Arabic Origin Names

This is a list of names in which the origin is Arabic. Arabic is a Semitic language spoken in the Middle East and northern Africa.
gender
usage
origin
Usama m Arabic
Means "lion" in Arabic.
Usman m Urdu, Indonesian, Hausa
Urdu, Indonesian and Hausa form of Uthman.
Uthman m Arabic
Means "baby bustard" in Arabic (a bustard is a type of large bird). Uthman was a companion of the Prophet Muhammad who married two of his daughters. He was the third caliph of the Muslims.
Uzma f Arabic
Means "supreme, greatest" in Arabic, a derivative of عظم (ʿaẓuma) meaning "to be great".
Vahid m Persian, Azerbaijani
Persian and Azerbaijani form of Wahid.
Vahide f Turkish
Turkish feminine form of Wahid.
Vahit m Turkish
Turkish form of Wahid.
Vedad m Bosnian
Bosnian masculine form of Widad.
Vedat m Turkish
Turkish masculine form of Widad.
Vugar m Azerbaijani
Alternate transcription of Azerbaijani Vüqar.
Vüqar m Azerbaijani
Azerbaijani form of Waqar.
Wadud m Arabic
Means "lover, affectionate" in Arabic, from the root ودّ (wadda) meaning "to love". In Islamic tradition الودود (al-Wadūd) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
Wael m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic وائل (see Wail).
Wafa f Arabic
Means "loyalty, faithfulness" in Arabic, a derivative of وفى (wafā) meaning "to fulfill, to live up to a promise".
Wafaa f Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic وفاء (see Wafa).
Wafai m Arabic
Means "loyalty, faithfulness" in Arabic, derived from وفى (wafā) meaning "to fulfill, to live up to a promise".
Wafi m Arabic
Means "trustworthy, reliable, loyal, perfect" in Arabic, derived from the root وفى (wafā) meaning "to fulfill, to live up to a promise".
Wafiya f Arabic
Feminine form of Wafi.
Waheed m Arabic, Urdu
Alternate transcription of Arabic وحيد or Urdu وحید (see Wahid).
Waheeda f Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic وحيدة (see Wahida).
Wahid m Arabic, Urdu, Bengali, Indonesian
Means "peerless, unique" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition الوحيد (al-Waḥīd) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
Wahida f Arabic
Feminine form of Wahid.
Wail m Arabic
Possibly means "refuge, shelter" in Arabic.
Waleed m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic وليد (see Walid).
Walid m Arabic
Means "newborn" in Arabic, derived from ولد (walada) meaning "to give birth". This was the name of the Umayyad caliph who conquered Spain in the 8th century.
Waqar m Arabic, Urdu
Means "majesty, dignity" in Arabic.
Warda f Arabic
Means "rose" in Arabic, ultimately a borrowing from an Iranian language.
Wardah f Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic وردة (see Warda).
Wasi m Arabic
Means "broad-minded, liberal, learned" in Arabic.
Wasim m Arabic
Means "handsome" in Arabic, related to the root وسم (wasama) meaning "to mark, to distinguish".
Wassim m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic وسيم (see Wasim).
Wedad f Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic وداد (see Widad).
Wesam m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic وسام (see Wisam).
Widad f Arabic
Means "love" in Arabic, derived from the root ودّ (wadda) meaning "to love".
Wisam m Arabic
Means "badge, medal" in Arabic, derived from the root وسم (wasama) meaning "to mark, to distinguish".
Xədicə f Azerbaijani
Azerbaijani form of Khadija.
Xadicha f Uzbek
Uzbek form of Khadija.
Xafsa f Somali
Somali form of Hafsa.
Xaliima f Somali
Somali form of Halima.
Xasan m Somali
Somali form of Hasan.
Xhafer m Albanian
Albanian form of Jafar.
Xhelal m Albanian
Albanian form of Jalal.
Xhemal m Albanian
Albanian form of Jamal.
Yamila f Spanish (Latin American)
Form of Jamila used especially in Latin America.
Yamina f Arabic (Maghrebi)
Derived from Arabic يمين (yamīn) meaning "right hand, oath".
Yara 1 f Arabic
From Persian یار (yār) meaning "friend, helper".
Yaritza f Spanish (Latin American)
Elaborated form of Yara 1 or Yara 2 (using the same suffix as Maritza).
Yaser m Persian, Turkish, Arabic
Persian and Turkish form of Yasir, as well as an alternate transcription of the Arabic name.
Yasin m Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Turkish
From the Arabic letters ي (called ya) and س (called sin). These letters begin the 36th chapter of the Quran (surah Ya Sin).
Yasir m Arabic, Urdu
Means "easy, wealthy" in Arabic, derived from the root يسر (yasira) meaning "to be easy, to be rich". This was the name of an early Islamic martyr. It was also borne by Yasir Arafat (1929-2004), a leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization.
Yasmeen f Arabic, Urdu
Alternate transcription of Arabic ياسمين or Urdu یاسمین (see Yasmin).
Yasmim f Portuguese (Brazilian, Modern)
Portuguese (mainly Brazilian) variant of Yasmin.
Yasmin f Arabic, Hebrew, Urdu, English (Modern), Spanish (Modern), Portuguese (Modern)
Means "jasmine" in Arabic and Hebrew, derived from Persian یاسمین (yāsamīn). In modern times it has been used in the western world, as an Arabic-influenced variant of Jasmine.
Yasmine f Arabic, French (Modern), English (Modern)
Alternate transcription of Arabic ياسمين (see Yasmin).
Yasser m Arabic, Persian
Alternate transcription of Arabic ياسر (see Yasir) or Persian یاسر (see Yaser).
Yassine m Arabic (Maghrebi)
Alternate transcription of Arabic ياسين (see Yasin) chiefly used in North Africa.
Yousra f Arabic (Maghrebi), Arabic (Egyptian)
Alternate transcription of Arabic يسرى or يسرا (see Yusra) chiefly used in North Africa.
Yusra f Arabic
Means "wealth, ease" in Arabic, a derivative of يسر (yasira) meaning "to be easy, to be rich".
Zaahir 1 m Arabic
Means "shining, brilliant, radiant" in Arabic, derived from the root زهر (zahara) meaning "to shine".
Zaahir 2 m Arabic
Means "clear, evident, manifest, outward" in Arabic, a derivative of ظهر (ẓahara) meaning "to be visible, to be clear". In Islamic tradition الظاهر (al-Ẓāhir) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
Zaahira f Arabic
Feminine form of Zaahir 1.
Zafar m Arabic, Urdu
Means "victory" in Arabic.
Zafer m Turkish
Turkish form of Zafar.
Zaheer m Arabic, Urdu
Alternate transcription of Arabic ظهير or Urdu ظہیر (see Zahir).
Zaher m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic ظاهر (see Zaahir 2).
Zahi m Arabic
Means "beautiful, brilliant" in Arabic.
Zahia f Arabic
Feminine form of Zahi.
Zahid m Arabic, Urdu
Means "pious, devout" in Arabic.
Zahida f Arabic, Urdu
Feminine form of Zahid.
Zahide f Turkish
Turkish feminine form of Zahid.
Zahir m Arabic, Persian, Punjabi, Urdu, Bengali
Means "helper, supporter" in Arabic, related to ظهر (ẓahara) meaning "to be visible, to be clear". This can also be an alternate transcription of Arabic زاهر (see Zaahir 1) or ظاهر (see Zaahir 2).
Zahira f Arabic
Feminine form of Zahir.
Zəhra f Azerbaijani
Azerbaijani form of Zahra 1.
Zahra 1 f Arabic, Persian
From Arabic زهراء (zahrāʾ), the feminine form of أزهر (ʾazhar) meaning "shining, brilliant, bright". This is an epithet of the Prophet Muhammad's daughter Fatima.... [more]
Zahra 2 f Arabic, Urdu
Means "blooming flower, splendour" in Arabic, from the root زهر (zahara) meaning "to shine, to bloom".... [more]
Zahrah f Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic زهرة (see Zahra 2).
Zaid m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic زيد (see Zayd).
Zaida f Arabic (Rare), Spanish
Feminine form of Zayd. This was the name of a Muslim princess who took refuge at the court of (and perhaps married) Alfonso VI of León and Castile in the 11th century.
Zain m Arabic, Urdu, Malay
Alternate transcription of Arabic زين (see Zayn), as well as the usual Urdu and Malay form.
Zaina f Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic زينة (see Zayna).
Zainab f Arabic, Urdu, Hausa, Malay, Indonesian
Alternate transcription of Arabic زينب (see Zaynab), as well as the usual form in several languages.
Zainabu f Swahili, Hausa
Swahili and Hausa form of Zaynab.
Zainuddin m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic زين الدين (see Zayn ad-Din).
Zaira f Italian, Spanish
Italian and Spanish form of Zaïre. It was used by Vincenzo Bellini for the heroine of his opera Zaira (1829), which was based on Voltaire's 1732 play Zaïre.
Zaïre f Literature
Used by Voltaire for the heroine of his tragic play Zaïre (1732), about an enslaved Christian woman who is due to marry the Sultan. She is named Zara in many English adaptations. The name was earlier used by Jean Racine for a minor character (also a slave girl) in his play Bajazet (1672). It is likely based on the Arabic name Zahra 1.
Zaki m Arabic
Means "pure" in Arabic.
Zakiah f Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic زكيّة (see Zakiyya).
Zakiya f Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic زكيّة (see Zakiyya).
Zakiyya f Arabic
Feminine form of Zaki.
Zaman m Arabic, Urdu
Means "time, age, era" in Arabic.
Zamir m Arabic, Urdu, Kyrgyz, Uzbek, Kazakh, Tajik
Means "mind, heart, conscience" in Arabic.
Zamira f Kyrgyz, Tajik, Uzbek, Kazakh
Feminine form of Zamir.
Zara 1 f Literature, English
Used by William Congreve for a character in his tragedy The Mourning Bride (1697), where it belongs to a captive North African queen. Congreve may have based it on the Arabic name Zahra 1. In 1736 the English writer Aaron Hill used it to translate Zaïre for his popular adaptation of Voltaire's French play Zaïre (1732).... [more]
Zaria f English (Modern)
Possibly based on Zahra 2 or the Nigerian city of Zaria.
Zərifə f Azerbaijani
Means "gentle, pleasant" in Azerbaijani, ultimately from Arabic ظريف (ẓarīf).
Zarifa f Arabic
From Arabic ظريف (ẓarīf) meaning "elegant, graceful, charming".
Zaur m Azerbaijani, Ossetian, Chechen, Georgian
Azerbaijani, Ossetian, Chechen and Georgian form of Zawar.
Zaurbek m Ossetian, Chechen
Derived from Arabic زوار (zawār) meaning "pilgrim" combined with the Turkic military title beg meaning "chieftain, master".
Zawar m Arabic, Urdu
Means "pilgrim, visitor" in Arabic.
Zayd m Arabic
Means "growth" in Arabic, derived from زاد (zāda) meaning "to grow, to increase". This was the name of a slave who became the adopted son of the Prophet Muhammad.
Zayn m Arabic
Means "beauty, grace" in Arabic. This was the name of a son of Husayn ibn Ali. Shia Muslims consider him to be the fourth imam.... [more]
Zayna f Arabic
Feminine form of Zayn.
Zaynab f Arabic
Meaning uncertain. It is possibly related to Arabic زين (zayn) meaning "beauty"; it could be from the name of a fragrant flowering tree; or it could be an Arabic form of Zenobia, a name borne by a pre-Islamic queen of Palmyra. Zaynab was the name of a daughter, a granddaughter, and two wives of the Prophet Muhammad.
Zayn ad-Din m Arabic
Means "beauty of religion", from Arabic زين (zayn) meaning "beauty" combined with دين (dīn) meaning "religion, faith".
Zehra f Turkish, Urdu
Turkish and Urdu form of Zahra 1 or Zahra 2.
Zeina f Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic زينة (see Zayna).
Zeinab f Persian
Persian form of Zaynab.
Zejd m Bosnian
Bosnian form of Zayd.
Zejneb f Bosnian
Bosnian form of Zaynab.
Zelimkhan m Chechen
Combination of the name Salim and the Turkic title khan meaning "ruler, leader".
Zeyd m Azerbaijani
Azerbaijani form of Zayd.
Zeynəb f Azerbaijani
Azerbaijani form of Zaynab.
Zeynab f Persian, Azerbaijani
Alternate transcription of Persian زینب (see Zeinab) or Azerbaijani Zeynəb.
Zeynep f Turkish
Turkish form of Zaynab.
Zia m Arabic, Urdu, Bengali
Alternate transcription of Arabic ضياء (see Ziya), as well as the usual Urdu and Bengali transcription.
Ziad m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic زياد (see Ziyad).
Ziaeddin m Persian
Persian form of Ziya ad-Din.
Ziauddin m Arabic, Urdu
Alternate transcription of Arabic ضياء الدين (see Ziya ad-Din), as well as the usual Urdu transcription.
Zineb f Arabic (Maghrebi)
Alternate transcription of Arabic زينب (see Zaynab) chiefly used in North Africa.
Zinedine m Arabic (Maghrebi)
Alternate transcription of Arabic زين الدين (see Zayn ad-Din) chiefly used in North Africa. A famous bearer is the French soccer player Zinedine Zidane (1972-), who was born to Algerian parents.
Ziya m Arabic, Turkish
Means "splendour, light, glow" in Arabic. This was the name of a 14th-century Islamic Indian historian.
Ziya ad-Din m Arabic
Means "splendour of religion" from Arabic ضياء (ḍiyāʾ) meaning "splendour, light, glow" combined with دين (dīn) meaning "religion, faith".
Ziya al-Din m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic ضياء الدين (see Ziya ad-Din).
Ziyad m Arabic
Means "growth, increase, excess" in Arabic, a derivative of زاد (zāda) meaning "to grow, to increase".
Ziyaeddin m Turkish (Rare)
Turkish variant form of Ziya ad-Din.
Ziyaettin m Turkish
Turkish form of Ziya ad-Din.
Ziya ur-Rahman m Arabic
Means "splendour of the merciful" from Arabic ضياء (ḍiyāʾ) meaning "splendour, light, glow" combined with رحْمن (raḥman) meaning "merciful".
Zohra f Urdu, Arabic (Maghrebi)
Alternate transcription of Urdu زہرہ (see Zuhra 1) or Arabic زهرة (see Zuhra 2).
Zohreh f Persian
Means "Venus (planet)" in Persian, borrowed from Arabic الزهرة (al-Zuhara), derived from the root زهر (zahara) meaning "to shine".
Zoubida f Arabic (Maghrebi)
Form of Zubaida chiefly used in North Africa (using French-influenced orthography).
Zubaida f Arabic, Urdu
Means "elite, prime, cream" in Arabic. This was the name of a 9th-century wife of Harun ar-Rashid, the Abbasid caliph featured in the stories of The 1001 Nights.
Zubair m Arabic, Urdu
Derived from Arabic زبر (zubar) meaning "pieces of iron". Zubair ibn al-Awwam was a cousin of the Prophet Muhammad and an early Muslim military commander.
Zuberi m Swahili
Swahili form of Zubair.
Zübeyde f Turkish
Turkish form of Zubaida.
Zuhair m Arabic
Means "small flower" in Arabic, from the root زهر (zahara) meaning "to shine, to blossom".
Zuhra 1 f Urdu
Urdu form of Zohreh.
Zuhra 2 f Arabic (Rare)
Means "brilliancy, light" in Arabic, derived from the root زهر (zahara) meaning "to shine". This name is written identically to the related name Zahra, though it is pronounced differently.
Zuhura f Swahili, Dhivehi
Means "Venus (planet)" in Swahili and Dhivehi. Both are borrowed from Arabic الزهرة (al-Zuhara), derived from the root زهر (zahara) meaning "to shine".
Zulaykha f Arabic (Rare)
Arabic form of Zuleika.
Zuleika f Literature
Meaning uncertain, possibly of Arabic origin. According to medieval tradition, notably related by the 15th-century Persian poet Jami, this was the name of the biblical Potiphar's wife. She has been a frequent subject of poems and tales.
Zulekha f Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic زليخا (see Zulaykha).
Züleyha f Turkish
Turkish form of Zuleika.
Züleyxa f Azerbaijani
Azerbaijani form of Zuleika.
Zülfikar m Turkish
Turkish form of Zulfiqar.
Zulfikar m Arabic, Urdu, Indonesian
Alternate transcription of Arabic/Urdu ذو الفقار (see Zulfiqar), as well as the Indonesian form.
Zulfiqar m Arabic, Urdu
From Arabic ذو الفقار (Dhū al-Faqār) interpreted as meaning "cleaver of the spine", derived from ذو (dhū) meaning "possessor, holder" and فقار (faqār) meaning "spine, vertebra". This was the name of the Prophet Muhammad's sword, also used by his son-in-law Ali.