Balthasar's Personal Name List

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.

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.

Form of Zubaida chiefly used in North Africa (using French-influenced orthography).

Indicates a member of the Igawawen (called Zouaoua in French) Kabyle tribe, from Maghrebi Arabic زواوة (zwāwa). The tribe's name is of uncertain meaning; it may be derived from the name of a massif in Kabylie, Algeria.

Means "dew" or "hoarfrost" in Persian.

Means "adornment of the worshippers" from Arabic زين (zayn) meaning "decoration, embellishment, ornament" and عابدين ('abidin) meaning "worshippers".

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.

This name is borne by the British singer Zayn Malik (1993-), formerly a member of the band One Direction. It gained popularity in America and parts of Europe after One Direction became well-known in 2011.

Arabic form of Zechariah and Zacharias.

Alternate transcription of Arabic زين (see Zayn), as well as the usual Urdu and Malay form.

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.

See also the related name Zahra 2.

Arabic form of Greek Ioannes (see John).

Alternate transcription of Arabic يسرى or يسرا (see Yusra) chiefly used in North Africa.

Form of Yunus used in Northern Africa and other French-influenced regions of the continent.

North African and Persian form of Yunus.

Alternate transcription of Arabic ياسمين (see Yasmin).

Derived from Arabic يمين (yamīn) meaning "right hand, oath".

Arabic form of Yoḥanan (see John) appearing in the Quran, as well as the Turkish and Persian form. This name honours John the Baptist, a prophet in Islam.

Variant transcription of Wisam. Known bearers of this name include the Palestinian-Israeli composer and oud virtuoso Wissam Joubran (b. 1983), the Syrian-Canadian hip hop artist Wissam "Wiz" Kilo (b. 1984), the Tunisian-French soccer player Wissam Ben Yedder (b. 1990) and the Qatari business magnate Wissam Al Mana (b. 1976), who is the husband of the American singer Janet Jackson (b. 1966).

Means "tall" in Turkish.

Means "visitor, knocker at the door" in Arabic, from طرق (ṭaraqa) meaning "to knock" [1]. This is the Arabic name of the morning star. Tariq ibn Ziyad was the Islamic general who conquered Spain for the Umayyad Caliphate in the 8th century.

Feminine form of Tahir.

Means "smiling" in Arabic.

Alternate transcription of Arabic سعاد (see Suad).

Means "sweet" in Persian. This was the name of a character in Persian and Turkish legend.

Alternate transcription of Persian شیرین (see Shirin).

Means "falcon" in Persian, referring more specifically to the Barbary falcon (species Falco pelegrinoides). The bird's name is a derivative of Persian شاه (shāh) meaning "king".

Means "singer" in Arabic.

Means "happy" in Persian.

Means "star" in Persian.

Alternate transcription of Arabic سميرة (see Samira 1), as well as an Indonesian and Malay variant.

Feminine form of Samir 1.

Means "comfort, solace" in Arabic.

Means "solid rock" in Arabic. This name appears in the poems of the 7th-century poetess Al-Khansa.

Hausa and Kazakh form of Safiyya. It is also an alternate transcription of the Arabic name.

Arabic alternate transcription of Sadiq chiefly used in Northern Africa and Egypt as well as the Bengali form of the name.

Arabic alternate transcription of Saddam as well as the Indonesian, Urdu, Maguindanao and Maranao form.

Means "patient" in Arabic, a derivative of صبر (ṣabara) meaning "to bind, to be patient".

Possibly from Arabic meaning "follower of another religion", a name given to the Prophet Muhammad and other Muslims by non-Muslim Arabs.

Turkish form of Shaban.

Means "soft breeze" in Persian.

Alternate transcription of Arabic ريم (see Rim) chiefly used in Northern Africa.

Means "wind" in Turkish.

Means "fortunate, prosperous" in Persian, from روز (rūz) meaning "day" and به (beh) meaning "good, excellent".

Alternate transcription of Arabic ريحانة (see Rayhana). This name is borne by the Barbadian singer Robyn Rihanna Fenty (1988-), known simply as Rihanna. In the United States it jumped in popularity between the years 2005 and 2008, when Rihanna was releasing her first albums. It quickly declined over the next few years.

Means "prophet, messenger" in Arabic.

Means "rightly guided" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition الرشيد (al-Rashīd) is one of the 99 names of Allah.

This transcription represents two different ways of spelling the name in Arabic: رشيد, in which the second vowel is long, and راشد, in which the first vowel is long.

From the name of 11th-century Islamic scholar and jurist Shams al-Din al-Ramli, whose name was derived from the village of Ramlah in Egypt.

Might be a borrowed name from Hindi, meaning “placed”.

Derived from Arabic ريحان (rayhan) meaning "basil" (see Rayhana). It is used as a unisex name in Bangladesh and Malaysia (more commonly masculine in the former and primarily feminine in the latter) while it is only masculine in Indonesia.

Means "merciful, kind, compassionate" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition الرحيم (al-Raḥīm) is one of the 99 names of Allah.

Means "thunder" in Arabic. This is the name of the 13th chapter of the Quran (surah ar-Rad).

Means "capable, powerful, mighty" in Arabic, from the root قدر (qadara) meaning "to have power, to be able". This transcription represents two related yet distinct Arabic names: قادر, in which the first vowel is long, and قدير, in which the second vowel is long. In Islamic tradition القادر (al-Qādir) is one of the 99 names of Allah.

Means "of Amon" or "he who belongs to Amon" in Coptic. The name ultimately derives from the Egyptian masculine prefix (or article/pronoun) pa combined with Amoun, the Coptic form of Amon.

Form of Walid chiefly used in North Africa (using French-influenced orthography).

Derived from Arabic نُور (nūr) meaning "light, glow, illumination" (chiefly Algerian).

Alternate transcription of Nur ad-Din chiefly used in Northern Africa.

Means "energetic, lively" in Arabic.

From Arabic نساء (nisāʾ) meaning "women". This is the name of the fourth chapter of the Quran (surah an-Nisa).

Means "drink" in Arabic.

Turkish form of Nafisa.

Means "ecstasy, elation" in Arabic.

Alternate transcription of Arabic نجوى (see Najwa) chiefly used in North Africa.

Feminine form of Najm.

Means "tranquil, happy, at ease" in Arabic, derived from the root نعم (naʿima) meaning "to live in comfort, to be delighted".

Modern Persian form of Anahita. This is also the Persian name for the planet Venus.

Means "double, dual, two at a time" in Arabic.

Means "wish, desire" in Arabic. This name was borne by five Ottoman sultans.

Alternate transcription of Arabic مراد (see Murad) chiefly used in North Africa.

Alternate transcription of Arabic منى (see Muna) chiefly used in North Africa.

Alternate transcription of Arabic ميمونة (see Maymuna).

Arabic form of Miryam (see Mary) appearing in the Quran. It is also the form used in several other languages. In Iran it is also the name of a flower, the tuberose, which is named after the Virgin Mary.

From the Arabic name of a fragrant plant. Al-Marwa is the name of one of the two sacred hills near Mecca.

Derived from Arabic mâysan meaning "sparkling star".

Means "night" in Arabic. Layla was the love interest of the poet Qays (called Majnun) in an old Arab tale, notably retold by the 12th-century Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi in his poem Layla and Majnun. This story was a popular romance in medieval Arabia and Persia. The name became used in the English-speaking world after the 1970 release of the song Layla by Derek and the Dominos, the title of which was inspired by the medieval story.

Alternate transcription of Arabic ليلى (see Layla) chiefly used in North Africa (using French-influenced orthography).

Means "premature child" in Arabic. This was the name of the Prophet Muhammad's first wife and the mother of all of his children, with the exception of one. She was a wealthy merchant and a widow when they married in the year 595. Muhammad received his first revelation 15 years after their marriage, and she was the first person to convert to Islam.

Meaning unknown. This is the name of the wife of King Goshtasb in the 10th-century Persian epic the Shahnameh.

Means "discoverer, revealer" in Arabic.

Means "generous, noble" in Arabic, from the root كرم (karuma) meaning "to be generous". In Islamic tradition الكريم (al-Karīm) is one of the 99 names of Allah.

Means "perfect, complete" in Arabic.

From Arabic qamar meaning "moon", also the root of the name of the island country of the Comoros.

Form of Qays used in Northern Africa and other French-influenced regions of the continent.

Alternate transcription of Arabic قيس (see Qays).

Feminine form of Kadri 2.

Strictly feminine transcription of Jahan, a Persian unisex name.

Alternate transcription of Arabic جاذبيّة (see Jazibiyya).

Means "garden, paradise" in Arabic. In Islam this term refers to the concept of heaven.

From Persian جهان (jahān) meaning "world" and آرا (ārā) meaning "decorate, adorn". This was the name of the eldest daughter of the 17th-century Mughal emperor Shah Jahan.

Means "world" in Persian. This name was borne by Shah Jahan, a 17th-century Mughal emperor who is best known as the builder of the Taj Mahal.

Alternate transcription of Arabic جبريل (see Jibril).

Arabic form of Ishmael, also used in several other languages. According to the Quran and Islamic tradition Ismail was a prophet and the founder of the Arab people.

Arabic form of Jesus. This form is found in the Quran and is used as a given name by Muslims. Arabic-speaking Christians instead use يسوع (Yasūʿ) to refer to Jesus Christ.

Variant of Inanna.

'Mit den Augen von Inana' (through the eyes of Inana) is the title of an anthology of modern feminine Iraqi writers, translated into German and French.

Means "distinction, privilege" in Arabic.

Means "faith" in Arabic, derived from أمن (ʾamuna) meaning "to be faithful". It is typically feminine in Arabic and masculine in Persian.

Arabic form of Elijah.

Diminutive of Hasan. Husayn ibn Ali (also commonly transliterated Hussein) was the son of Ali and the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. His older brother was named Hasan. The massacre of Husayn and his family was a major event in the split between Shia and Sunni Muslims, which continues to this day. In more recent times this was the name of a king of Jordan (1935-1999).

Alternate transcription of Arabic حسام (see Husam).

Maghrebi transcription of Haytham (chiefly Tunisian).

Means "plowman, cultivator" in Arabic.

From Arabic هنيء (hanīʾ) meaning "pleasant, beneficial", from the root هنأ (hanaʾa) meaning "to gladden, to enjoy".

Variant transcription of Hayam.

Means "beloved, darling" in Arabic.

Alternate transcription of Arabic فوزيّة or Urdu فوزیہ (see Fawzia) chiefly used in North Africa and Pakistan.

Alternate transcription of Arabic فاطمة (see Fatima), as well as the usual Malay and Indonesian form.

Means "opener" in Arabic, from the root فتح (fataḥa) meaning "to open, to conquer". This is the name of the first chapter (surah al-Fatiha) of the Quran.

Means "person who can tell right from wrong" in Arabic. This was the name of the last king of Egypt (1920-1965).

Alternate transcription of Arabic فاروق (see Faruq).

Means "happy" in Arabic, from the root فرح (fariḥa) meaning "to be happy".

Alternate transcription of Arabic فيروز (see Fayruz).

Usual Persian form of Ishmael, as well as an alternate Arabic transcription. This was the name of the founder of the Safavid Empire in Iran in the early 16th century.

Alternate transcription of Arabic آمنة (see Amna or Amina 1) chiefly used in Tunisia.

Means "morning" in Arabic.

Diminutive of Dinmukhamed. A famous bearer is Dinmukhmamed "Dimash" Kudaibergen (1994-), a Kazakh singer.

North African short form of Ibrahim.

Meaning "feast of the World" in Ottoman Turkish (bezm - "feast" and âlem - "the World", taken from Persian language).

Bezmiâlem Sultan (circa 1807 - 1853) was a wife of Sultan Mahmud II and mother of Sultan Abdulmejid I.

Means "rain" in Persian. It is typically feminine in Persian and masculine in Turkish and Kurdish.

Means "virgin, maiden" in Arabic.

Feminine form of Aziz.

Means "shining, brilliant, bright" in Arabic, derived from the root زهر (zahara) meaning "to shine".

Means "right-handed, blessed, lucky" in Arabic, a derivative of يمين (yamīn) meaning "right hand".

Means "supreme, higher" in Arabic, a derivative of the root سما (samā) meaning "to be high". This was the name of a daughter of Abu Bakr, the first caliph of the Muslims.

Means "brightness, splendour, dawn" in Arabic, derived from the root شرق (sharaqa) meaning "to radiate, to shine, to rise".

Means "smallest, youngest" in Arabic. It is used by Shias in honour of Ali al-Asghar, a young son of Husayn killed with his father.

Means "brighter, more luminous" in Arabic, related to نور (nūr) meaning "light". This name was borne by Egyptian president Anwar Sadat (1918-1981), who was assassinated three years after being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Alternate transcription of Arabic أميرة (see Amira 1), as well as the usual Malay form.

Means "commander, prince" in Arabic. This was originally a title, which has come into English as the Arabic loanword emir.

Alternate transcription of Arabic أمين (see Amin) chiefly used in North Africa.

Form of Amina 1 used in West Africa.

Derived from Arabic أمن (ʾamina) meaning "safe, secure". This was the name of the Prophet Muhammad's mother, who died when he was young.

Derived from Arabic أمين (ʾamīn) meaning "truthful". This was the name of the sixth Abbasid caliph.

Means "wishes" in Arabic, related to the root منا (manā) meaning "to tempt, to put to the test".

Means "hope, aspiration" in Arabic, from the root أمل (ʾamala) meaning "to hope for".

Means "the Chechen" in Arabic. This was adopted by Chechens who migrated to the Arab world from the Caucasus.

Alternate transcription of Arabic عالية (see Aaliyah) or عليّة (see Aliya 1).

Alternate transcription of Arabic علياء (see Alya 1), عالية (see Aaliyah) or عليّة (see Aliya 1).

Means "excellence of religion" from Arabic علاء (ʿalāʾ) meaning "excellence, elevation" combined with دين (dīn) meaning "religion, faith". This was the name of several sultans of Delhi.

Means "more perfect, more complete" in Arabic, a comparative form of كامل (kāmil) meaning "perfect, complete".

To drive, propel.

Means "living, alive" in Arabic. This was the name of Muhammad's third wife, the daughter of Abu Bakr. Some time after Muhammad's death she went to war against Ali, the fourth caliph, but was defeated. Her name is used more by Sunni Muslims and less by Shias.

This name began to be used in America in the 1970s, possibly inspired by Princess Aisha of Jordan (1968-), the daughter of King Hussein and his British-born wife. It received a boost in popularity after Stevie Wonder used it for his first daughter in 1975.

Alternate transcription of Arabic أيمن (see Ayman).

Variant of Ayda. This name was used in Verdi's opera Aida (1871), where it belongs to an Ethiopian princess held captive in Egypt.

Form of Aisha used in parts of French-influenced West Africa.

Form of Aisha used in North Africa and other French-influenced regions of the continent.

Means "most handsome, most beautiful" in Arabic (a superlative form of Hasan).

Means "most commendable, most praiseworthy" in Arabic (a superlative form of Hamid 1).

Means "better, superior" in Arabic, a derivative of the root فضل (faḍala) meaning "to be in excess, to excel".

Means "legend, myth, fable" in Persian.

Means "whitish red" in Arabic.

Means "tree branches" in Arabic, the plural form of فنن (fanan) [1]. It is given in reference to verse 55:48 in the Quran.

Means "chaste, modest, pure" in Arabic, from the root عفّ (ʿaffa) meaning "to refrain, to be chaste". This was the name of the father of the caliph Uthman.

Means "settler" in Arabic. According to tradition, Adnan was an ancestor of the Prophet Muhammad and the northern Arabian tribes.

Means "fair, honest, just" in Arabic, from the root عدل (ʿadala) meaning "to act justly". This name was borne by several sultans of Bijapur.

Persian form of Adil, as well as an alternate transcription of the Arabic name.

This is the Hebrew word for "man". It could be ultimately derived from Hebrew אדם (ʾaḏam) meaning "to be red", referring to the ruddy colour of human skin, or from Akkadian adamu meaning "to make".

According to Genesis in the Old Testament Adam was created from the earth by God (there is a word play on Hebrew אֲדָמָה (ʾaḏama) meaning "earth"). He and Eve were supposedly the first humans, living happily in the Garden of Eden until they ate the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. As a result they were expelled from Eden to the lands to the east, where they gave birth to the second generation, including Cain, Abel and Seth.

As an English Christian name, Adam has been common since the Middle Ages, and it received a boost after the Protestant Reformation. A famous bearer was Scottish economist Adam Smith (1723-1790).

Maghrebi transcription of Ashraf (chiefly Moroccan).

Combination of Abu and Fadl. This was another name for Abbas, the son of the fourth caliph Ali.

Alternate transcription of Arabic عبد السلام (see Abd as-Salam), as well as the usual Bengali transcription.

Alternate transcription of Arabic عبد الرحمٰن (see Abd ar-Rahman), as well as the regular Malay form.

Alternate transcription of Arabic عبد العزيز (see Abd al-Aziz).

First part of compound Arabic names beginning with عبد ال (ʿAbd al) meaning "servant of the" (such as عبد العزيز (ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz) meaning "servant of the powerful").

Alternate transcription of Arabic عبد السلام (see Abd as-Salam) chiefly used in North Africa.

Alternate transcription of Arabic عبد المجيد (see Abd al-Majid) chiefly used in North Africa.

Alternate transcription of Arabic عبد اللطيف (see Abd al-Latif) chiefly used in North Africa.

Alternate transcription of Arabic عبد الحميد (see Abd al-Hamid) chiefly used in North Africa.

Alternate transcription of Arabic عبد العزيز (see Abd al-Aziz) chiefly used in North Africa.

Alternate transcription of Arabic عبد الرشيد (see Abd ar-Rashid).

Alternate transcription of Arabic عبد الرحمٰن (see Abd ar-Rahman).

Alternate transcription of Arabic عبد الرحيم (see Abd ar-Rahim).

Means "servant of the capable, servant of the powerful" from Arabic عبد (ʿabd) meaning "servant" combined with قادر (qādir) meaning "capable, powerful". This was the name of a 19th-century Algerian resistance leader.

Means "servant of the king" from Arabic عبد (ʿabd) meaning "servant" combined with ملك (malik) meaning "king". This was the name of the fifth Umayyad caliph, who made Arabic the official language of the empire.

Means "servant of the glorious" from Arabic عبد (ʿabd) meaning "servant" combined with مجيد (majīd) meaning "glorious".

Means "servant of the generous" from Arabic عبد (ʿabd) meaning "servant" combined with كريم (karīm) meaning "generous".

Means "servant of the truth" from Arabic عبد (ʿabd) meaning "servant" combined with حقّ (ḥaqq) meaning "truth".

Means "servant of the praiseworthy" from Arabic عبد (ʿabd) meaning "servant" combined with حميد (ḥamīd) meaning "praiseworthy". This was the name of two sultans of the Ottoman Empire.

Means "servant of the powerful" from Arabic عبد (ʿabd) meaning "servant" combined with عزيز (ʿazīz) meaning "powerful". This was the name of the first king of modern Saudi Arabia.

Means "austere" in Arabic. This was the name of the Prophet Muhammad's uncle. It was also borne by a son of Ali, the fourth caliph.

Feminine form of Aali. It was popularized in the English-speaking world by the singer Aaliyah Haughton (1979-2001), who was known simply as Aaliyah. This name received a boost in popularity after she released her debut album in 1994, and also in 2001 after her untimely death in an airplane crash.

Means "name of the angel" in Arabic. It is rarely used in India.