq[/name_m]
[name_m]Nasir[/name_m]
[name_m]Malik[/name_m]
[name_u]Salim[/name_u]
[name_u]Taj[/name_u]
Samman
[name_m]Tabari[/name_m]
[name_u]Zahir[/name_u]
Hisham
Maimun
Khayri
[name_m]Mousa[/name_m]
[name_m]Hussain[/name_m]
Lukman
[name_m]Shakir[/name_m]
[name_m]Hamza[/name_m]
[name_m]Ismail[/name_m] ([name_m]Ismael[/name_m])
[name_m]Ibrahim[/name_m] ([name_m]Abraham[/name_m])
[name_m]Sulaiman[/name_m] ([name_m]Solomon[/name_m])
[name_m]Jibril[/name_m] ([name_m]Gabriel[/name_m])
[name_m]Haroun[/name_m] ([name_m]Aaron[/name_m])
Dawud/[name_m]Daoud[/name_m] ([name_m]David[/name_m])
[name_m]Yusuf[/name_m]/[name_m]Youssef[/name_m] ([name_m]Joseph[/name_m])
[name_m]Yushua[/name_m] ([name_m]Joshua[/name_m])
Hashim
[name_m]Mansur[/name_m]
[name_m]Naim[/name_m]
[name_m]Latif[/name_m]
[name_m]Khalid[/name_m]
[name_m]Idris[/name_m]
Munir
[name_m]Farouk[/name_m]
[name_m]Altair[/name_m]
[name_m]Hassan[/name_m]
[name_m]Yahya[/name_m]
Suhail
Nizam
[name_m]Rashid[/name_m]
[name_m]Amir[/name_m]
[name_m]Abdul[/name_m]
[name_m]Hakim[/name_m]
Ghazi
Asadel
[name_m]Nadim[/name_m]
[name_m]Rafiq[/name_m]
[name_m]Rahul[/name_m]
Basim
[name_m]Faisal[/name_m]

Girls

[name_f]Iman[/name_f]
[name_f]Rania[/name_f]
[name_f]Noor[/name_f]
[name_f]Nadia[/name_f]
[name_f]Faiza[/name_f]
[name_f]Asma[/name_f]
[name_f]Amira[/name_f]
[name_f]Aisha[/name_f]
Basma
[name_f]Adara[/name_f]
[name_m]Abir[/name_m]
[name_f]Bahira[/name_f]
[name_f]Atia[/name_f]
[name_m]Hanan[/name_m]
Hind
Huda
Hafsah
Firyal
[name_f]Rida[/name_f]
Fatin
[name_m]Amal[/name_m]
[name_u]Janan[/name_u]
Lamis
Muna
[name_f]Maryam[/name_f]
Maha
[name_f]Maysa[/name_f]
Nida
[name_f]Rima[/name_f]/Reem
[name_f]Sana[/name_f]
[name_f]Thana[/name_f]
Yusra
[name_f]Sabah[/name_f]
Rukan
[name_f]Tahira[/name_f]
[name_f]Zafira[/name_f]
[name_f]Yasmin[/name_f]
[name_f]Zahra[/name_f]
[name_f]Mahala[/name_f]
[name_f]Alia[/name_f]
Ghada

6

If you’re okay with Arabic names that aren’t specifically Muslim, [name_m]Laith[/name_m] is one of my favorites. It means lion in Arabic.

7

[name_f]One[/name_f] of my favorite names is Falak, which means star. It’s cute and I don’t think it’s very uncommon.

8

Sakina is a name I was unfamiliar with until I spoke with one for work purposes. After speaking with her (and yes, I did tell her how beautiful I thought it was!), I looked it up. It is extremely lovely with just as beautiful a meaning. Although not listed on Nameberry, it definitely has the kind of background you are looking for without too much “ethicity”. Sakina Zeleka is quite gorgeous. Sorry, I don’t have any boy suggestions, but I’m definitely partial to [name_m]Gabriel[/name_m]!

[name_f]Happy[/name_f] [name_m]New[/name_m]-Leafing :wink:

9

I have no real Muslim or Arab heritage, so I may not be the best source, but I’ve studied the Arabic language for a while and have therefore become familiar with a lot of the names. I paid the most attention to the girl names, so I’ll probably stick with examples of them. Your best bet is to research a little yourself, but I can give you a few possibilities I like that come from Arab culture without sounding too ethnic.

I personally like the name you mentioned, [name_f]Layla[/name_f], a lot. I also like Zhara/[name_f]Zara[/name_f], but the sound of [name_f]Zara[/name_f] Zeleka would depend on your taste. I like it, but some others might not. A few others for girls I like:

[name_f]Maryam[/name_f]/[name_f]Miriam[/name_f]
[name_f]Jamila[/name_f]
[name_f]Yasmin[/name_f]
[name_f]Samira[/name_f]/Zamira
[name_f]Zaina[/name_f] (I have a friend with this name and she was raised Muslim)
Sumayya (my first Arabic teacher’s name)
[name_f]Qadira[/name_f]
[name_f]Nadia[/name_f]
Muna
[name_f]Farrah[/name_f]
[name_f]Ameerah[/name_f]/[name_f]Amira[/name_f]
[name_f]Ameenah[/name_f]/[name_f]Amina[/name_f]
[name_f]Almira[/name_f]
Aneesa
[name_m]Qamar[/name_m]
Basima
Dimah
[name_f]Adara[/name_f]

I can also suggest a few options for boys:

[name_m]Jamil[/name_m]/[name_m]Jamal[/name_m]
[name_m]Ebrahim[/name_m] (a friend of mine who is Muslim has this name)
[name_m]Abdul[/name_m]
[name_m]Abdallah[/name_m]
[name_m]Basul[/name_m]
[name_m]Faisal[/name_m]
[name_m]Anwar[/name_m]
[name_m]Amir[/name_m]
[name_m]Ammiras[/name_m]
[name_m]Hamal[/name_m]
[name_m]Ismail[/name_m]
[name_m]Malik[/name_m]
[name_m]Nasser[/name_m]
[name_m]Omar[/name_m]
[name_m]Sulaiman[/name_m]
[name_m]Yusuf[/name_m]
[name_m]Yushua[/name_m]
[name_m]Zayd[/name_m]/[name_m]Zaid[/name_m]
[name_u]Zaki[/name_u]

10

There’s a lot of beautiful Arabic names that I really love and totally would use if I had some sort of connection to an Arabic country/Arabic culture. I don’t know how popular/old-fashioned these names are though, I just think these names are really beautiful :slight_smile:

Boys:
Ashraf
Eisa
Hamdan
[name_m]Hamzah[/name_m]
Hashem
Hashim
Khaled
Khalifa
[name_m]Majid[/name_m]
[name_m]Rashid[/name_m]
[name_f]Reza[/name_f]
Sajid
Yasin

Girls:
[name_f]Aisha[/name_f]
[name_f]Alia[/name_f]
[name_m]Al[/name_m] [name_f]Jalila[/name_f]
Azra
Basmah
Fahdah
[name_f]Farida[/name_f]
[name_f]Fatima[/name_f]
Haalah
[name_f]Haya[/name_f]
[name_f]Iman[/name_f]
[name_f]Jalilah[/name_f]
[name_f]Khadijah[/name_f]
[name_f]Mahra[/name_f]
[name_f]Maryam[/name_f]
[name_f]Noor[/name_f]
Raiyah
[name_f]Rajaa[/name_f]
Rayet
[name_f]Salma[/name_f]
[name_f]Yara[/name_f]
Zainab

11

Thanks for your reply…I think I will add [name_f]Amina[/name_f], [name_f]Nadia[/name_f] and [name_f]Zahra[/name_f] to my list :slight_smile:

12

[name_f]Miriam[/name_f]/[name_f]Maryam[/name_f] and [name_f]Sarah[/name_f] are pretty names but I have too many associations with [name_f]Mary[/name_f]'s and [name_f]Sarah[/name_f]'s for the names to sound fresh for me. :wink:

13

[name_f]Zara[/name_f] and [name_f]Lila[/name_f] are cute :slight_smile:

14

I do find the boys names much more difficult, you are right :S I’ve added [name_f]Adara[/name_f] to my list though :slight_smile:

15

[name_f]Adara[/name_f] and [name_m]Gabriel[/name_m]. [name_m]Gabriel[/name_m] said with an arabic accent (which neither my partner or I possess) is the most beautiful sound I have ever heard. جبرائيل Jibr”ʾīl
In high school many of the students were Arab, and I’d ask them to tell me a little of the Islamic stories they knew. They explained that [name_m]Gabriel[/name_m] appeared to a man in a cave as a beam of light and gave him a message.
I sort of think the whole thing sounded like a metaphor for energy, the energy the universe is comprised of. So I think the name is really meaningful even though I’m atheist and normally don’t go for abrahamic names.
Saying Jibr”ʾīl or [name_m]Gabriel[/name_m] lovingly is such a wonderful sound.

16

I can’t claim any knowledge of Arabic names beyond an appreciation for culture and a childhood friend whose Russian father was a professor of ancient Arabic literature. But one name that I remember is Qays (pronounce like case), from the love story and poem “Majnun [name_f]Layla[/name_f]” meaning “Possessed by madness for [name_f]Layla[/name_f]”. Qays and [name_f]Layla[/name_f] fall in love but her father did not approve of Qays and [name_f]Layla[/name_f] was forced to marry another man. Qays went mad from heartbreak and ran away from the tribe and wandered the desert writing poems of love for [name_f]Layla[/name_f] in the sand. Sometime later, [name_f]Layla[/name_f] died, some say of heartbreak, and Qays was found dead beside her grave were he had carved his final poem for [name_f]Layla[/name_f] on a rock. (It’s kind of like [name_m]Romeo[/name_m] and [name_f]Juliet[/name_f] without the suicide.) I believe Qays means “firm” or “lover” in Arabic, though I’m not sure.

Also, the other archangel to appear in the Quran, is [name_m]Michael[/name_m] (ميخائيل, [name_m]Mikhail[/name_m] ميكائيل, [name_m]Mikael[/name_m]). Though, [name_m]Michael[/name_m] is one of the most common names so I don’t know how you’d feel about that. Perhaps the diminutive [name_u]Misha[/name_u] would help distinguish him from other Michaels?

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