Arabic girl names such as Layla (“night”), Nur (“light”), Salma (“safe”), Yasmin (“jasmine”) and Amira run from everyday words to names from early Islamic history, and this list gives the Arabic script and a checked meaning for 147 names.
Most Arabic girl names are Arabic words with clear meanings: light, the moon, a rose, a pearl, joy, hope or mercy. Others honor women from early Islamic history, such as Khadija, Fatima and Zaynab, and many are feminine forms of familiar masculine names, such as Amira (Amir), Karima (Karim) and Jamila (Jamil).
We grouped the names by style: classics, names from early Islamic history, light and sky names, nature names, beautiful meanings, love and hope names, short names, feminine forms, names that travel well in English, and spelling variants. Along the way are plain notes on how Arabic names are built, why spellings vary, and how to say the names.
Key Takeaways
- Classic Arabic girl names include Layla (night), Salma (safe), Farah (joy, happiness), Huda (right guidance) and Malak (angel).
- Nur means light, Qamar means moon, Badr means full moon and Thurayya means the Pleiades.
- Many names are feminine forms of masculine names: Amira (Amir), Karima (Karim), Jamila (Jamil) and Habiba (Habib).
- Arabic can be romanized in several ways, so Nur, Noor and Nour, or Rim and Reem, are the same Arabic name.
- Khadija, Aisha, Fatima, Zaynab and Maryam are names borne by women in early Islamic history.
Table of Contents
Arabic Girl Names at a Glance
Quick Answer
Every gender, usage label, Arabic spelling and meaning on this page was checked against the name’s own entry on Behind the Name in October 2026. Where the reference says a meaning is uncertain or only possible, we say so. Names we could not verify this way are not on the list.
We start with names that many families already know and love. Most are ordinary Arabic words with warm meanings: night, safety, joy, faith, hope, mercy, calm, an angel, a pearl, the dawn. A few carry a story, too. Layla is the beloved in a famous old Arab tale, Zubaida was the name of a caliph’s wife in the 9th century, and Shahrazad is the storyteller of The 1001 Nights.
| Name | Arabic script | Usage (per Behind the Name) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Layla | ليلى | Arabic, English | “Night”; Layla is the beloved of the poet Qays (Majnun) in an old Arab tale, retold by the 12th-century Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi |
| Salma | سلمى | Arabic, Urdu and more | “Safe”, from salima, “to be safe” |
| Farah | فرح | Arabic, Persian and more (feminine and masculine) | “Joy, happiness”, from the root fariha, “to be happy” |
| Huda | هدى | Arabic | “Right guidance”, from the root hada, “to lead the right way, to guide” |
| Iman | إيمان | Arabic, Persian and more (feminine and masculine) | “Faith”; typically feminine in Arabic and masculine in Persian |
| Amal | أمل | Arabic (feminine and masculine) | “Hope, aspiration”, from the root amala, “to hope for” |
| Rahma | رحمة | Arabic, Indonesian | “Mercy, compassion” |
| Sakina | سكينة | Arabic, Urdu | “Calmness, peace” |
| Malak | ملك | Arabic (feminine and masculine) | “Angel” |
| Yara | يارا | Arabic | From Persian yar, “friend, helper” |
| Rania | رانية | Arabic | Alternate transcription of Raniya, possibly related to the Arabic root rana, “to gaze, to look intently” |
| Jumana | جمانة | Arabic | “Pearl” |
| Sahar | سحر | Arabic, Persian | “Dawn” |
| Zubaida | زبيدة | Arabic, Urdu | “Elite, prime, cream”; the name of a 9th-century wife of the Abbasid caliph Harun ar-Rashid |
| Shahrazad | شهرزاد | Persian (Rare), Arabic | Possibly Persian, “noble lineage”, or “child of the city”; the storyteller of The 1001 Nights |
A few notes on this table. Iman, “faith”, is typically feminine in Arabic and masculine in Persian, according to its entry, which is a good reminder that the same name can behave differently from one language to the next. Yara is listed as an Arabic name, but its entry traces it to Persian yar, “friend, helper”. Shahrazad’s entry gives two possible meanings and labels the name both Persian (rare) and Arabic. Layla’s entry also notes that the name became used in the English-speaking world after the 1970 song “Layla” by Derek and the Dominos, whose title was inspired by the medieval story.
If you are building a wider list, our main baby girl names guide covers names from many traditions.
How Arabic Names Work: Name Parts, Spelling and Script
Behind the Name describes Arabic names as names used in the Arab world, as well as some other regions within the larger Muslim world, and notes that they are not necessarily of Arabic origin, though most are. That is why a few names on this page, such as Yara, Warda and Fayruz, trace back to Persian or another Iranian language, and why Sarah, Hannah and Maryam have Hebrew roots.
A full Arabic name can have several parts. The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), in its 2018 guide to cataloging Arabic personal names, lists the classical elements:
- Ism: the given or personal name. Every name in the tables on this page is an ism.
- Kunya: a name that can use Umm, “mother of” (or Abu, “father of”), followed by another name. The IFLA guide notes it is not necessarily an indication of an actual relationship.
- Nasab: the particle ibn (“son of”) with the name of the father and/or grandfather.
- Laqab: a sobriquet, honorary title or epithet.
- Nisba: an attributive name formed by adding -i when romanized.
For modern names, the same guide says the given name is usually followed by the father’s name and sometimes the grandfather’s, frequently ending with a laqab or nisba. It also notes that the nasab has by and large disappeared, except in Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco, where it is preceded by the word ben rather than ibn. Customs vary from country to country and family to family, so if you are naming a baby within an Arabic-speaking family, the people who know your family’s pattern best are your relatives.
Transliterations vary. Arabic is written in its own script, and there is more than one standard way to write it in the Latin alphabet: the IFLA guide lists three romanization schemes. That is why you will see Nur, Noor and Nour, or Rim and Reem, for the same Arabic name. Behind the Name files many of these as “alternate transcriptions”, and we have a table of them below. Pick the spelling that best matches how your family says the name, and use it consistently.
We print the Arabic script exactly as each entry gives it. When an entry gives two Arabic spellings (Amina, Asiya, Salima and Thurayya, for example), both appear. On U.S. paperwork, accents and special characters are not always carried, so expect the Latin-letter spelling to be the one on most forms.
Names From Early Islamic History
Many Arabic girl names honor women from the early history of Islam: wives, daughters and companions of the Prophet Muhammad, and women from earlier prophetic stories. We describe each one only as its Behind the Name entry does, and we have kept the wording plain and factual. Families give these names for many reasons, and the meaning of a name to a family is theirs to decide.
| Name | Arabic script | Usage (per Behind the Name) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Khadija | خديجة | Arabic, Urdu, Bengali | “Premature child”; the Prophet Muhammad’s first wife, a merchant and widow, and the first person to convert to Islam |
| Aisha | عائشة | Arabic, Urdu and more | “Living, alive”; the name of Muhammad’s third wife, the daughter of Abu Bakr |
| Fatima | فاطمة | Arabic, Urdu and more | From faṭama, “to abstain, to wean”; a daughter of the Prophet Muhammad and the wife of Ali |
| Zaynab | زينب | Arabic | Meaning uncertain: possibly zayn, “beauty”, plus ab, “father”, a fragrant flowering tree, or a form of Zenobia; the name of a daughter, a granddaughter and two wives of the Prophet Muhammad |
| Hafsa | حفصة | Arabic, Urdu, Turkish | “Gathering”; a daughter of the caliph Umar and a wife of Muhammad |
| Ruqayya | رقيّة | Arabic | From ruqiy, “rise, ascent”, or ruqya, “spell, charm, incantation”; a daughter of the Prophet Muhammad |
| Sawda | سودة | Arabic | “Black”; a wife of the Prophet Muhammad who was said to have lived for a time in Abyssinia |
| Safiyya | صفيّة | Arabic | Feminine form of Safi, “pure”; one of the wives of the Prophet Muhammad |
| Rayhana | ريحانة | Arabic | “Basil”; a wife of the Prophet Muhammad |
| Halima | حليمة | Arabic, Urdu and more | Feminine form of Halim, “patient, tolerant, mild”; the foster mother of the Prophet Muhammad |
| Amina | آمنة, أمينة | Arabic, Urdu and more | From amina, “safe, secure”; the Prophet Muhammad’s mother |
| Sumayya | سميّة | Arabic | “High, elevated, lofty”; the first martyr for Islam |
| Nusayba | نسيبة | Arabic | Diminutive of Nasiba, the feminine form of Nasib, “noble”; Nusayba bint Ka’ab was a companion of the Prophet Muhammad |
| Khawla | خولة | Arabic | Possibly “gazelle, doe”; a female companion of the Prophet Muhammad |
| Arwa | أروى | Arabic | “Female ibex, mountain goat”; borne by relatives of the Prophet Muhammad and by a 12th-century queen of Yemen |
| Asiya | آسيا, آسية | Arabic, Urdu | Possibly from asiya, “to be distressed, to be grieved”; in Islamic tradition the wife of the pharaoh who cared for the infant Moses |
| Hajar | هاجر | Arabic, Persian, Malay | Arabic form of Hagar; in Islamic tradition the second wife of Ibrahim and the mother of Ismail |
| Hawwa | حوّاء | Arabic, Dhivehi | Arabic form of Eve |
| Maryam | مريم | Arabic, Persian and more | Arabic form of Miryam (see Mary), appearing in the Quran |
| Raabi’a | رابعة | Arabic | “Fourth”; borne by an 8th-century Sufi mystic from Basra |
Some of these names have meanings that may surprise English speakers. Khadija means “premature child” and Sawda means “black”. Zaynab’s meaning is uncertain: its entry offers three possibilities, from zayn, “beauty”, plus ab, “father”, to the name of a fragrant flowering tree, to an Arabic form of Zenobia, a pre-Islamic queen of Palmyra. Fatima comes from a word meaning “to abstain, to wean”. For many families, though, the meaning of these names lies mainly in the women who bore them.
Several names connect to figures shared with the Bible. Maryam is the Arabic form of Miryam (Mary) and appears in the Quran. Hawwa is the Arabic form of Eve, and Hajar the Arabic form of Hagar, who in Islamic tradition was the second wife of Ibrahim and the mother of Ismail. Asiya, in Islamic tradition, was the wife of the pharaoh who cared for the infant Moses. Our biblical girl names list covers the Hebrew and English forms of names such as Mary, Eve, Hagar and Sarah.
Two names in this table come from later history. Arwa was the name of a 12th-century queen of Yemen as well as of relatives of the Prophet Muhammad, and Raabi’a, “fourth”, was borne by an 8th-century Sufi mystic from Basra in Iraq.
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Names That Mean Light, Moon, Stars and Sky
The sky is a rich source of Arabic girl names: light, the moon and the full moon, a halo around the moon, a star, the Pleiades, the sun, morning, dawn and radiance. Several of these entries are listed for both girls and boys.
| Name | Arabic script | Usage (per Behind the Name) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nur | نور | Arabic, Turkish and more (feminine and masculine) | “Light”; in Islamic tradition al-Nur is one of the 99 names of Allah |
| Nura | نورة, نورا | Arabic | Strictly feminine form of Nur, “light” |
| Qamar | قمر | Arabic, Urdu (feminine and masculine) | “Moon” |
| Badr | بدر | Arabic (feminine and masculine) | “Full moon” |
| Hala | هالة | Arabic | “Halo around the moon”; a sister-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad |
| Najma | نجمة | Arabic, Urdu | Feminine form of Najm, “star” |
| Thurayya | ثريّا, ثريّة | Arabic | “The Pleiades”, a group of stars in the constellation Taurus |
| Shams | شمس | Arabic, Persian and more (feminine and masculine) | “Sun”; also a pre-Islamic Arabian goddess of the sun |
| Duha | ضحى | Arabic (feminine and masculine) | “Morning” |
| Fajr | فجر | Arabic | “Dawn, beginning”; also the name of the daily morning prayer |
| Sabah | صباح | Arabic, Turkish (feminine and masculine) | “Morning”, related to a root meaning “to be beautiful, to be radiant” |
| Sanaa | سناء | Arabic | “Brilliance, radiance, splendour”, from a root meaning “to gleam, to shine” |
| Munira | منيرة | Arabic | Feminine form of Munir, “bright, shining” |
| Lamia | لامعة | Arabic | “Shining, radiant” |
| Sama | سماء | Arabic | “Sky” |
| Alya | علياء | Arabic, Indonesian and more | “Sky, heaven, loftiness” |
| Suha | سها | Arabic | “Forgotten, overlooked”; al-Suha (Alcor) is a star in Ursa Major |
Nur, “light”, is one of the best-known names here, and its entry notes that in Islamic tradition al-Nur is one of the 99 names of Allah. Nura is its strictly feminine form, and you will find the spellings Nour, Noura and Nora later on the page. Sanaa, “brilliance, radiance, splendour”, Munira, “bright, shining”, and Lamia, “shining, radiant”, carry the same bright feeling. For more ideas in this style from other languages, see our names that mean light.
For the moon, Qamar means “moon”, Badr means “full moon”, and Hala means “halo around the moon”; Hala was also the name of a sister-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad. Our names that mean moon list gathers moon names from many languages. For stars, Najma is the feminine form of Najm, “star”, and Thurayya means “the Pleiades”, a group of stars in the constellation Taurus. Suha is an interesting case: the name itself means “forgotten, overlooked”, but al-Suha, also called Alcor, is the name of a star in Ursa Major. See our names that mean star for more.
Shams means “sun”, and its entry notes that it was also the name of a pre-Islamic Arabian goddess of the sun. Duha and Sabah both mean “morning”, and Fajr means “dawn, beginning”; its entry adds that Fajr is the name of a daily prayer recited in the morning by observant Muslims.
Nature Names: Flowers, Gems and Gazelles
These names come from flowers and fragrant plants, gems and pearls, desert animals and the land itself.
| Name | Arabic script | Usage (per Behind the Name) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warda | وردة | Arabic | “Rose”, ultimately borrowed from an Iranian language |
| Juri | جوري | Arabic | “Damask rose” |
| Zahra | زهرة | Arabic, Urdu | “Blooming flower, splendour”, from a root meaning “to shine, to bloom” |
| Nawra | نورة | Arabic | “Flower, blossom” |
| Yasmin | ياسمين | Arabic, Hebrew and more | “Jasmine”, derived from Persian yasamin |
| Lubna | لبنى | Arabic, Urdu, Bengali | “Storax tree”; Lubna and Qays are a couple in a 7th-century Arabic tale |
| Abir | عبير | Arabic | “Scent, fragrance” |
| Marwa | مروة | Arabic | From marw, “pebbles, flint”, also a fragrant plant; al-Marwa is one of the two sacred hills near Mecca |
| Fayruz | فيروز | Arabic | “Turquoise (gemstone)”, ultimately of Persian origin |
| Lulu | لؤلؤ | Arabic | “Pearls” |
| Rim | ريم | Arabic | “White antelope” |
| Maha | مها | Arabic | “Oryx”, an antelope said to represent beauty |
| Rasha | رشا | Arabic | “Young gazelle” |
| Ruba | ربى | Arabic | “Hill” |
| Jinan | جنان | Arabic (feminine and masculine) | “Garden” or “paradise” |
| Janna | جنّة | Arabic | “Paradise, garden” |
| Shahd | شهد | Arabic | “Honey” |
| Nada | ندى | Arabic | “Dew, moisture, generosity” |
Flower names include Warda, “rose”, Juri, “damask rose”, Zahra, “blooming flower, splendour”, Nawra, “flower, blossom”, and Yasmin, “jasmine”. Yasmin’s entry notes that in modern times it has also been used in the western world as an Arabic-influenced variant of Jasmine. Zahra’s entry points out that a separate name, written with a different Arabic spelling, is also romanized Zahra. For more botanical names from many languages, see our flower names guide.
Fayruz means “turquoise (gemstone)” and Lulu means “pearls” (and Jumana, in the first table, means “pearl”). Rim and Rasha are both antelope names, “white antelope” and “young gazelle”, and Maha means “oryx”, an antelope that, per its entry, is said to represent beauty. Ruba, “hill”, and Nada, “dew, moisture, generosity”, are quieter picks. Jinan and Janna both mean “garden” or “paradise”.
Marwa’s entry gives two senses: it comes from a word meaning “pebbles, flint” and is also the name of a fragrant plant, and al-Marwa is one of the two sacred hills near Mecca. Lubna, “storax tree”, has a love story attached: according to a 7th-century Arabic tale, Lubna and Qays were a couple forced to divorce by Qays’s father.
Beautiful Arabic Girl Names With Meaning
If “beautiful” is the brief, these names say it outright. Their meanings describe beauty, grace, softness or something precious.
| Name | Arabic script | Usage (per Behind the Name) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hasna | حسناء | Arabic | “Beauty”, from a root meaning “to be beautiful, to be good” |
| Husna | حسنى | Arabic | “More beautiful” |
| Ghada | غادة | Arabic | “Graceful woman” |
| Zarifa | ظريفة | Arabic | From zarif, “elegant, graceful, charming” |
| Nafisa | نفيسة | Arabic | “Precious, valuable” |
| Ghaliya | غالية | Arabic | “Precious, valuable” |
| Malika | ملكة | Arabic | “Queen”, the feminine form of Malik |
| Kanza | كنزة | Arabic | From kanz, “treasure” |
| Maysa | ميساء | Arabic | From mays, “proud bearing, walking with a proud gait” |
| Layan | ليان | Arabic | “Soft, delicate” |
| Lamis | لميس | Arabic | “Soft” |
| Rahaf | رهف | Arabic | “Delicate, fine, thin” |
Hasna means “beauty” and Husna “more beautiful”. Ghada means “graceful woman”, and Zarifa comes from a word meaning “elegant, graceful, charming”. Nafisa and Ghaliya both mean “precious, valuable”, and Kanza comes from kanz, “treasure”. Malika means “queen”. Layan, Lamis and Rahaf all describe softness or delicacy. Jamila, “beautiful”, and Zayna, “beauty, grace”, are in the feminine forms table below. Our names that mean beautiful list has more from other languages.
A second group of names describes a feeling or a hope for a child rather than a look: love, loyalty, comfort, care, inspiration, a smile, good news, ease, mercy, dreams and wishes.
| Name | Arabic script | Usage (per Behind the Name) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Widad | وداد | Arabic | “Love” |
| Wafa | وفاء | Arabic | “Loyalty, faithfulness” |
| Salwa | سلوى | Arabic | “Comfort, solace” |
| Inaya | عناية | Arabic, Urdu | “Care, concern” |
| Ilham | إلهام | Arabic, Indonesian, Uyghur (feminine and masculine) | “Inspiration” |
| Ibtisam | ابتسام | Arabic | “A smile” |
| Basma | بسمة | Arabic | “Smile” |
| Bushra | بشرى | Arabic, Urdu | “Good news” |
| Yusra | يسرى, يسرا | Arabic | “Wealth, ease” |
| Hanan | حنان | Arabic | “Mercy, compassion” |
| Raghad | رغد | Arabic | “Prosperity, affluence, comfort” |
| Ahlam | أحلام | Arabic | “Dreams” |
| Amani | أماني | Arabic | “Wishes” |
| Kawthar | كوثر | Arabic | “Abundance”; also the name of the 108th chapter of the Quran |
| Najwa | نجوى | Arabic | “Secret, whisper, confidential talk” |
| Maymuna | ميمونة | Arabic (Rare) | “Auspicious, blessed, favorable” |
| Hiba | هبة | Arabic | “Gift”, from wahaba, “to give” |
Basma and Ibtisam both mean “smile”. Bushra means “good news”, a lovely choice for a long-awaited baby, and so does Hiba, “gift”. If you are looking for an Arabic name that means blessing, Maymuna means “auspicious, blessed, favorable”; its entry labels it Arabic (rare). Kawthar means “abundance”, and its entry notes that it is also the name of the 108th chapter of the Quran. Ahlam, “dreams”, and Amani, “wishes”, make a gentle pair for sisters.
Several of these names come from verbs, and Behind the Name usually gives the root word. Yusra, “wealth, ease”, comes from a word meaning “to be easy, to be rich”, and Hiba from wahaba, “to give”. Reading the full entry can help you explain your choice to family and friends.
Short Arabic Names for Girls
Each of these names has three or four letters in the Latin alphabet, which makes them easy to spell and easy to pair with a longer middle name.
| Name | Arabic script | Usage (per Behind the Name) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aya | آية | Arabic | “Sign, evidence”, referring to a sign of the divine; also “verse” of the Quran |
| Dana | دانا | Persian, Arabic (feminine and masculine) | “Wise” in Persian |
| Dina | دينا | Arabic | Possibly from din, “religion” |
| Haya | هيا | Arabic | “Hurry, come quickly” |
| Rana | رنا | Arabic | “To gaze, to look intently” |
| Muna | منى | Arabic | “Wishes, desires” |
| Lina | لينا | Arabic, Turkish | “Soft, tender”; also possibly a type of palm tree |
| Afaf | عفاف | Arabic | “Chastity” |
| Hana | هناء | Arabic, Bosnian | “Bliss, happiness” |
Aya means “sign, evidence”, referring to a sign of the divine, and also “verse”, as in one of the passages of the Quran. Dana is listed as Persian and Arabic and means “wise” in Persian. Dina’s meaning is only possibly from din, “religion”, per its entry. Hana means “bliss, happiness” and Lina “soft, tender”. Note that several short names from other languages share these spellings with different origins: Behind the Name has separate entries for other names spelled Dana, Dina, Hana and Lina, and we used the Arabic entry each time. For short names from many traditions, see our short girl names.
Feminine Forms: Amira, Karima, Jamila and More
Many Arabic girl names are feminine forms of masculine names; in the Latin spellings below, each one ends in -a. Behind the Name describes these entries as “feminine form of” the masculine name, so each row below also gives that name’s meaning from its own entry.
| Name | Arabic script | Usage (per Behind the Name) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amira | أميرة | Arabic, Bosnian, Malay | Feminine form of Amir: “commander, prince” |
| Karima | كريمة | Arabic | Feminine form of Karim: “generous, noble” |
| Jamila | جميلة | Arabic, Urdu, Hausa | Feminine form of Jamil: “beautiful”; the name of a wife of the caliph Umar |
| Latifa | لطيفة | Arabic | Feminine form of Latif: “gentle, kind” |
| Nabila | نبيلة | Arabic | Feminine form of Nabil: “noble” |
| Sabiha | صبيحة | Arabic, Turkish and more | Feminine form of Sabih: “beautiful” or “morning” |
| Farida | فريدة | Arabic, Urdu and more | Feminine form of Farid: “unique, precious” |
| Habiba | حبيبة | Arabic, Bengali, Hausa | Feminine form of Habib: “beloved, darling” |
| Salima | سليمة, سالمة | Arabic | Feminine form of Salim: “safe, sound, intact” |
| Samira | سميرة | Arabic, Persian | Feminine form of Samir: “companion in evening talk” |
| Sharifa | شريفة | Arabic | Feminine form of Sharif: “noble, eminent” |
| Sultana | سلطانة | Arabic, Urdu, Bengali | Feminine form of Sultan: “ruler, king, sultan” |
| Tahira | طاهرة | Arabic, Urdu | Feminine form of Tahir: “virtuous, pure, chaste” |
| Aziza | عزيزة | Arabic, Uzbek and more | Feminine form of Aziz: “powerful, respected, beloved” |
| Anisa | أنيسة | Arabic, Indonesian and more | Feminine form of Anis: “friendly, friend” |
| Aliya | عليّة | Arabic, Urdu and more | Feminine form of Ali: “lofty, sublime” |
| Zayna | زينة | Arabic | Feminine form of Zayn: “beauty, grace” |
| Zakiyya | زكيّة | Arabic | Feminine form of Zaki: “pure” |
This pattern is useful if you want to honor a father, grandfather or uncle. Karima matches Karim, Jamila matches Jamil, Latifa matches Latif, and Habiba matches Habib. Some of the masculine forms carry a religious note in their entries: for example, the entries for Karim, Latif and Aziz each say that in Islamic tradition the name with al- in front (al-Karim, al-Latif, al-Aziz) is one of the 99 names of Allah. Jamila’s own entry notes it was the name of a wife of the caliph Umar.
Aliya is the feminine form of Ali, “lofty, sublime”, and its entry notes that the spelling can also transcribe a related name, Aaliyah, which you will find in the next table. Sultana is the feminine form of Sultan, “ruler, king, sultan”.
Names That Travel Well in English
If your family lives in more than one language, these names are, in our experience, easy to say and spell in English. Most of these entries list Arabic alongside other usages such as English, Hebrew, Spanish or Persian.
| Name | Arabic script | Usage (per Behind the Name) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leila | ليلى | Persian, Arabic and more | Variant of Layla (“night”) and the usual Persian transcription; Lord Byron used this spelling in poems of 1813 and 1819 |
| Sara | سارة | Hebrew, Greek, Arabic and more | Form of Sarah used in various languages |
| Sarah | سارة | English, French, Arabic and more | From the Hebrew Sara, “lady, princess, noblewoman”; the wife of Abraham in the Old Testament |
| Hannah | حنّة | English, Hebrew, Arabic and more | From the Hebrew Hanna, “favor, grace” |
| Yasmina | ياسمينة | Arabic, Spanish (Modern), French (Modern) | Variant of Yasmin (“jasmine”) |
| Aaliyah | عالية | Arabic, English (Modern), African American (Modern) | Feminine form of Aali: “high, lofty, sublime” |
| Dalia | داليا | Spanish, Arabic | Spanish and Arabic form of Dahlia |
| Aida | عائدة | Arabic, Bosnian and more | Variant of Ayda (“returning, visitor”); used in Verdi’s opera Aida (1871) |
| Nadia | ناديّة | Arabic, Urdu and more | Alternate transcription of Nadiyya: “announcement, call” |
| Nora | نورة, نورا | Arabic | Alternate transcription of Nura, the strictly feminine form of Nur, “light” |
| Mariam | مريم | Biblical Greek, Georgian, Arabic and more | Alternate transcription of Arabic Maryam; also the Greek Old Testament form of Maria |
Leila, a variant of Layla, is the usual Persian transcription, and its entry says Lord Byron used this spelling for characters in The Giaour (1813) and Don Juan (1819), introducing the name to the English-speaking world. Aaliyah, the feminine form of Aali, “high, lofty, sublime”, was popularized in the English-speaking world by the singer Aaliyah Haughton, per its entry. Aida, a variant of Ayda, “returning, visitor”, was used in Verdi’s opera Aida (1871).
None of the names on this page appears in the top 10 for U.S. girls born in 2025 published by the Social Security Administration (SSA), which is led by Olivia, Charlotte and Emma, and we make no other popularity claims. You can check any spelling yourself with the SSA’s Popularity of a Name search. For more uncommon picks, see our unique girl names.
Spelling Variants and North African Forms
Because Arabic can be written in Latin letters in more than one way, many names have several spellings. Behind the Name files these as alternate transcriptions and, where it applies, notes the region where a spelling is chiefly used. The label Arabic (Maghrebi) refers to North Africa.
| Name | Arabic script | Usage (per Behind the Name) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nour | نور | Arabic (feminine and masculine) | Alternate transcription of Nur: “light” |
| Noura | نورة, نورا | Arabic | Alternate transcription of Nura: feminine form of Nur, “light” |
| Reem | ريم | Arabic | Alternate transcription of Rim: “white antelope” |
| Rabia | رابعة, ربيعة | Arabic, Turkish, Urdu (feminine and masculine) | Alternate transcription of Raabi’a (“fourth”), and the usual Turkish and Urdu form |
| Areej | أريج | Arabic, Urdu | Alternate transcription of Arij (“fragrance”), and the usual Urdu form |
| Jouri | جوري | Arabic | Alternate transcription of Juri: “damask rose” |
| Kenza | كنزة | Arabic (Maghrebi) | Alternate transcription of Kanza (“treasure”), chiefly used in North Africa |
| Dounia | دنيا | Arabic (Maghrebi) | Alternate transcription of Dunya (“world, earth”), chiefly used in North Africa |
| Amel | آمال | Arabic (Maghrebi) | Alternate transcription of Aamaal (“hopes, aspirations”), chiefly used in North Africa |
| Yamina | يمينة | Arabic (Maghrebi) | From yamin, “right hand, oath” |
Kenza, Dounia and Amel are spellings chiefly used in North Africa, per their entries. Yamina, “right hand, oath”, is labeled Arabic (Maghrebi). Rabia is both an alternate transcription of Raabi’a and the usual Turkish and Urdu form, and its entry lists it for both genders.
Pronunciation, Middle Names and Sibling Pairings
Behind the Name prints pronunciations in the International Phonetic Alphabet. Several Arabic sounds, such as the ʕ at the start of Aisha or the q in Qamar, have no exact English equivalent, which is one more reason to listen to a native speaker. In the notation, a colon-like mark (ː) after a vowel means it is long, and ˈ comes before the stressed syllable. The table gives the pronunciation shown on each entry, with the English one where the entry lists it.
| Name | Pronunciation given by Behind the Name |
|---|---|
| Layla | /ˈlaj.laː/ (Arabic), /ˈleɪ.lə/ (English) |
| Aisha | /ˈʕaː.ʔi.ʃa/ (Arabic), /aɪ.ˈiː.ʃə/ (English) |
| Fatima | /ˈfaː.tˤi.ma/ (Arabic) |
| Khadija | /xa.ˈdiː.d͡ʒa/ (Arabic) |
| Zaynab | /ˈzaj.nab/ |
| Sumayya | /su.ˈmaj.ja/ |
| Huda | /ˈhu.daː/ |
| Malak | /ˈma.lak/ |
| Hala | /ˈhaː.la/ |
| Nur | /ˈnuːr/ (Arabic) |
| Qamar | /ˈqa.mar/ (Arabic) |
| Shams | /ˈʃams/ (Arabic) |
| Thurayya | /θu.ˈraj.jaː/, /θu.ˈraj.ja/ |
| Jumana | /d͡ʒu.ˈmaː.na/ |
| Yasmin | /jaːs.ˈmiːn/ (Arabic), /ˈjæz.mɪn/ (English) |
The best way to learn a name is to hear it from a native speaker and then say it with your surname. Some English speakers say Aisha as three syllables (eye-EE-sha), which the entry gives as the English pronunciation, while the Arabic is different. Decide which one you will use at home and teach it early.
Pairing ideas, not traditions:
- Sky sisters: Nur and Qamar (light and moon), or Sama and Thurayya (sky and the Pleiades).
- Flower sisters: Warda and Yasmin (rose and jasmine), or Zahra and Nawra (two flower names).
- First and middle: Layla Nur, Salma Hana, Amira Nour, Yasmin Hala, Maryam Sakina and Farah Inaya. A short name like Nur, Hana or Aya works well in the middle after a longer first name.
- Matching a brother: a feminine form can echo a brother’s name: Karima and Karim, Jamila and Jamil, Nabila and Nabil.
For flow, rhythm and initials, see our middle names guide.
Related Betteroo Guides
- Names That Mean Light
- Names That Mean Moon
- Names That Mean Beautiful
- Greek Girl Names
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- Unique Girl Names
The Bottom Line
Arabic girl names cover a wide range: everyday words like Layla, Salma and Farah, names from early Islamic history like Khadija, Fatima and Zaynab, sky names like Nur, Qamar and Thurayya, nature names like Yasmin, Warda and Jumana, and feminine forms like Amira, Karima and Jamila. Shortlist a few, read the full meaning on each entry, choose a Latin-letter spelling your family is happy with, and say the name out loud with your surname.
If the name comes from a family tradition, ask the relatives who carry it what it means to them. Then picture it on a birthday cake and a kindergarten cubby, and choose the one that feels like your daughter.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most beautiful Arabic girl names?
Beauty is personal, but some Arabic girl names mean beauty outright: Hasna means beauty, Husna means more beautiful, Jamila is the feminine form of Jamil, beautiful, and Zayna is the feminine form of Zayn, beauty and grace. Ghada means graceful woman, and Layla, Yasmin and Jumana are widely loved for their sound and their meanings.
What is a modern Arabic name for a girl?
Names such as Layan (soft, delicate), Rahaf (delicate, fine, thin), Malak (angel), Yara (friend, helper), Jouri (damask rose), Shahd (honey) and Lina (soft, tender) have a fresh feel to many parents. Behind the Name does not label most Arabic names as old or modern, so the style is a matter of taste rather than a fact about the name.
Are there Arabic girl names from the Quran?
Behind the Name says Maryam, the Arabic form of Mary, appears in the Quran. Aya means sign or evidence and also verse, as in a passage of the Quran, and Kawthar, meaning abundance, is the name of the 108th chapter of the Quran. Other names, such as Khadija and Fatima, honor women in early Islamic history.
What Arabic name means blessing?
Maymuna means auspicious, blessed or favorable in Arabic, from a root meaning to be lucky, according to Behind the Name, which labels it a rare Arabic name. Related ideas appear in Hiba, which means gift, Bushra, which means good news, and Kawthar, which means abundance.
What Arabic girl name means light?
Nur means light in Arabic, and Nura is its strictly feminine form. Nour and Noor are other spellings of Nur, and Noura and Nora are other spellings of Nura. Sanaa means brilliance, radiance or splendour, Munira is the feminine form of a name meaning bright or shining, and Lamia means shining or radiant.
Why do Arabic names have different spellings in English?
Arabic is written in its own script, and there are several systems for writing it in Latin letters. So the same name can appear as Nur, Noor or Nour, or as Rim and Reem. Some spellings are regional: Kenza and Dounia are chiefly used in North Africa. Choose one spelling and use it consistently on all paperwork.
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6 Sources
- Behind the Name. Arabic Names (usage index; individual entries read October 2026).
https://www.behindthename.com/names/usage/arabic - Behind the Name. Feminine Arabic Names (gender and usage index).
https://www.behindthename.com/names/gender/feminine/usage/arabic - Behind the Name. Meaning, origin and history of the name Khadija.
https://www.behindthename.com/name/khadija - Behind the Name. Meaning, origin and history of the name Nur.
https://www.behindthename.com/name/nur - IFLA Cataloguing Section Standing Committee. Names of Persons: Arabic Names (2018). International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions.
https://repository.ifla.org/handle/20.500.14598/3933 - Social Security Administration. Popular Baby Names (top 10 names of 2025).
https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/index.html
