Arab American baby names
Handpicked for families who want names with roots: the beloved classics, what parents in the culture choose today, and the cool discoveries most US name sites never surface.
Abdullah servant of God
Adam the first man in the Abrahamic tradition; identical in spelling and pronunciation in Arabic and English, a textbook crossover pick
Ahmad most commendable, highly praised (one of the names of the Prophet Muhammad)
Aisha alive, prosperous (name of a wife of the Prophet Muhammad)
Ali exalted, noble (name of the fourth Islamic caliph, a central figure in Shia Islam)
Amal hope (a unisex name that gained international visibility through human-rights lawyer Amal Clooney)
Amir prince, commander
Amira princess, leader
Andrew manly, brave (a common English name chosen by Arab Christian American families)
Boutros Arabic Christian form of Peter ("rock"); common among Arab Christian families
Dalia dahlia flower; grapevine branch
Dania near, close
Elias Arabic/Christian form of Elijah ("my God is Yahweh"); common among Arab Christian families
Fadi redeemer, savior (a name specifically favored by Arab Christian families)
Farah joy, happiness
Fatima one who abstains; name of the Prophet Muhammad's daughter, deeply significant across the Muslim world
George farmer (an extremely common name among Arab Christian families, especially Lebanese, Syrian, and Palestinian communities)
Hana happiness, bliss (also reads naturally as the Japanese or Hebrew name Hana — favored for its cross-cultural ease)
Hassan handsome, good
Hussein little handsome one
Ibrahim Arabic form of Abraham ("father of many nations")
Jad generous (a short, popular modern Lebanese American name)
Jana harvest of fruit; garden of paradise
Karam generosity, nobility
Karim generous, noble
Khadija premature child; name of the Prophet Muhammad's first wife
Khalil close friend
Layla night (one of the most successful Arab American crossover names — genuinely Arabic in origin, yet independently a top-100 U.S. girls' name)
Leila night (an alternate spelling of Layla, kept distinct by many families for its own crossover history, including the Eric Clapton song)
Lina tender, delicate
Malik king
Maryam Arabic form of Mary/Miriam; a name shared by both Muslim and Christian Arab Americans, appearing in both the Quran and the Bible
Michael who is like God (common both among Muslim families honoring the archangel Mikail and Christian Arab American families)
Mona wish, desire
Muhammad praiseworthy (the most commonly given name in the world, honoring the Prophet)
Nadia dewy, delicate (widely used as an Arabic name; also a Slavic name meaning hope — one of several Arab names that doubles as a familiar Western one)
Nadim friend, companion
Nasser helper, victor
Nour light (a popular unisex name across the Arab American community)
Omar flourishing, long-lived (name of the second Islamic caliph)
Rami archer, marksman
Rania gazing, admiring
Rayan gates of paradise (a name spelled to crossover smoothly with the Western name Ryan)
Reem white gazelle
Rima white antelope
Salma peaceful, safe
Samar evening conversation
Sami elevated, sublime; also "listener"
Sana brilliance, splendor
Sara princess (spelled and pronounced almost identically in Arabic and English, making it one of the easiest names to carry across both cultures)
Tarek one who knocks at night; morning star
Warda rose (a nature name favored by Christian Arab American families)
Yamin right hand; blessing
Yara small butterfly (a name whose meaning is debated across sources, but that has become a fast-rising crossover favorite)
Yasmin jasmine flower (often anglicized as Jasmine, though many families keep the Arabic spelling as a point of pride)
Yusuf Arabic form of Joseph ("God will increase"); many families use the English "Joseph" interchangeably in daily American life
Zainab fragrant flowering plant; name of the Prophet Muhammad's daughter and granddaughter
Zayn beauty, grace (a favorite crossover pick, given extra visibility by musician Zayn Malik)
Zeina beauty, adornment
Which of these fits YOUR family? →