30 Beautiful Quranic Baby Names: For Muslim Boys and Girls

Published by QuranClub Islamic Blog at mash!ords

Co"yright #0$$ QuranClub Islamic Blog
%able of Contents
Introduction
Choosing the &ight Name
Categories of Names
%ransliteration Issues
Cultural Conte't ( )sage
Masculine *s Feminine
+rrangement ,rder of Names
30 Beautiful Quranic Baby Names
-hayir and -hayirah
aalih and aalihah
.adi and .adiyah
.a/eem and .a/eemah
Nur and Nurah
Mariam
hams and hamsah
+meen and +meenah
0ahab
Muhammad and Muhammadah
1ameel and 1ameelah
Muneer and Muneerah
0iyaa2
Imran
-a!/ab and -a!/abah
-haleel and -haleelah
+amin and +amina
+mal
Baari3 and Baari3ah
Bahee4 and Bahee4ah
5ayyin and 5ayyinah
Mar4aan
%ari6 and %ari6ah
+hmad
1udy
Mar!ah
Naadhir and Naadhirah
afaa
7ahrah
7ayd
Getting .el" !ith Choosing a Name
+bout QuranClub
Co*er Credits
Introduction
Perha"s e*ery Muslim /no!s at least one family that "ic/s their child8s name by o"ening the Quran and
seeing !here their finger lands9 :hile that method is not recommended; using the Quran to hel" find
a""ro"riate names for the Muslim ummah certainly has strong merit9
%he Quran is described as being a mercy for those !ho belie*e in God <Quran; $0:=>? and a guide for
those !ho are mindful of .im <Quran; #:#?9 :hen a "erson is named after a !ord found in the Quran; this
creates more o""ortunities to be reminded of the .oly Boo/ and for its *erses to be reflected u"on;
*irtually e*ery time that "erson is referred to9 +dditionally; it dri*es home the idea that belie*ers may turn
to the Quran for all of life2s dilemmas they face@e*en !hat to name their ne!born9
In this boo/ !e tal/ about 30 Quranic !ords that can be used as names for children9 %he ma4ority of the
!ords ha*e *ersions for both boys and girls9 :e ha*en2t chosen the most mentioned !ords; nor the
names that !ere most commonA rather !e ha*e sur*eyed the Quran and chosen 30 !ords that !ere most
beautiful and a""ro"riate9 ome of the !ords are "o"ular names; !hile others ha*en2t recei*ed the
attention they deser*e9
Choosing the &ight Name
Naturally there are limitations and rules needed for one8s Quran name selection9 +ll !ords in the Quran
are chosen to be there and ha*e a s"ecial significance; ho!e*er; some !ords aren2t suitable to be used as
names due to their meaning; conte't; or historical bac/ground9
%he .oly Boo/; intended as a guidance for all "eo"le !ho are mindful of God <Quran; #:#?; for all
generations and a""licable to numerous situations; s"ea/s about humanity2s mista/es and about suffering
and about "unishment9 Common sense mandates that !ords ty"ically used to describe such themes are to
be a*oided9 %his is because they con*ey a negati*e sentiment and elicit un"leasant thoughts e*ery time
they are uttered9 No one should ha*e to bear the burden of such a name9
,ther !ords to a*oid !hen nameBsearching in the Quran are !ords that ha*e a strange or im"ractical
meaning; though they are other!ise harmless9 +n e'am"le of this is a sim"le noun; of !hich the Quran is
full; li/e C"en2 or qalam9 :ithout an incredibly s"ecial story elaborating on this odd name choice; it is
*ie!ed as being out of "lace and socially uncoo"erati*e in the "rofessional and intellectual settings of
most cultures9 5et2s not e*en imagine !hat children !ould taunt on the "layground to a /id named Pen9
Coming from a :estern stand"oint; there are of course many successful "eo"le !ith unusual; sim"le
noun names and they ha*e made this !or/ for; rather than against them9 till !hen using the Quran it2s
best to utili3e only the best selection of !ords D !ords that ha*e a beautiful meaning or "articular
rele*ance to Islam2s message9
Categories of Names
In a sound hadith narrated by Bu/hariEMuslim; the Pro"het Muhamma <sallallahu alaihi wa sallam?;
instructs the ummah to "ic/ beautiful names to be called u"on for the 0ay of 1udgment9 Beautiful names
in the Quran are considered to be the "leasant ad4ecti*es; the meaningful "artici"les and nouns; and the
"ro"er nouns mentioned !ithin its "ages9
+d4ecti*es used to describe as"ects of .ea*en and the nature of God and his re!ards are "lentiful in the
Quran9 :e !ill share many of them !ith the reader in this boo/9 Partici"les of s"eech are also
mentioned fre6uently in *erses and grammatically are *erbs used as ad4ecti*es or nouns9 +long !ith
nouns; !hen utili3ed in a meaningful !ay in the Quran; "artici"les !or/ fine as names9 %he last category
to choose names from is the easiest category: Pro"er Nouns9 %hese are !ords that are already commonly
used names of "laces or "eo"le or things such as Maryam <#:F>?9 It is im"ortant to note that all the
/no!n names of "ro"hets and messengers are mentioned in the Quran and they are "erfectly a""ro"riate
names for male children9
:e !ill list e'am"les from each of the aforementioned categories to demonstrate !hat constitutes as
a""ro"riate name selections from the Quran9 %he list is by no means com"rehensi*e or e'hausti*e9 :e
encourage the reader to use the guidelines !e ha*e included in this boo/ to find e*en more suitable names
from the !ords in the Quran9
%ransliteration Issues
Because !e are !riters from the :est; !e ha*e "ur"osely used name s"ellings that are easiest for a
:esterner to recogni3e and correctly "ronounce9 +dmittedly this method disregards rules of the
International Phonetic +l"habet and introduces uncustomary !ays to s"ell certain household names; yet
!e !ant to gi*e ne! life to the names !ith these alternate s"ellings and not ma/e it more challenging for
Muslim indi*iduals li*ing in the :est9
%he reader is free to s"ell the name ho!e*er they !ant Band it !ill *ary region by region and family by
familyB as long as they /no! the "ro"er +rabic "ronunciation9
0ue to the nature of the Gnglish language; there is no Ccorrect2 !ay to s"ell an +rabic name9 &egardless
of ho! an +rabic name is s"elled in Gnglish; most nonB+rabicBs"ea/ers !ill ha*e trouble "ronouncing it9
For this reason for each name !e ha*e made u" a s"elling that seems to us to reflect the name2s
"ronunciation; and !here a""ro"riate !e ha*e suggested "ossible good alternati*e s"ellings9 But these
s"ellings should not be considered to be the only correct or Cofficial2 *ersions of the names9 Feel free to
get creati*e and use s"ellings that fit your tasteA but first ma/e sure that you /no! the !ord2s correct
+rabic "ronunciation so that you do not alter the name2s meaning9 )sually as long as the consonants are
in the right order; the *o!els are yours to "lay !ith <thus: ahmad; ahmed; uhmud; ahmadde; and others
li/e them are all correct; but not ahdam or adham?9
Cultural Conte't and )sage
%he cultural conte't in !hich the name is going to be used should also be ta/en into account9 +n e'am"le
of a culturallyB"roblematic Quranic name choice is the !ord Ca/hr2; !hich :esterners !ill ha*e
difficulty correctly "ronouncing; saying it uncomfortably close to Csuc/er2; !hich is an offensi*e !ord in
Gnglish9 uch "ossibilities should be ta/en into account to a*oid ma/ing the child2s life among his or her
"eers unnecessarily difficult9
Masculinity *s Feminine
Most of the names mentioned in this boo/ are mentioned in the masculine form; and then con*erted into
feminine by the addition of a trailing Cah2 to the !ord9 For e'am"le; Muneer is a boy2s name; but it can be
made into a girl2s name by the addition of an Cah2; thus the name Muneerah9
,ften the Quran only mentions the masculine *ersion of a name or the feminine *ersion; but not both9 +s
!e said; some of the masculine ones can be con*erted into feminine ones by the addition of an Cah2 to the
end of the !ord; and the re*erse "rocess can be used on feminine !ords; thus turning them masculine by
the remo*al of the trailing Cah29 But note that this "rocess cannot be used on all names; there are many
e'ce"tions; and !e ho"e that you !ill find this boo/ useful for na*igating the intricacies of the +rabic
language as it a""lies to Quranic names9 For each name !e ha*e described in detail the correct usage; the
e'ce"tions; and !hether the names are mentioned as masculine or feminine in the Quran9

+rrangement ,rder of Names
:e ha*e arranged the names by the number of times they are mentioned in the Quran9 0ue to the nature
of the +rabic language; it2s often not easy to determine an e'act number of mentions; because often many
!ords are deri*ed from one root <the name .a/eem is deri*ed from the root hB/Bm; !hich also forms
other !ords li/e haa/im; hu/m; ah/ama; etc?9
If a !ord is deri*ed from a root; and the root is used to create other !ords of similar meaning; !e ha*e
ta/en into account all of the root2s mentions in the Quran to determine a Cnumber of mentions2 for the
name9 :e mention both the !ord2s e'act number of mentions as !ell as the total number of mentions of
the !ord and its siblings; and !e use the latter count to determine the order of names in this boo/9
30 Beautiful Quranic Baby Names
Khayir and Khayirah
Pronunciation Aide:
Boys: -here; -hayr; -haire <one syllable?9
Girls: -hayrah; -heirah; -hera; -heyyirah <t!o or three syllables; see details; em"hasis on Khai?9
Details:
-hair means good; it is the o""osite of e*il9 It is mentioned in *erse #:$$0 among about $H0 other
Quranic mentions:
And establish prayer and give zakah, and whatever good you put forward for yourselves you will find it
with Allah! "ndeed Allah, of what you do, is #eeing! $%:&&'(
%his name has an e'"licitly mentioned feminine *ersion; Khairah or Khaira9 %his feminine *ersion of the
name is used in descri"tion of the )uris of Paradise in *erse >0 of ura &ahman:
"n those gardens there are *)uris who are+ good and beautiful! $,,:-'(
+ccording to -halid bin 1anabah; a res"ected early scholar of the +rabic language; this name describes:
Ia !oman !ho comes from a good and honorable lineage; !ho has a beautiful face; !hose beha*ior is
beautiful; !ho has a lot of !ealth; and !ho is fertile9J %his descri"tion clearly reminds one of -hadi4ah
<alaihas salam?; the !ife of Pro"het Muhammad <sallallahu alaihi wa sallam?; and this gi*es the name an
e*en higher status9 ,b*iously the idea of ha*ing !ealth and being fertile doesn2t seem to ma/e sense in
regards to huris; and for this reason bin 1anabah2s descri"tion of the name shouldn2t be considered the
only *alid one; he is telling us !hat it means !hen used on earthly !omen9
,n a final note; the name -hairah has an alternate s"elling and "ronunciation in +rabic: -hayyirah !hich
has three syllables instead of t!o </hayByiBrah as o""osed to /haiBrah?9 Both -hairah <# syllables? and
-hayyirah <three syllables? ha*e the e'act same meaning and Quranic status according to +bu Mansur
+lB+3hari; the great +rabic language linguist and Islamic scholar of the +bbasid era9
Saalih and Saalihah
Pronunciation Aide:
Boys: alih; aaleh; olley <t!o syllables; em"hasis on #aa?9
Girls: alihah; aaliha; aleha; alyha <three syllables; em"hasis on #aa?9
Details:
alih means righteous; *irtuous; intact; and good; it is the o""osite of corru"t9 Kerse >:>3 is one of about
$3L Quranic mentions9 %he !ord and its "lural <aalihaat? are used most fre6uently in the Quran in the
"hrase Ithose !ho belie*e do goodJ <o*er L0 times?; !hich is a central theme of the Quran and used to
communicate the idea that in Islam belie*ing by itself is not enough; it should al!ays be accom"anied by
doing good deeds if !e see/ +llah <subhanahu wa ta.ala?2s "leasure9 ,ne such *erse is the follo!ing:
*Prophet+, give those who believe and do good the news that they will have /ardens graced with flowing
streams0 $%:%,(
+ fe! of the Quranic mentions refer to Pro"het aalih <alaihi salaam?; !ho !as sent by +llah
<subhanahu wa ta.ala? to the %hamud ci*ili3ation; !ho li*ed in the $
st
millennium BCG:
And to the 1hamud *2e sent+ their brother Saalih! )e said, 34 my people, worship Allah 5 you have no
deity other than )im! 1here has come to you clear evidence from your 6ord! $-:-7(
Hadi and Hadiyah
Pronunciation Aide:
Boys: .ady; .adee; .aadi <t!o syllables; em"hasis on )a?9
Girls: .adeya; .aadiya; .adia <three syllables; em"hasis on )a?9
Details:
.adi means guide; and it is one of the HH +ttributes of +llah <subhanahu wa ta.ala?9 Ibn +lB+thir +lB
1a3ri; the great Islamic scholar of aladin2s time; describes the +ttribute as describing this as"ect of +llah
<subhanahu wa ta.ala?: I.e is the one !ho has gi*en .is ser*ants the ability to see; and has sho!n them
the !ay to!ard /no!ing .im; until they bore !itness that .e is their God; and .e has guided e*ery
creation to!ard !hate*er it needs to e'ist and sur*i*e9J
%he !ord .adi itself is mentioned M times in the Quran9 .o!e*er; its *arious *ariants; such as C.ada2
<!hich means C.e guided2?; and C.uda2 <guidance?; are mentioned more than $00 times; and for this
reason !e consider the status of this name *ery high9
2hoever Allah sends astray there is no guide for him! And )e leaves them in their transgression,
wandering blindly $-:&89(
And your 6ord is enough for you as a guide and supporter! $%,:7&(
%he female *ersion of this name; .aadiyah; should not be confused !ith another beautiful and "o"ular
girl name; .idaayah <guidance?; !hich is deri*ed from the same root9 .idaayah is not mentioned in the
Quran; but since it is a deri*ation of C.ada2; it can be considered Quranic9
+nother "o"ular *ariant is .uda; !hich has e'actly the same meaning as .idaayah <guidance?; and it is
mentioned in the Quran about >M times; and it is only used for girls9
Hakeem and Hakeemah
Pronunciation Aide:
Boys: .a/im; .u/eem <t!o syllables; em"hasis on keem?
Girls: .a/eema; .a/ymahs <three syllables; em"hasis on keem?
Details:
.a/eem means !ise; insightful; and decisi*e9 It is mentioned in *erse MM:M in one of about H> mentionsA
!hen "receded by definite article C+l2 <+lB.a/eem? it becomes one of the HH +ttributes of +llah and
cannot be used as a name; ho!e*er !ithout the C+l2; the use of .a/eem as a name is allo!ed; according
to +bu Mansur +lB+3hari; the great +rabic linguist and Islamic scholar that !e mentioned earlier in
C-hair29
4n that night it is made distinct, every wise, decisive command *of your 6ord+! $::::(
*Prophet+, this news that we recite for you are among /od.s signs and belong to the Decisive
;emembrance *i!e! the <uran+! $7:,8(
Nur and Nurah
Pronunciation Aide:
Boys or girls: Noor; Nour; Nuur <$ syllable?
Girls: Noorah; Nura; Nora; Nourah <# syllables; em"hasis on =u?9
Details:
Nur means light <the o""osite of dar/ness?; radiant <something that gi*es off light on its o!n; such as a
star?; light <as in Cray of light2?; and it is one of the HH +ttributes of +llah <subhanahu wa ta.ala?9 It is
mentioned about MF times in the Quran9
1heir e>ample is that of one who kindled a fire, but when it illuminated what was around him, Allah took
away their light and left them in darkness *so+ they could not see! $%:&-(
/od is the light of the heavens and earth! $%::7,(
%he name Nur can be used for both boys and girls9 It can be attached !ith the femini3ation Cah2; turning it
into Nurah for girls9 +nother "o"ular *ariant is Nuraddeen; !hich means Clight of the faith2; and it is only
used for boys9 %he name doesn2t ha*e an e'act meaning; it suggests that the "erson named so is a leader
among the Muslims; an ins"iring and enlightening "ersonality9
Mariam
Pronunciation Aide:
Girls: Merryum; Maryam; Meriem; Maryamme <three syllables; em"hasis on ?a?9
Details:
%here is a lot of different o"inions on !hat this name actually means; but the only thing !e /no! for
certain is that it is the name of the mother of Pro"het Isaa <alaihuma salam?9 For this reason regardless of
the name2s ancient origins; this name today describes the characteristics of Mary; mother of 1esus; such as
her de*otion to +llah9
%his name is mentioned about thirty si' times in the Quran; and it can only be used for girls9
And 2e did certainly give ?oses the 1orah and followed up after him with messengers! And 2e gave
@esus, the son of Mary, clear proofs and supported him with the Pure #pirit! $%:8-(
/od has also given e>amples of believers: Pharaoh.s wife, who said, A6ord, build me a house near Bou in
the /arden! #ave me from Pharaoh and his actions5 save me from the evildoers,. and Mary, daughter of
A"mran! #he guarded her chastity, so 2e breathed into her from 4ur spirit! #he accepted the truth of her
6ord.s words and #criptures: she was truly devout! $99:&&,&%(
Shams and Shamsah
Pronunciation Aide:
Boys or girls: hems; hamse <$ syllable?9
Girls: hamsah; hemsa <# syllables; em"hasis on #ham?9
Details:
hams stands for N%heO un9 It is mentioned about 3= times in the Quran9
0Abraham said, 3"ndeed, Allah brings up the sun from the east, so bring it up from the west!3 #o the
disbeliever was overwhelmed *by astonishment+, and Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people! $%:%,8(
Ameen and Ameenah
Pronounciation Aide:
Boys: +min; +myne; )hmeen <t!o syllables; em"hasis on meen?9
Girls: +minah; +myna; +meeyna <t!o syllables; em"hasis on meen?9
Details:
+meen means someone !ho is trusted; loyal; or has strong Imaan <belief in +llah?9 Kerse $#:=M is one of
about $H mentions9 Note that the female *ersion; +meenah; is not the name of Pro"het Muhammad2s
mother <salalahu alaihi wa sallam wa alaiha salaam?9 .er name is +hmenah <em"hasis on Ah?; !hich is
mentioned later in this boo/9
And the king said, 3Cring him to me5 " will appoint him e>clusively for myself!3 And when he spoke to him,
he said, 3"ndeed, you are today established *in position+ and trusted!3$ &%:,:(
*/abriel is+ e>tremely obedient, much trusted! $8&:%&(
Dahab
Pronunciation Aide:
Girls: %hehab; 0hehab; 7ahab; 0ahabb <t!o syllables; em"hasis on hab?9
Details:
0hahab means gold <the "recious metal and not the color?9 It is mentioned about eight times in the Quran9
Dishes and goblets of gold will be passed around them with all that their souls desire and their eyes delight
in! $:7:-&(
+lB+3hari in his 1ahdeeb Al6ugha says that dahab is a masculine !ord and cannot be attached !ith the
femini3ation Cah2 <turning it into dahabah?9 :ords in +rabic are either masculine or feminine; and this
affects their grammatical treatment; but not !hether they can be used as names for boys or girls9 %he
!ord dahab is only used for girls9
Muhammad and Muhammadah
Pronunciation Aide:
Boys: Muhammed; Mohamed; Mohamad <three syllables; em"hasis on ham?9
Girls: Mohamada; Muhamada; Mohameda <four syllabes; em"hasis on ham?9
Details:
Muhammad means a "erson in !hich "raise!orthy characteristics are abundant; or a "erson !ho deser*es
constant "raise due to their good traits9 It is the name of Islam2s Pro"het <salalahu alaihi wa sallam?9
Before Islam; only se*en "eo"le among the +rabs !ere /no!n to ha*e this name according to 6isan al
Arab9 +fter Islam it became one of the !orld2s most "o"ular names; if not the most "o"ular one9 It is
mentioned se*en times in the Quran9
Muhammad is not but a messenger! *4ther+ messengers have passed on before him! #o if he was to die or
be killed, would you turn back on your heels *to unbelief+D And he who turns back on his heels will never
harm Allah at all5 but Allah will reward the grateful $7:&::(
%he female *ersion; Muhammadah; !hile ob*iously not mentioned in the Quran; has e'actly the same
meaning as Muhammad; e'ce"t that it2s e'clusi*ely femaleA it means C"raise!orthy female2 instead of
C"raise!orthy "erson29
Jameel and Jameelah
Pronunciation Aide:
Boys: 1amil; 1uhmeel; 1amyle <t!o syllables; em"hasis on meel?9
Girls: 1amilah; 1ameela; 1amyla <t!o syllables; em"hasis on meel?9
Details:
%his name means beautiful9 :hile it means both beauty in sha"e and beauty in beha*ior; the Quran uses it
only to refer to beauty in beha*ior9 It is mentioned si' times in the Quran9
And they brought upon his shirt false blood! *@acob+ said, 3;ather, your souls have enticed you to
something, so a beautiful patience is my duty *it can also be translated as Aand patience is beautiful.+! And
Allah is the one sought for help against that which you describe!3 $&%:&8(
Prophet, say to your wives, A"f your desire is for the present life and its finery, then come, " will make
provision for you and release you in a beautiful way!. $77:%8(
Muneer and Muneerah
Pronunciation Aide:
Boys: Monir; Munir; Muniyr <t!o syllables; em"hasis on neer?9
Girls: Moneerah; Monyra; Munirah; Muneera <three syllables; em"hasis on neer?9
Details:
%he name means enlightening; brilliant; full of light9 Kerse 3:$FM is the first of si' Quranic mentions:
1hen if they deny you, *4 ?uhammad+ so were messengers denied before you, who brought clear proofs
and written ordinances and the enlightening #cripture! $7:&8:(
E>alted is )e who put constellations in the heavens, a radiant light, and an illuminating moon! $%,:9&(
Diyaa
Pronunciation Aide:
Girls: 0iya; 0iaa; 0heya; 0ya <t!o syllables; em"hasis on yaa?9
Details:
0iyaa means Csource of light2; something that shines brilliantly and lightens u" the area around it9 It is
mentioned three times in the Quran:
"t is )e who made the sun a shining light and the moon a derived light and determined for it phases that
you may know the number of years and account *of time+! Allah has not created this e>cept in truth! )e
details the signs for a people who know $&':,(
Imran
Pronunciation Aide:
Boys: Imraan; Imron; Imrahn; Gmran <t!o syllables; em"hasis on ran?9
Details:
6isan alArab doesn2t tell us any s"ecific meaning for this !ord; starting and concluding !ith Iit2s a
nameJ9 It is the name of the father of Maryam; mother of Isaa <1esus? <alaihum salam?9 It is mentioned
three times in the Quran; and can only be used for boys9
2hen the wife of FImran said, 3?y 6ord, indeed " have pledged to Bou what is in my womb, consecrated
*for Bour service+, so accept this from me! "ndeed, Bou are the )earing, the Knowing!3 $7:7,(
Kawkab and Kawkabah
Pronunciation Aide:
Girls: -o/ab; Cocab; -au/abbe <t!o syllables; em"hasis on Kaw?9
Girls <again?: Co/aba; Cocaba; -o/aba <three syllables; em"hasis on Ko?9
Details:
-a!/ab means star9 +ccording to +lB+3hari some +rabs used -a!/ab for all stars; and -a!/abah; the
femini3ed *ersion of the !ord; for Kenus only; but it seems li/e this !asn2t common "ractice; and both
!ords !ere used interchangeably de"ending on content9 In modern +rabic te'tboo/s the !ord -a!/ab is
reser*ed for "lanets; !hile the !ord na4m is used for stars9 In ancient and Medie*al times +rabs didn2t
ha*e this distinction; since at that time the nature of astronomical bodies !asn2t clearly /no!n9 %herefore
!hen used as a name; -a!/ab and -a!/abah should be considered to mean any star; since that2s the !ay
the !ords are used in Quranic conte't9 %he modern meaning of "lanet is more of a retooling of an old
!ord for ne! "ur"oses <not a bad thing necessarily?9
%he !ord -a!/ab is mentioned three times in the Quran9 Both *ersions of the !ord; -a!/ab and
-a!/abah; are used for girls only; for cultural reasons9
<uranic ?ention:
#o when the night covered him *with darkness+, he saw a star. )e said, 31his is my lord!3 Cut when it set,
he said, 3" like not those that disappear!3 $9:-9(
Khaleel and Khaleelah
Pronunciation Aide:
Boys: -halil; -alil; Calyle <t!o syllables; em"hasis on leel?9
Girls: -halilah; Calila; -halyla <three syllables; em"hasis on lee?9
Details:
-haleel means intimate friend; close ac6uaintance9 It is mentioned three times in the Quran9
And who is better in religion than one who submits himself to Allah while being a doer of good and
follows the religion of Abraham, inclining toward truthD And Allah took Abraham as an intimate friend
$::&%,(
*Prophet+, the disbelievers tried to tempt you away from what 2e revealed to you, so that you would
invent some other revelation and attribute it to Gs, and then they would have taken you as an intimate
friend! $&-:-7(
+nother *ersion of the !ord; -hilaal; !hich means friendshi"; is mentioned once in the Quran; and it is
more "o"ular for boys:
*Prophet+, say to those servants of ?ine who have believed to keep up the prayer and give,
secretly and in public, out of what 2e have provided them, before a Day comes when there will
be no trading or friendship!
Aamin and Aamina
Pronunciation Aide:
Boys: +amen; +amn <em"hasis on Aa?9
Girls: +hmena; +hmina; ,mmna; +mna <three syllables; em"hasis on Aa?9
Details:
+aminah means Csafe one2; someone !ho is "rotected from all that causes fear9 It is the name of Pro"het
Muhammad2s mother <sallallahu alaihi wa sallam wa alaiha salaamH9 Note that the em"hasis is on Aa
<thus a long Aa and a 6uic/ mina?; as o""osed to the name +meenah !here the em"hasis is on mee9 %he
name +amin <i9e9 the masculine *ersion of the name? is mentioned once in the Quran; in #F:=>; !hile
+aminah; the feminine *ersion; is mentioned once also; in $L:$$#9
And they say, 3"f we were to follow the guidance with you, we would be swept from our land!3 )ave we not
established for them a safe sanctuary to which are brought the fruits of all things as provision from GsD
Cut most of them do not know $%8:,-(
It should be noted that the name +amin <the masculine *ersion? is not a "o"ular name; though there is no
reason for this other than +rab cultural "ractice9 +lso note that +amin is difficult to distinguish from
+meen; both for +rabs and for :esterners; and +rabs !ill al!ays find it reminiscent of the feminine
*ersion <+aminah?9 For this reason !e don2t recommend using +amin for boys9 %hese considerations
don2t a""ly to +aminah; the feminine *ersion; !hich is a beautiful and a""ro"riate name for girls9
Amal
Pronunciation Aide: Gmel; +ml; +mel; Gmal; +mal; Gmell <t!o syllables; em"hasis on Em?9
Details:
+mal means ho"e; "ros"ect9 It is mentioned t!ice in the Quran9
2ealth and children are *but+ adornment of the worldly life! Cut the enduring good deeds are better to
your 6ord for reward and better for *oneFs+ hope! $&8::9(
Baariz and Baarizah
Pronunciation Aide:
Boys: Bahri3; Bahre3; Bari3 <t!o syllables; em"hasis on Ca?9
Girls: Baari3ah; Bare3ah; Bari3a; Bariy3a <three syllables; em"hasis on Ca?9
Details:
Bari3ah means "rominent; manifest9 It is mentioned t!ice in the Quran; once in the masculine form and
once in the feminine form9 +long !ith its other *ariants; such as baraza <!hich means Cit became
a""arent2?; it is mentioned about ten times9
<uranic ?ention:
And *warn of+ the Day when 2e will remove the mountains and you will see the earth prominent, and 2e
will gather them and not leave behind from them anyone! $&8::-(
Baheej and Baheejah
Pronunciation Aide:
Boys or girls: Bahi4; Bahige <t!o syllables; em"hasis on heeI?9
Girls: Bahi4a; Bahey4ah <three syllables; em"hasis on hee4?9
Details:
Bahee4 means beautiful; con*i*ial9 :hen used in descri"tion of "lants it means those !ith a beauty and
richness of color9 Kerse =0:> is the second of t!o mentions9
And the earth 2e spread it out and cast therein firmly set mountains and made grow therein *a plant+ of
every beautiful kind $,':-(
Bah4at; a *ariant of this !ord; is a "o"ular name for boys; and it has one Quranic mention; in ura Naml:
2ho is it who created the heavens and earthD 2ho sends down water from the sky for you, with
which 2e cause beautiful, delightful gardens to grow: you have no power to make the trees grow
in themJis it another god beside /odD =oK Cut they are people who take others to be equal with
/od! $%-:9'(
Layyin and Layyinah
Pronunciation Aide:
Boys: 5ayyin; 5ahyeen <t!o syllables; em"hass 6ay?
Girls: 5ayyinah; 5eyina; 5ayna <three syllables; em"hasis on 6ay?9
Details:
5ayyinah means gentle; soft; and "liable9 It is mentioned t!ice in the Quran; once in the feminine and
another in the masculine9 %he feminine *ersion; 5ayyinah; is used in referral to young trees <since their
stems ha*en2t hardened yet?; !hile the masculine *ersion is used to describe the manner of s"eech in
!hich Pro"het Moses should s"ea/ to the Pharoah:
And speak to him with gentle speech that perhaps he may be reminded or fear *Allah+! $%':::(
+nother form of the !ord; Calanna2; !hich means C!e made NsomethingO soft2; is mentioned in ura
aba2:
And we made iron soft and pliable for him *Prophet Dawood+! $7::&'(
%his form of the !ord is a *erb and ob*iously cannot be used as a name9 :e mentioned it here so that if
you use 5ayyinah or 5ayyin for your child2s name you /no! that the Quran mentions another form of it
in 3M:$09
Marjaan
Pronunciation Aide:
Girls: Mar4aan; Mer4an; MargeB+nn; Mar4anne <t!o syllables; em"hasis on Ian?9
Details:
+ccording to some scholars Mar4aan is a Csmall and delicate "earl2; !hile others say it refers to "recious
coral; also /no!n as red coral <scientific name: Corallium rubrum?; !hich has an intensely red color and
has been used in the ma/ing of 4e!elry for millennia9 It is mentioned t!ice in the Quran9
Lrom both of them emerge pearl and coral. $,,:%%(
"t is as if they *the huris+ are ruby and coral! $,,:,8(
Tari and Tariah
Pronunciation Aide:
Boys: %ahri6; %aare6; %aric/ <t!o syllables; em"hasis on 1a?9
Girls: %are6ah; %aari6ah; %areca <three syllables; em"hasis on 1a?9
Details:
%his name means shooting star or night *isitor9 +fter the disco*ery of "ulsars; !hich are highly
magneti3ed; rotating neutron stars that emit "o!erful beams of electromagnetic radiation; some modern
Muslim scholars say that tariq refers to these stars; and this inter"retation fits the Quranic *erse "erfectly;
because in +rabic tariq means Cthing that /noc/s2; and "ulsars !ere initially called C/noc/ing stars2; stars
that ma/e a constant /noc/ing sound !hen listened to on a radio recei*er9
Kerses FL:$B# are the only t!o mentions:
<uranic ?ention:
Cy the sky and the night comer (or pulsar) And what do you know of the night comer (or pulsar)D "t is a
piercing star! $89:&7(
%he feminine *ersion; %aari6ah; should not be confused !ith %uhree6uh <em"hasis on ree?; !hich means
road or "ath; also a Quranic name; though due to the fact it is used to refer to different ufi doctrines
<such as the Na6shbandi %uhree6uh?; the name has ufi connotations9 For this reason don2t use it if you
don2t !ant "eo"le to randomly assume your child comes from a ufi family <unless of course the child
does come from one; in that case the name is a "erfect choice?9 +s long as you clearly "ut the em"hasis on
1a in %ari6ah <could be made more ob*ious by using the double Ca2 s"elling: %aari6ah?; no one should
confuse it !ith the %uhree6uh9
Ahmad
Pronunciation Aide:
Boys: +hmed; Ghmad9 t!o syllables; em"hasis on Ah
Details:
+hmad is said to ha*e the e'act same meaning as Muhammad: + "erson in !hich "raise!orthy traits are
abundant; or one !ho deser*es constant "raise due to their good character9 It is one of the names of
Pro"het Muhammad <sallallahu alaihi wa sallam?9 It is mentioned once in the Quran9
<uranic ?ention:
And *mention+ when @esus, the son of ?ary, said, 34 children of "srael, indeed " am the messenger of Allah
to you confirming what came before me of the 1orah and bringing good tidings of a messenger to come
after me, whose name is Ahmad $9&:9(
%here is no feminine *ersion of C+hmad2 because; though this might be getting too technical;
grammatically C+hmad2 is a !ord used for com"arisonBBit means Cmore "raise!orthy2 <hada ahmadu min
dalik means Cthis is more "raise!orthy than that2?9 uch !ords cannot be attached !ith the femini3ation
Cah2; they can inherit genderBs"ecificity from the item they are describing; they cannot besto! it u"on
other !ords; and for this reason in +rabic it doesn2t ma/e sense to attach an Cah2 to +hmad or !ords li/e
it9
Judy
Pronunciation Aide:
Girls: @udi, @oodiyy, @oodi <t!o syllables; em"hasis on @u?9
Details:
1udy is the name of the "lace !here Pro"het Noah <alaihi salam?2s ar/ rested !hen the flood ended9 +bu
Ishaa6 +3B7u4a4; the great linguist and grammarian of the +rabic language <died 3$$ .i4ri? says it is a
mountain in +mad <modern 0iyar Ba/r in %ur/ey?; others say it is a mountain in Mosul in Ira69
%his name sounds e'actly li/e the "o"ular :estern name 1udy; !hich is short for 1udith; or someone !ho
comes from 1udea9 cholars say that the fact that this name sounds e'actly li/e a ChristianE1e!ish name
doesn2t create a "roblem as long as it is ac/no!ledged that the name is sourced from the Quran and not
from ChristianE1e!ish culture9
%his name is mentioned once in the Quran:
And it was said, 34 earth, swallow your water, and 4 sky, withhold *your rain+!3 And the water subsided,
and the matter was accomplished, and the ship came to rest on udy! And it was said, 3Away with the
wrongdoing people!3 $&&:::(
Marwah
Pronunciation Aide:
Girls: Mero!a; Mar!a <t!o syllables; em"hasis on ?ar?9
Details:
+ccording to +bu .anifah Mar!ah means a smooth and hard !hite roc/; the /ind that animals use as a
salt lic/ to "ro*ide them !ith nutrients9 ,thers say it means a !hite roc/ that2s used for starting fires;
!hich li/ely means 6uart39 It is the name of a hill in Mecca; im"ortant to .a44 "roceedings; one of the t!o
hills in !hich; as mentioned in the details of afaa; .a4ar searched for !ater9
%he name can only be used for girls since the !ord is a "ro"er noun@remo*ing the Cah2 !ould remo*e
the Quranic significance; in !hich case it !ould become Maru; !hich means C!hite stone used for
igniting fires2 according to 5isan alB+rab; !hich as !e said "robably refers to 6uart39
Mar!ah is mentioned once in the Quran:
"ndeed, assafa and alMarwa are among the symbols of Allah! #o whoever makes )aII to the )ouse or
performs Fumrah there is no blame upon him for walking between them! And whoever volunteers good
then indeed, Allah is appreciative and Knowing! $%:&,8(
Naadhir and Naadhirah
Pronunciation Aide:
Boys: Nadir; Naader; Nahdre <t!o syllables; em"hasis on =a?9
Girls: Naadira; Nodeera; Nadirah; Nadiyra; Nahdra <three syllables; em"hasis on =a?9
Details:
%his name describes something that2s beautiful; radiant; and "ure9 Kerse >=:## is the only mention:
<uranic ?ention:
*#ome+ faces, that Day, will be radiant $-,:%%(
%his name should not be confused !ith the "o"ular +rab name Naader <in !hich the Cd2 is the +rabic
letter dal instead of dhaal?; !hich means Crare2; and is not a Quranic name9 ,b*iously most nonB+rabs
!ould "ronounce both names the same !ay; but it is good if the "erson named such /no!s !hat the
correct "ronunciation of their name is9 %hus Naadhir; the Quranic name that this entry is about; has the
letter Cdhal2; !hich is the letter that you read in Cghairal maghdhoobi alaihim2 in urtaul Fatiha9
Sa!aa
Pronunciation Aide:
Girls: uhfah; ufah; uhfa; afae <t!o syllables; em"hasis on #a?9
Details:
%his !ord means a large; smooth roc/; and it is the name of a hill in Mecca; and its relation to Islam is
due to the im"ortance of this hill to the .a44 "roceedings; !hich commemorate .a4ar !hen she ran
bet!een the t!o hills searching for !ater for her son Ismaeel <alaihuma salam?9 It is mentioned once in
the Quran:
"ndeed, assafa and al?arwah are among the symbols of Allah! #o whoever makes )aII to the )ouse or
performs Fumrah there is no blame upon him for walking between them! And whoever volunteers good
then indeed, Allah is appreciative and Knowing! $%:&,8(
"ahrah
Pronunciation Aide:
Girls: 7uhrah; 7ahrah; 7ehra; 7ahruh <t!o syllables; em"hasis on Ma?9
Details:
7ahrah means flo!er9 It is mentioned only once in the Quran; !ithin a "o"ular +rabic idiom !hich
literally means Cflo!er of the !orld29 :hen +rabs say something is a flo!er of the !orld; it means it is
one of the things that ma/e life en4oyable; for instance; health; !ealth; and children can be describes as
flo!ers of the !orld9 For this reason 7ahrah can also be considered to mean Cs"lendor2 and Cbounty2;
since that is the meaning for !hich it is used in the Quran:
And do not e>tend your eyes toward that by which 2e have given enIoyment to *some+ categories of them,
*its being but+ the splendor of worldly life by which 2e test them! And the provision of your 6ord is better
and more enduring $%':&7&(
)nli/e other names !e ha*e mentioned; 7ahrah cannot be turned into a name for boys by remo*ing the
Cah29 &emo*ing the Cah2 turns it into 7ahr; !hich means Cflo!ers2 <it is the "lural for 7ahrah?9 %he !ord
7ahr /ee"s its feminine meaning since it is the "lural of a feminine name <e*en though the Cah2 is
remo*ed?; and for this reason cannot be used for boys9 %his is issue is different from the
feminineEmasculine !ord issue mentioned in the name dahab earlier; but to a*oid getting confused; 4ust
trust us; you don2t !ant to use this !ord for boys9
"ayd
Pronunciation Aide:
Boys: 7ade; 7aid; 7aide <one syllable?9
Details:
7ayd means gro!th; abundance; one !ho ma/es "rogress9 It is the name of Pro"het Muhammad
<sallallahu alaihi wa sallam?2s ado"ted son9 It is mentioned once in the Quran9 Many of the Pro"het2s
com"anions !ere named 7ayd and for this reason it is a "o"ular name among Muslims9
2hen you *Prophet+ said to the man who had been favored by /od and by you, AKeep your wife and be
mindful of /od,. you hid in your heart what /od would later reveal: you were afraid of people, but it is
more fitting that you fear /od! 2hen !ayd no longer wanted her, 2e gave her to you in marriage so that
there might be no fault in believers marrying the wives of their adopted sons after they no longer wanted
them! /od.s command must be carried out! $77:7-(
Getting .el" !ith Choosing a Name
If you ha*e a 6uestion regarding one of the names mentioned in this boo/; or if you are interested in a
Quranic !ord that2s not described in this boo/ and !ould li/e to learn more about it; "lease feel free to
send us your 6uestion using the contact form on our !ebsite at: htt":EE!!!96uranclub9netE"Econtact9html
+bout QuranClub
QuranClub is a collaborati*e Islamic blog that !or/s to create a !ellBinformed; s"iritual; and acti*e Muslim
generation through intelligent ideas and analysis9 Kisit us at QuranClub9net9
Co*er Credits
Photo P Charlotte Morrall9 Co*er design by I/ram -urdi9
Published by QuranClub Islamic Blog