Muslim Names

Jamal is an Arabic boys’ name meaning "beauty." Jamal and its variants are popular in the Muslim community, although Jamal’s popularity within the US has decreased in recent years.

A beautiful name found in Urdu Muslim communities.

Kareem is the more popular form in the US, thanks to basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, but Karim is right on his heels after being among the fastest-rising names of 2022. French soccer player Karim Benzema's recent success on the elite team Real Madrid may play in a part in the name's upswing.

Zayn and the more Western-friendly Zain sound exactly like the popular Zane but have a different root, in Arabic and African cultures. The name was made familiar to Europeans and Americans by British singer-songwriter Zayn, born Zain Malik. This is an easily-translated choice for a family that wants to bridge cultures, but you have to accept that people will be forever spelling the name "wrong".

Amal is an attractive name with a wonderful meaning that has long been used in many Middle Eastern countries, especially Lebanon (and migrant communities). It is of course getting a lot more coverage now since the fame of international human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin Clooney, who's singlehandedly made this one of the best-known Arabic names for girls.

Zahara, a delicate but strong multicultural name, came into the spotlight when Angelina Jolie bestowed it on her Ethiopian-born daughter, and we predict other parents will adopt it as well. If you want something simpler than Zahara, consider Zara, a royal name in England--but also the name of a Spanish-based clothing store chain.

In Georgian mythology, Dali is the goddess of hunting. The origins of her name are disputed — some scholars claim it comes from the Georgian word for morning, dila, while others claim links to words for "demon" and "god".

Well used by Muslim parents across the world, Ibrahim is the Arabic variation of Abraham. Significant in multiple religions and with an international and well-travelled feel about it, Ibrahim has been in the US Top 1000 since the 1990s, and is currently popular in Azerbaijan, France, the UK, and Turkey.

A twist on Alina or Alena, this name popped into the Top 500 for the first time in 2014. Also an Arabic name, meaning "soft, pliable, delicate".

A strong and meaningful Muslim name which is popular in the UK.

Hassan is among the more familiar Arabic choices, and also one with an attractive meaning. It has appeared in the US Top 1000 every year since 1971.

Popular with Muslim and African-American parents, this virtue name also fits in with the trendy i ending names being seen at the moment. It debuted on the US Top 1000 in 1996.

Appealing crosscultural choice.

Turkish and Bosnian form of the Arabic name Asma, with the powerful meaning of "supreme".

Zariyah has several possible origins: the Arabic Zahrah which means "flower" or Zariya "scattering wind"; the Hebrew name Azariah, meaning "God has helped"; or the Russian word Zaria which means "sunrise, dawn."

Spelled in various ways, this name was first brought into the American consciousness by the Lebanese-American poet and artist Kahlil Gibran, author of The Prophet.

Zayd (or its most common variant Zaid), an old and still well used Arabic name, was a enslaved man whom Muhammad adopted as his son.

The usage of this Arabic name has been increasing in the US, joining the Top 1000 for the first time in 2015. Aminah bint Wahb was the mother of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

Sakina is a feminine name derived from the Arabic word Sakun/Sakoon meaning peace, tranquillity. Sakina can refer to the sense of serenity, or the reassuring peace that can settle upon an enlightened person. Actress Sakina Jaffrey, best known from her role in House of Cards, is a bearer of this name.

Haris is in the top 50 in Bosnia and Herzegovina and makes a good choice for the globetrotting child. It would make for an excellent and not overused Arabic-English crossover choice.