Arabic Girl Names
Arabic girl names are famously lyrical. Many describe beauty in concrete images — a gazelle, a pearl, the light before dawn — while others name a virtue a family hopes their daughter will carry, like patience, grace or faith. We have gathered more than 110 Arabic names for girls, grouped by style, each with its meaning and an easy pronunciation.
Plenty of these names are shared with our list of Muslim girl names, and several, like Layla and Yasmin, have been used in English for generations. Looking for a brother’s name? Browse our Arabic boy names, or go back to the main Arabic names guide.
Popular Arabic girl names
These names are common across the Arab world and well known to English speakers, which makes them a favorite with families abroad.
| Name | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Layla | LAY-la | Night; dark-haired beauty |
| Noor | NOOR | Light |
| Amira | a-MEE-ra | Princess, leader |
| Yasmin | yas-MEEN | Jasmine flower |
| Maryam | MAR-yam | Arabic form of Mary |
| Fatima | FAH-ti-ma | One who abstains; daughter of the Prophet |
| Aisha | AH-ee-sha | Alive, living well |
| Salma | SAL-ma | Safe, peaceful |
| Zainab | ZAY-nab | Fragrant flowering tree |
| Hana | HA-na | Happiness, bliss |
| Aaliyah | AH-lee-ya | Exalted, high |
| Rania | RAH-nee-a | Gazing, queenly |
| Lina | LEE-na | Tender palm tree |
| Sara | SAH-ra | Princess; one who brings joy |
| Mariam | MAR-ee-am | Variant spelling of Maryam |
| Dana | DAH-na | Large, precious pearl |
| Jana | JA-na | Harvest, fresh fruit |
| Malak | MA-lak | Angel |
Arabic girl names from the Quran and early Islam
Maryam is the only woman named in the Quran; the other names below belong to celebrated women of early Islamic history.
| Name | Who she was | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Khadija | First wife of the Prophet | Early-born, premature child |
| Asiya | Wife of Pharaoh, praised in the Quran | One who tends the weak |
| Hajar | Mother of Ismail | Possibly “flight, emigration” |
| Sumayya | First martyr of Islam | High above |
| Ruqayya | Daughter of the Prophet | Gentle ascent |
| Umm Kulthum | Daughter of the Prophet | Mother of the chubby-cheeked one |
| Hafsa | Wife of the Prophet | Young lioness |
| Safiyya | Wife of the Prophet | Pure, best friend |
| Nusayba | Defender at the Battle of Uhud | Of noble lineage |
| Juwayriya | Wife of the Prophet | Young woman |
| Halima | Wet nurse of the Prophet | Gentle, patient |
| Asma | Daughter of Abu Bakr | Lofty, exalted |
| Rabia | Rābiʿa al-ʿAdawiyya, Sufi mystic | Fourth; spring |
| Maymuna | Wife of the Prophet | Blessed, fortunate |
Flower, gem and nature names
Arabic poetry is full of gardens and jewels, and many girls’ names come straight from them. Compare with our flower names for girls.
| Name | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Warda | WAR-da | Rose |
| Zahra | ZAH-ra | Flower; radiant |
| Yusra | YUS-ra | Ease, prosperity |
| Rayhana | ray-HAH-na | Sweet basil |
| Nisreen | nis-REEN | Wild rose |
| Luluah | LOO-loo-a | Pearl |
| Jumana | joo-MAH-na | Silver pearl |
| Yaqoot | ya-KOOT | Ruby, sapphire |
| Marjan | mar-JAN | Coral |
| Ghada | GHA-da | Graceful young woman; tender tree |
| Nada | NA-da | Morning dew |
| Reem | REEM | White gazelle |
| Maha | MA-ha | Wild oryx; beautiful eyes |
| Samar | SA-mar | Evening conversation |
| Shams | SHAMS | Sun |
| Qamar | KA-mar | Moon |
| Thurayya | thu-RAY-ya | The Pleiades star cluster |
| Sahar | SA-har | Early dawn |
| Ghaytha | GHAY-tha | Rain |
| Janna | JAN-na | Garden, paradise |
Arabic girl names meaning grace and virtue
Virtue names are especially common among Arabic names for girls. Several also appear in our names that mean hope.
| Name | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Amal | a-MAL | Hope |
| Iman | ee-MAN | Faith |
| Sabira | SAH-bi-ra | Patient |
| Hiba | HI-ba | Gift |
| Rahma | RAH-ma | Mercy, compassion |
| Latifa | la-TEE-fa | Gentle, kind |
| Karima | ka-REE-ma | Generous, noble |
| Wafa | wa-FAH | Loyalty, faithfulness |
| Najla | NAJ-la | Wide-eyed |
| Basma | BAS-ma | Smile |
| Farah | FA-rah | Joy |
| Salwa | SAL-wa | Solace, comfort |
| Amani | a-MAH-nee | Wishes, aspirations |
| Huda | HOO-da | Right guidance |
| Taqwa | TAK-wa | Piety, God-consciousness |
| Ihsan | ih-SAN | Excellence, doing good |
Timeless and poetic Arabic names
Names from classical poetry and the golden age of Arabic song. Umm Kulthum and Fairuz made several of them famous across the region.
| Name | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Laila | LAY-la | Variant of Layla, from the poem “Layla and Majnun” |
| Buthaina | bu-THAY-na | Of soft, beautiful body; beloved of poet Jamil |
| Nawal | na-WAL | Gift, endowment |
| Suad | su-AD | Happiness, good fortune |
| Hind | HIND | Hundred camels; a classical name |
| Fairuz | fay-ROOZ | Turquoise |
| Samira | sa-MEE-ra | Evening companion |
| Jamila | ja-MEE-la | Beautiful |
| Nabila | na-BEE-la | Noble |
| Soraya | so-RAI-ya | Pleiades (Persian-Arabic) |
| Munira | moo-NEE-ra | Luminous, bright |
| Wadad | wi-DAD | Love, affection |
| Hayat | ha-YAT | Life |
| Zubaida | zu-BAY-da | Cream; name of Harun al-Rashid’s wife |
| Najwa | NAJ-wa | Secret conversation |
Modern and unique Arabic girl names
Newer favorites that are short, bright and easy to spell in English. For more rare picks, see our unique girl names.
| Name | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Leen | LEEN | Tenderness, softness |
| Talia | TAH-lee-a | Early; young (also Hebrew “dew of God”) |
| Joud | JOOD | Generosity |
| Dima | DEE-ma | Soft, steady rain |
| Tala | TA-la | Palm tree; the first light |
| Bushra | BUSH-ra | Good news, glad tidings |
| Yara | YA-ra | Small butterfly |
| Rahaf | ra-HAF | Delicate, sensitive |
| Aseel | a-SEEL | Of noble origin; pure-bred |
| Sidra | SID-ra | Lote tree (Sidrat al-Muntaha) |
| Alya | AL-ya | Sky, heaven; high rank |
| Zeina | ZAY-na | Beautiful, adorned |
| Mira | MEE-ra | Provisions, supplies |
| Lujain | lu-JAYN | Silver |
| Kawthar | KAW-thar | Abundance; a river in Paradise |
| Masa | MAH-sa | Diamond |
| Ruba | ROO-ba | Hills |
| Aya | AH-ya | Sign, miracle; a verse of the Quran |
| Ghufran | ghuf-RAN | Forgiveness |
| Dunya | DUN-ya | The world |
| Sana | SA-na | Radiance, brilliance |
| Hadeel | ha-DEEL | The cooing of doves |
| Nadia | NA-dee-a | Tender, moist with dew |
| Arwa | AR-wa | Female mountain goat; a Yemeni queen’s name |
| Lubna | LUB-na | Storax tree |
| Shatha | SHA-tha | Aroma, fragrance |
| Raneem | ra-NEEM | Singing, melody |
| Afnan | af-NAN | Branches |
| Nuha | NOO-ha | Intellect, mind |
How to choose an Arabic girl name
- Decide which pronunciation matters most: Layla, Leila and Laila are all accepted spellings, so pick one and use it consistently on documents.
- Look at the meaning literally — Arabic speakers will. Names like Farah (joy) or Amal (hope) are also everyday words.
- If you want a name that crosses cultures, Yasmin, Lina, Sara, Maryam, Dana and Zara are recognizable in English, French and Arabic alike.
- Say the name with your family name: Arabic names often end in -a, which flows nicely before surnames starting with a consonant.
- For a middle name, consider a nature name (Nada, Reem, Warda) alongside a more traditional first name.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most beautiful Arabic girl name?
Beauty is personal, but Layla, Yasmin, Jamila (literally “beautiful”), Noor and Reem are often cited for their sound and imagery.
What Arabic girl name means “moon”?
Qamar means moon. Badriya comes from badr, “full moon,” and Hilal means crescent moon.
What Arabic name means “light”?
Noor (also Nur) means light, and Munira and Diya are related names. Noor is used for both girls and boys.
Is Layla an Arabic name?
Yes. Layla comes from the Arabic word for night and became famous through the medieval love story “Layla and Majnun.”
Which Arabic girl names are in the Quran?
Maryam is the only woman named directly in the Quran, and a whole chapter (Sura 19) bears her name.