180+ Arabic Girl Names

The M and the R add welcome strength.

Asma is an important name in the Muslim religion. Asma was a niece of Muhammad whose refusal to betray her uncle and father helped them escape to Mecca. Downside in English-speaking countries is that Asma sounds like asthma, the illness that blocks airways and makes it difficult to breathe.

Sami is cute if overused in its more familiar Sammy form.

Extremely simple and extremely distinctive -- a winning combination. Sound-alike Calla is a Greek (and botanical) name that means beautiful.

A beautiful and evocative place-name that deserves wider use.

The Prophet Muhammad's first wife and the first convert to Islam, and a very popular name in the Muslim community. It ranks in the Top 200 girls' names in France, Italy and England & Wales (alongside variant Khadijah just below the Top 200).

Pretty and feminine Muslim name popular in Egypt.

This name belongs to the eponymous heroine of Rossini's opera; 'Zelmira' (1822) about a (fictional) princess of Lesbos who saves her father and husband and her kingdom.

Nature girl played by Audrey Hepburn in "Green Mansions," it now has an old-style bohemian feel.

Both an independent name and an alternate spelling of Jada.

The feminine form of Amir, a soft and regal baby name popular in the Muslim community.

Shy but sultry.

Farasha is butterfly in Arabic, which means that to English-speakers, it feels more like a soft feminine name and less like a fluttery animal. Pretty without feeling flighty.

A pleasant, welcoming Middle Eastern choice.

A rare Arabic name related to the Hebrew Shalom, Solomon or Salome, meaning "peace", " safety" or "completeness". In complete contrast, it could be related to the word "dhulm" or "zulm" meaning "unfairness", and conveying the idea of overcoming oppression.

Zaynab, from the Arabic word for beauty and the name of a flowering tree, was the name of a granddaughter, daughter and two wives of the Prophet Muhammed. Related names include the simplified forms Zaina and Zayna and the Swahili-inflected Zainabu, along with possibly Zenobia, a name related to the Greek mythological god Zeus. Zaynab is one of the most popular Muslim girls' names around the world.

Spelled this way, Adine could be a relative of either the Irish Aideen, which means jealousy, or the Arabic Adina, meaning slender. We'll go with the slender.

Emani is more popular than the original Iman, for girls at least. About 200 baby girls were named Emani in the US last year, while 80 girls were named Iman. Iman is quite gender-neutral, with 60 baby boys given the name, while only a handful of baby boys were named Emani.

Khalida is an evocative Middle Eastern choice. Its male counterpart, Khalid, recently returned to the US Top 1000.

Simple and melodic, this spelling offers an alternative to the more-popular Aliyah or Aaliyah -- the name of the late R&B singer who propelled the name into the US Top 100.