Rida m ArabicFrom Arabic
رضًا (riḍan) meaning
"satisfaction, contentment". This name was borne by Ali ar-Rida, a 9th-century Shia imam.
Rifat m ArabicDerived from Arabic
رفعة (rifʿa) meaning
"high rank, elevation".
Rihab f ArabicMeans
"wide areas, vastnesses" in Arabic, from the plural form of
رحبة (raḥba).
Rihanna f ArabicAlternate transcription of Arabic
ريحانة (see
Rayhana). This name is borne by the Barbadian singer Robyn Rihanna Fenty (1988-), known simply as Rihanna. In the United States it jumped in popularity between the years 2005 and 2008, when Rihanna was releasing her first albums. It quickly declined over the next few years.
Rim f ArabicMeans
"white antelope" in Arabic.
Ritika f HindiMeans either
"movement, stream" or
"brass" in Sanskrit.
Rohini f Hinduism, MarathiMeans
"ascending" in Sanskrit, also the Sanskrit name for the star Aldebaran. This is a Hindu goddess, the favourite consort of the moon god
Chandra. The name was also borne by a wife of
Vasudeva and the mother of
Balarama according to the Hindu epic the
Mahabharata.
Roshni f Marathi, HindiFrom Hindi and Marathi
रौशनी (raushanī) meaning
"light, brightness", ultimately of Persian origin.
Rubab f Arabic, UrduFrom an Arabic word referring to a type of stringed musical instrument. This was the name of the wife of the Prophet
Muhammad's grandson
Husayn.
Rudra m Hinduism, Nepali, OdiaProbably means
"crying, howling, roaring" from Sanskrit
रुद् (rud). This is the name of a Hindu god associated with the wind and storms, appearing in the
Rigveda. He is identified with
Shiva.
Rukmini f Hinduism, Marathi, KannadaMeans
"adorned with gold" in Sanskrit. According to the Hindu epic the
Mahabharata and the Puranas this was the name of a princess of Vidarbha who became the first wife of
Krishna. She is regarded as an avatar of
Lakshmi.
Rupinder m & f Indian (Sikh)Means
"greatest beauty" from Sanskrit
रूप (rūpa) meaning "beauty, form" combined with the name of the Hindu god
Indra, used here to mean "greatest".
Ruqayya f ArabicDerived either from Arabic
رقيّ (ruqīy) meaning
"rise, ascent" or from
رقية (ruqya) meaning
"spell, charm, incantation". Both of these words are derived from the Arabic root
رقي (raqiya) meaning "to rise". This was the name of one of the daughters of the Prophet
Muhammad. She became a wife of
Uthman, the third caliph of the Muslims. The name was also borne by daughters of
Ali and
Husayn.
Rushd m ArabicMeans
"following the right path" in Arabic, from the root
رشد (rashada) meaning "to be on the right path".
Ruya f ArabicMeans
"vision, sight" in Arabic, a derivative of
رأى (raʾā) meaning "to see, to perceive".
Saada f ArabicMeans
"happiness, luck" in Arabic, a derivative of
سعد (saʿida) meaning "to be happy, to be lucky".
Sabeen f UrduPossibly from Arabic meaning
"follower of another religion", a name given to the Prophet
Muhammad and other Muslims by non-Muslim Arabs.
Sa'd m ArabicMeans
"fortune, good luck" in Arabic, derived from
سعد (saʿida) meaning "to be happy, to be lucky". Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas was a military commander during the early years of Islam, serving under the Prophet
Muhammad and his successor
Umar.
Saddam m Arabic, Urdu, BengaliMeans
"one who confronts" in Arabic. It was borne by the Iraqi president Saddam Hussein (1937-2006).
Sadiq m Arabic, UrduMeans
"true, sincere, loyal" in Arabic, derived from the root
صدق (ṣadaqa) meaning "to tell the truth".
Safaa f & m ArabicMeans
"pure" in Arabic. As-Safaa is the name of one of the two sacred hills near Mecca. This can also be an alternate transcription of Arabic
صفاء (see
Safaa').
Safaa' f & m ArabicMeans
"serenity, clarity" in Arabic, a derivative of
صفا (ṣafā) meaning "to be clear, to be pure".
Safi m ArabicMeans
"pure" in Arabic, derived from
صفا (ṣafā) meaning "to be clear, to be pure".
Saira f UrduPossibly means
"traveller" in Arabic.
Sajid m ArabicMeans
"worshipping" in Arabic, a derivative of
سجد (sajada) meaning "to bow down, to prostrate".
Sakhr m ArabicMeans
"solid rock" in Arabic. This name appears in the poems of the 7th-century poetess Al-Khansa.
Salah ad-Din m ArabicMeans
"righteousness of religion" from Arabic
صلاح (ṣalāḥ) meaning "righteousness" combined with
دين (dīn) meaning "religion, faith". A famous bearer of this name was the sultan Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub, known in the western world as Saladin, the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty in Egypt in the 12th century. He recaptured Jerusalem from the crusaders and repelled the invaders of the Third Crusade. Salah ad-Din was an honorific; his birth name was
Yusuf.
Salil m ArabicMeans
"drawn, unsheathed" or
"son, descendant" in Arabic.
Salim m Arabic, UrduMeans
"safe, sound, intact" in Arabic, derived from the root
سلم (salima) meaning "to be safe". This transcription represents two related yet distinct Arabic names:
سليم, in which the second vowel is long, and
سالم, in which the first vowel is long.
Samar 1 f ArabicMeans
"evening conversation" in Arabic, from the root
سمر (samara) meaning "to talk in the evening".
Sami 3 m Arabic, UrduMeans
"hearing, listening" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition
السميع (al-Samīʿ) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
Samih m ArabicMeans
"forgiving, kind" in Arabic, derived from
سمح (samuḥa) meaning "to be kind, to be magnanimous". This transcription represents two related yet distinct Arabic names:
سامح, in which the first vowel is long, and
سميح, in which the second vowel is long.
Sanaa f ArabicMeans
"brilliance, radiance, splendour" in Arabic, derived from the root
سنا (sanā) meaning "to gleam, to shine".
Sandeep m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Punjabi, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, NepaliAlternate transcription of Hindi/Marathi
संदीप, Bengali
সন্দীপ, Gurmukhi
ਸੰਦੀਪ, Gujarati
સંદિપ, Kannada
ಸಂದೀಪ್, Malayalam
സന്ദീപ്, Telugu
సందీప్, Tamil
சந்தீப் or Nepali
सन्दीप (see
Sandip).
Sandip m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Punjabi, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, NepaliFrom Sanskrit
सन्दीप् (sandīp) meaning
"to blaze, to burn".
Sani 1 m ArabicMeans
"brilliant, splendid" in Arabic, a derivative of
سنا (sanā) meaning "to gleam, to shine".
Sara f Hebrew, Greek, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, French, Catalan, Galician, Romanian, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Finnish, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Albanian, Macedonian, Polish, English, Arabic, Persian, Amharic, Tigrinya, Biblical Hebrew, Biblical LatinForm of
Sarah used in various languages.
Sarah f English, French, German, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Dutch, Hebrew, Arabic, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
שָׂרָה (Sara) meaning
"lady, princess, noblewoman". In the Old Testament this is the name of
Abraham's wife, considered the matriarch of the Jewish people. She was barren until she unexpectedly became pregnant with
Isaac at the age of 90. Her name was originally
Sarai, but God changed it at the same time Abraham's name was changed (see
Genesis 17:15).
... [more] Saraswati f Hinduism, Hindi, MarathiMeans
"possessing water" from Sanskrit
सरस् (saras) meaning "fluid, water, lake" and
वती (vatī) meaning "having". This is the name of a Hindu river goddess, also associated with learning and the arts, who is the wife of
Brahma. She appears in the Vedas.
Sardar m Persian, Urdu, PashtoFrom a title meaning
"chief, leader", derived from Persian
سر (sar) meaning "head, authority" and the suffix
دار (dār) meaning "possessor".
Sarika f Hindi, MarathiFrom a Sanskrit word referring to a type of thrush (species Turdus salica) or myna bird (species Gracula religiosa).
Savitri f Hinduism, Hindi, MarathiMeans
"of the sun" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a hymn in the
Rigveda dedicated to
Savitr, a sun god. This is also the name of Savitr's daughter, a wife of
Brahma, considered an aspect of
Saraswati. In the Hindu epic the
Mahabharata it is borne by King Satyavan's wife, who successfully pleas with
Yama, the god of death, to restore her husband to life.
Sawda f ArabicMeans
"black" in Arabic. This was the name of a wife of the Prophet
Muhammad. She was said to have lived for a time in Abyssinia (modern Ethiopia and Eritrea).
Sayyid m ArabicMeans
"lord, master" in Arabic. A famous bearer was the Egyptian musician Sayyid Darwish (1892-1923).
Seetha f TamilTamil form of
Sita. The name of the mythological figures is
சீதை, while
சீதா is the spelling used for people.
Shaban m Arabic, AlbanianFrom the name of the eighth month of the Islamic calendar. It is derived from Arabic
شعب (shaʿaba) meaning "scatter".
Shafaqat m & f ArabicMeans
"compassion, pity" in Arabic, a derivative of
شفق (shafaqa) meaning "to pity, to sympathize".
Shahid 1 m Arabic, UrduMeans
"witness" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition
الشاهد (al-Shāhid) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
Shahin m Persian, Arabic, BengaliMeans
"falcon" in Persian, referring more specifically to the Barbary falcon (species Falco pelegrinoides). The bird's name is a derivative of Persian
شاه (shāh) meaning "king".
Shahjahan m UrduMeans
"king of the world" from Persian
شاه (shāh) meaning "king" and
جهان (jahān) meaning "world". This was the name of the 17th-century Mughal emperor who built the Taj Mahal.
Shahrazad f Persian (Rare), ArabicPossibly means
"noble lineage" from Persian
چهر (chehr) meaning "lineage, origin" and
آزاد (āzād) meaning "free, noble". Alternatively, it might mean
"child of the city" from
شهر (shahr) meaning "city, land" combined with the suffix
زاد (zād) meaning "child of". This is the name of the fictional storyteller in
The 1001 Nights. She tells a story to her husband the king every night for 1001 nights in order to delay her execution.
Shahrukh m Urdu, HindiUrdu and Hindi form of
Shahrokh. A notable bearer is the Indian actor Shahrukh Khan (1965-), normally called Shah Rukh Khan.
Shaima f ArabicPossibly means
"beauty marks" in Arabic. This was the name of the daughter of
Halima, the foster mother of the Prophet
Muhammad.
Shakira f ArabicFeminine form of
Shakir. A famous bearer is the Colombian singer Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll (1977-), known simply as Shakira.
Shakti f & m Hinduism, HindiMeans
"power" in Sanskrit. In Hinduism a shakti is the female counterpart of a god. The name Shakti is used in particular to refer to the female counterpart of
Shiva, also known as
Parvati among many other names.
Shakuntala f Hinduism, Hindi, MarathiDerived from Sanskrit
शकुन्त (śakunta) meaning
"bird". This is the name of a character in the Hindu epic the
Mahabharata, with the story adapted by Kalidasa for the 5th-century play
Abhijnanashakuntalam. It tells how Shakuntala, who was raised in the forest by birds, meets and marries the king
Dushyanta. After a curse is laid upon them Dushyanta loses his memory and they are separated, but eventually the curse is broken after the king sees the signet ring he gave her.
Shakur m ArabicMeans
"thankful" in Arabic, from the root
شكر (shakara) meaning "to thank". In Islamic tradition
الشكور (al-Shakūr) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
Shams ad-Din m ArabicMeans
"sun of the religion", from Arabic
شمس (shams) meaning "sun" and
دين (dīn) meaning "religion, faith". This was the given name of the 14th-century Berber explorer Ibn Battuta.
Shanta f Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, NepaliMeans
"pacified, calm" in Sanskrit. In the Hindu epic the
Ramayana this is the name of a princess of Anga who marries Rishyasringa.
Sharia m Arabic (Rare)Means
"divine law, noble law" in Arabic, from the root
شرع (sharaʿa) meaning "to go, to enact".
Shashi m & f Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Kannada, TeluguTraditional name for the moon, it literally means "having a hare" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the masculine form
शशि and the feminine form
शशी (spelled with a long final vowel).
Shazia f UrduMeaning unknown, possibly of Arabic origin meaning
"rare, unusual".
Sher m Urdu, PashtoMeans
"lion" in Persian. A famous bearer of this name was Sher Shah, a 16th-century Mughal ruler.
Shiva 1 m Hinduism, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, NepaliDerived from Sanskrit
शिव (śiva) meaning
"benign, kind, auspicious". Shiva is the Hindu god of destruction and restoration, the husband of the mother goddess
Parvati. Though he does not appear in the Vedas, Shiva nevertheless incorporates elements of Vedic deities such as the storm god
Rudra. He is often depicted with four arms and a third eye, and has both fierce and gentle aspects.
... [more] Siddhi f MarathiMeans
"accomplishment, success, attainment" in Sanskrit, referring to spiritual or psychic powers attained through meditation or yoga.
Singh m Indian (Sikh)From Sanskrit
सिंह (siṃha) meaning
"lion". In 1699 Guru Gobind Singh gave all his male Sikh followers the surname
Singh, and it is now a very common surname or a middle name. The female equivalent is
Kaur.
Sita f Hinduism, Hindi, NepaliMeans
"furrow" in Sanskrit. Sita is the name of the Hindu goddess of the harvest in the
Rigveda. This is also the name of the wife of
Rama (and an avatar of
Lakshmi) in the Hindu epic the
Ramayana. In this story Sita is abducted by the demon king
Ravana, with her husband and his allies attempting to rescue her.
Sitara f UrduMeans
"star" in Urdu, ultimately from Persian.
Soma 2 m & f Hinduism, Bengali, HindiFrom Sanskrit
सोम (soma), the name of a ritual drink appearing in the Vedas. It is probably derived from an Indo-Iranian root meaning "to press out, to extract". As a Vedic god, Soma is a personification of this drink. He is sometimes equated with the moon god
Chandra.
... [more] Sri m & f Telugu, Tamil, IndonesianIndonesian and southern Indian form of
Shri. It is sometimes a short form of longer names containing this element.
Suad f & m Arabic, Bosnian, AlbanianMeans
"happiness, luck" in Arabic, from the root
سعد (saʿida) meaning "to be happy, to be lucky". In Arabic it is typically feminine, while in Bosnia and Albania it is typically masculine.