Muslim Names

Arshiya, also spelled Arshia, is a name used for girls and sometimes boys mainly in Iran and among Indo-Persians. seven girls given the Arshiya spelling of the name in the US last year, with another nine girls and five boys named Arshia.

Miraç is currently one of the most popular boy names in Turkey. It's a variation of the Arabic name Miraj, which refers to the ascension into Heaven. Both names are predominantly used by Muslim families.

Feminine form of Nadir

A favorite Muslim name, Kareem first appeared on the US Top 1000 list in 1972 (jumping in at Number 405!), coinciding with the early career of basketball great turned writer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (born Lewis Alcindor). It has continued to chart every year since.

Zuleika is a high-wire act of a name that might appeal to the intrepid baby namer, Like most 'Z'-starting girls' names, it projects a cool, strong aura, as exemplified by the character in Max Beerbohm's satirical 1910 novel, Zuleika Dobson, a heroine so gorgeous that the entire student body of Oxford University committed collective suicide at the sight of her.

A symbolic name for boys born during a period between Passover and Shavuot.

Gentle, pleasant, and succinct, Layan is a popular choice across the Arab world and related to other well-loved Arabic choices, such as Alina, Leen, and Lina. Familiar in The UK, the Netherlands, Spain, and Belgium too, it has been on the rise in the US since the early 2000s and now sits just outside the Top 1000. With Leila, Lila, and Aaliyah already well known among English speakers, Layan could translate well. In sound, it is a little like Leanne, while in appearance it is reminiscent of Lainey and Layla - all of which makes it a friendly, cross-cultural choice with a nice meaning.

In Turkish, the name is transcribed as Nazlı, with a dotless I.

Zainab—the name of a flowering tree and of a granddaughter, daughter, and two wives of the Prophet Muhammed—was a newcomer to the US Top 1000 in 2013. While simplified variations Zaina or Zayna are more Western-friendly, neither makes the US list.

A meaningful name for a long-awaited child.

Arabic form of Joshua

Adnan in the Muslim religion was an ancestor of Muhammad. More recently, the name was introduced to many Westerners via Adnan Syed, the young man at the center of the sensational Serial podcast.

Has a gemlike glow, as in Sapphire.

The Islamic prophet Muhammad was born in the city of Mecca, now known as the holiest city in Islam. Officially called Makkah al-Mukarramah, or Makkah, it is located in modern-day Saudi Arabia. Millions of Muslims from across the world make a pilgrimage there each year, while Non-Muslims are understandably not allowed inside the city.

Related to Amir and Amira, an antiquated name that holds some modern appeal.

Names that sound and/or are spelled like Dalila exist in several languages, from the Swahili Dalili to the Arabic Dalil to the Hebrew Delilah. A beautiful cross-cultural choice.

Indian tennis sensation Sania Mirza is popularizing this one.

Pretty and strong, Zeynep is one of the most popular girl names in Turkey, where it has ranked in the Top 10 for more than 40 years — half of which it has spent in the very top spot. Familiar in The Netherlands, the UK, Germany, and France, Zeynep is related to the Arabic Zaynab which is well-used throughout the Muslim world.