nuhahyearlyLaunch pricing - Get £50 off!nuhahyearlyIslamic tradition encourages names with beautiful meanings. This guide covers girls' names from the Quran and Islamic heritage (Maryam, Fatimah, Khadijah, Aisha), boys' names including prophets (Muhammad, Ibrahim, Yusuf, Musa) and companions (Hamza, Bilal, Umar, Ali), and names from the 99 names of Allah with the "Abd" prefix.
Islamic baby names are names chosen for their good and dignified meaning, drawn most often from the Quran, the prophets, the family of the Prophet Muhammad, his companions, and the attributes of Allah. The guiding principle is simple: the meaning should be positive and should never carry a sense that conflicts with faith. Maryam means devout, Abdullah means servant of Allah, and Rahmah means mercy. Because the meaning matters most, an Islamic name does not need to be rare or elaborate, it simply needs to carry something good.
It is recommended to name a child on the seventh day after birth, often together with the aqiqah, although naming earlier is also permitted. The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, encouraged parents to choose names with beautiful meanings, and he is known to have changed some names that carried a harsh or poor sense. This is why so many Muslim families begin with the meaning, then consider how the name sounds and how it sits within the wider family.
Naming a child after a prophet is one of the most loved choices in Muslim families. Muhammad is given more than almost any other name in the world, and names such as Ibrahim, Ismail, Yusuf, Musa, Isa, Dawud, and Sulayman carry the stories of the prophets with them. Many of these have familiar counterparts in English, so Yusuf is Joseph, Musa is Moses, and Isa is Jesus, which helps them travel easily in the UK.
The household of the Prophet and his companions give a rich set of names with real character behind them. For girls, Fatimah, Khadijah, Aisha, and Zaynab honour the women closest to the Prophet. For boys, Ali, Umar, Hamza, and Bilal recall companions known for courage, justice, and devotion. Choosing one of these names connects a child to people whose lives are still studied and admired today.
A distinctly Islamic form of name joins the word Abd, meaning servant, to one of the names of Allah, as in Abdullah, the servant of Allah, and Abdur-Rahman, the servant of the Most Merciful. In a well-known narration these two are described as the names most beloved to Allah. The word Abd should always be paired with a name of Allah rather than used alone, so Abdul on its own is incomplete and is meant to be followed by an attribute such as Aziz, Karim, or Malik.
No. While a great many Islamic names are Arabic, Muslims across the world use Turkish, Persian, Urdu, Malay, Bosnian, and many other names. A Persian name or a Turkish form is no less suitable than a classical Arabic one. What makes a name appropriate is a good meaning, not the language it comes from.
Begin with the meaning, since this is what gives an Islamic name its weight, then check that the spelling you prefer reads clearly in English and sits well with your surname. If a name carries family or scholarly significance, that connection often matters more than how common it is. Where you are unsure about a meaning, it helps to ask someone knowledgeable in your community. The full list below gives the meaning and the significance for every name to make this easier.
77 names, grouped by gender, each with its meaning.
A name is considered Islamic when it carries a good, dignified meaning and nothing that conflicts with faith. Many come from the Quran, the prophets, the Prophet's family, the companions, or the attributes of Allah, though any name with a noble meaning can be suitable.
No. While many are Arabic, Muslims around the world use Turkish, Persian, Urdu, Malay, and other names. The principle is a good meaning, not a particular language.
In a well-known narration, the names most beloved to Allah are Abdullah and Abdur-Rahman, both meaning servant of God. The names of the prophets are also widely encouraged.
It is traditional to name a child on the seventh day, often alongside the aqiqah, although naming earlier is also permitted.
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