Muslim names and their meanings

Boys’ and girls’ names used by Muslims, with the meaning the Arabic dictionaries give, the name in Arabic script, where it appears in the Quran and who bore it. Where explanations differ, the page says so. If you are a new Muslim wondering whether to change your name, start with the section below.

New Muslim? You do not have to change your name

Most people who take their shahada keep their name, and that is fine. Islam does not ask you to take an Arabic name. Many companions of the Prophet kept the names they had before Islam: Khalid, Umar, Uthman, Bilal and Khadija were all names from before.

A name only needs to change when its meaning is bad. The Prophet changed names that made someone the servant of anything but God: Abd Amr became Abd al-Rahman. He changed names with an ugly meaning, renaming a woman called Asiya (disobedient) Jamila, beautiful. And he changed names that praised the person too much, so Barra (righteous) became Zaynab (both in Sahih Muslim).

So if your name is Sarah, Adam, Maryam or Daniel, Muslims already use it. If it is Joseph, Mary or David, it has an Arabic form (Yusuf, Maryam, Dawud) that you can take if you like it, or not at all. Some reverts use a Muslim name among Muslims and keep their legal name; others change it officially. Both are fine.

Keep your father’s name as your family name, even if you take a new first name: the Quran asks that people are called after their fathers (33:5). If you are unsure about your own name, ask your local imam. More first steps are in what to do after taking your shahada and how to convert to Islam.

How people choose a Muslim name

  • By meaning: a name that says something you want to live by, like Iman (faith), Huda (guidance) or Sabir (patient).
  • After a prophet or a companion they love: Ibrahim, Musa, Maryam, Khadija, Bilal.
  • Close to their own name: its Arabic form (Joseph to Yusuf, Mary to Maryam) or a name with a similar sound. Try the helper below.
  • By asking: some ask a teacher at the mosque or Muslim friends to suggest a few names, then pick the one that feels like theirs.

Find a name

436 names

Names close to my name

Type the name you have now. You will see whether it already is a Muslim name, its Arabic form if it has one, or Muslim names with the same meaning or a similar sound.

Names of the prophets

The Quran names 25 prophets. Their names are among the most loved Muslim names, and most of them have a form you may know from the Bible. Dhul-Kifl (21:85) is also named, but as a title more than a given name.

NameArabicIn English
AdamآدمAdam
IdrisإدريسEnoch (many scholars)
NuhنوحNoah
Hudهود
Salihصالح
IbrahimإبراهيمAbraham
LutلوطLot
IsmailإسماعيلIshmael
IshaqإسحاقIsaac
YaqubيعقوبJacob
YusufيوسفJoseph
AyyubأيوبJob
Shuaybشعيب
MusaموسىMoses
HarunهارونAaron
DawudداودDavid
SulaymanسليمانSolomon
IlyasإلياسElijah
Al-YasaاليسعElisha
YunusيونسJonah
ZakariyaزكرياZechariah
YahyaيحيىJohn the Baptist
IsaعيسىJesus
Muhammadمحمد

Names of the companions

The Sahaba and Sahabiyat, the men and women who knew the Prophet and believed in him. Many parents name their children after them.

Names from the Quran

Some of these are people named in the Quran. Others are words from the Quran that became names, like Nur (light), Huda (guidance) or Kawthar. Each page gives a verse where it appears.

Common questions

Do I have to change my name when I convert to Islam?

No. There is no requirement to take an Arabic or a new name. You only need to change a name whose meaning is against Islam, such as one that makes you the servant of someone other than God. Many companions kept their names from before Islam.

Can I keep a name from my old religion?

Yes, as long as its meaning is good or neutral. Names like Sarah, Adam, Maryam or Daniel are shared with other faiths and Muslims use them too. If you are unsure what your name means, or whether it is a problem, ask your local imam.

Which names should Muslims avoid?

Names that make a person the servant of someone other than God (most scholars count Abd al-Masih and Abd al-Nabi here), names of idols or false gods, names that belong to God alone, such as al-Rahman or al-Khaliq, and names with an ugly meaning. Scholars also dislike names that praise the person too much. A good name from any language is fine.

What does Abd mean in names like Abdullah?

Abd means servant. Abd with one of the names of God, as in Abdullah, Abd al-Rahman or Abd al-Karim, says that you belong to God. The Prophet said the names most loved by God are Abdullah and Abd al-Rahman (Sahih Muslim). For a girl, the same idea is Amatullah.

Is it good to name a child after a prophet?

Yes. The Prophet named his own son Ibrahim after the prophet Ibrahim (Sahih Muslim). The names of prophets, of the companions and of righteous people are a common and good choice.

Do I need a Muslim name to pray or to go to the mosque?

No. Your prayer, your fast and your place among Muslims do not depend on your name. Nobody at the mosque will ask for it before you pray.

Should I change my family name too?

No. The Quran asks that people are called after their fathers (33:5), so keep your father’s name as your family name, even if you take a new first name. If you change your name officially, check the rules where you live.

Why do some names have more than one meaning here?

Because the dictionaries and scholars do not always agree, especially for very old names and the names of prophets that came into Arabic from Hebrew. Where that is the case, the page gives the explanations side by side rather than picking one.

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