Cinnabar's Personal Name List

Means "living, alive" in Arabic. This was the name of Muhammad's third wife, the daughter of Abu Bakr. Some time after Muhammad's death she went to war against Ali, the fourth caliph, but was defeated. Her name is used more by Sunni Muslims and less by Shias.

This name began to be used in America in the 1970s, possibly inspired by Princess Aisha of Jordan (1968-), the daughter of King Hussein and his British-born wife. It received a boost in popularity after Stevie Wonder used it for his first daughter in 1975.

Means "hope, aspiration" in Arabic. It is related to Amaal.

Means "wishes" in Arabic.

Means "commander, prince" in Arabic. This was originally a title, which has come into English as the Arabic loanword emir.

Feminine form of Amir 1.

Means "happy, cheerful" in Arabic.

Means "mercy, compassion" in Arabic.

Possibly means "interpreter" in Arabic. According to the Quran this was the name of an ancient prophet. He is traditionally equated with the Hebrew prophet Enoch.

Arabic, Indonesian and Malay form of Alexander.

Means "nocturnal journey", derived from Arabic سرى (sara) meaning "to travel at night".

Means "beauty" in Arabic, from the root جمل (jamala) meaning "to be beautiful".

Means "heart" or "soul" in Arabic.

Means "garden" or "paradise" in Arabic.

Means "nobility, generosity" in Arabic.

Means "generous, noble" in Arabic, from the root كرم (karuma) meaning "to be generous". In Islamic tradition الكريم (al-Karim) is one of the 99 names of Allah.

Means "night" in Arabic. Layla was the love interest of the poet Qays (called Majnun) in an old Arab tale, notably retold by the 12th-century Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi in his poem Layla and Majnun. This story was a popular romance in medieval Arabia and Persia. The name became used in the English-speaking world after the 1970 release of the song Layla by Derek and the Dominos, the title of which was inspired by the medieval story.

Means "king" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition الملك (al-Malik) is one of the 99 names of Allah. This can also be another way of transcribing the name مالك (see Maalik).

Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Bashkir and Tatar form of Miryam (see Mary). In Iran it is also the name of a flower, the tuberose, which is named after the Virgin Mary.

Means "moist, tender, delicate" in Arabic.

Means "good news" in Persian.

Means "kind, compassionate" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition الرحيم (al-Rahim) is one of the 99 names of Allah.

Means "looking at", derived from Arabic رنا (rana) meaning "to gaze".

Means "rightly guided" in Arabic. In Islamic tradition الرشيد (al-Rashid) is one of the 99 names of Allah.

This transcription represents two different ways of spelling the name in Arabic: رشيد, in which the second vowel is long, and راشد, in which the first vowel is long.

Alternate transcription of Arabic رَيحانة (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.

Feminine form of Sabri.

Feminine form of Safi. This was the name of one of the wives of the Prophet Muhammad.

Means "evening conversation" in Arabic, from the root سمر (samara) meaning "to talk in the evening".

Means "companion in evening talk" in Arabic, from the root سمر (samara) meaning "to talk in the evening".

Feminine form of Samir 1.

Feminine form of Sani 1.

Means "singer" in Arabic.

Means "falcon" in Persian, referring more specifically to the Barbary falcon (species Falco pelegrinoides). The bird's name is a derivative of Persian شاه (shah) meaning "king".

Arabic and Kyrgyz form of Solomon.

Alternate transcription of Arabic ثريّا or ثريّة (see Thurayya).

Means "crown" in Arabic.

Alternate transcription of Arabic طارق (see Tariq).

Means "visitor, knocker at the door" in Arabic, from طرق (taraqa) "to knock". This is the Arabic name of the morning star. Tariq ibn Ziyad was the Islamic general who conquered Spain for the Umayyad Caliphate in the 8th century.

Means "jasmine" in Arabic and Hebrew, derived from Persian یاسمین (yasamin). In modern times it has been used in the western world, as an Arabic-influenced variant of Jasmine.

Meaning unknown.

Alternate transcription of Arabic زليخا (see Zulaykha).