The Middle Eastern part of the world, also known as the Arab World, is a region of rich cultural heritage. The world’s Middle Eastern countries and their people mainly follow Islam, but the region also has a significant role in the origin of major world religions like Christianity, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, etc. Because the majority of people in this region follow Islam, the most preferred baby names are known to be in Arabic, the language of the Qur’an. So, suppose you belong to Middle Eastern countries or you simply follow Islam, you’re most likely to pick some of the names popular in the Middle East. Here’s a bunch of beautiful baby names we’ve curated for you, with their meanings:
A
Name: Aaliyah (Female name)
Variations: Aliya, Aliah, Alia, Aliyah, Aleeah, Aleeia
Meaning: Feminine of the name Ali, meaning “high” or “exalted”
Name: Ali (Male name)
Meaning: High, elevated, or champion
Name: Abbas (Male name)
Variations: Abbass
Meaning: A furious lion, uncle of the Holy Prophet Muhammad
Name: Aisha (Female name)
Variations: Aishat, Aaisha, Ayesha, Aicha, Aischa, Ayse
Meaning: Life, alive, he who lives, Aisha was the name of the wife of Islamic Prophet Muhammad
Name: Amira (Female name)
Variations: Emira or Ameera
Meaning: Princess
B
Name: Basheer (Male name)
Variations: Bashir, Bachir, Bechir
Meaning: The one who brings good news
Name: Baran (Female name)
Meaning: Rain
Name: Bibi (Female name)
Meaning: Lady
Name: Bader (Male name)
Meaning: Full moon
Name: Basam (Male name)
Meaning: Smiling
Name: Bahija (Female name)
Meaning: Happy
C
Name: Charbel (Male name)
Meaning: God’s good news
Name: Cemal (Male name)
Meaning: Beauty, charm (Male name)
Name: Cyril (Male name)
Variations: Cyrillus or Cyryl
Meaning: Lordly, masterful
Name: Cyrus (Male name)
Meaning: Sun, the one who bestows care
D
Name: Damian (Male name)
Meaning: To tame, subdue; tamer
Name: Dabir (Male name)
Meaning: Secretary
Name: Daulah (Male name)
Meaning: Wealth, riches, fortune, prosperity
Name: Dana (Female name)
Variation: Danah
Meaning: The most perfectly sized, valuable, and beautiful pearl
Name: Duaa (Female name)
Meaning: Prayer to God
E
Name: Erol
Meaning: Brave (Male name)
F
Name: Farida
Meaning: Unique (Female name)
Name: Farah
Meaning: Happiness, joy, gladness, gleefulness (Female name)
Name: Fadil
Meaning: Generous, giving (Male name)
Name: Fareed
Variations: Farid, Ferid
Meaning: Unique, incomparable (Male name)
Name: Fatima
Meaning: Captivating (Female name)
G
Name: Gabriel
Meaning: Angel who served as a messenger of God (Male name)
Name: Ghani
Variations: Ghaani
Meaning: Prosperous, wealthy, title of the third caliph Uthman (Male name)
Name: Gamila
Meaning: Gorgeous or beautiful (Female name)
H
Name: Habiba
Variations: Habibah and Habeeba
Meaning: Beloved, sweetheart, darling (Female name)
Name: Haider
Variations: Heidar, Haydar, Hydar, Hyder, Hayder, Hyader
Meaning: Brave, one of many names for “lion” (Male name)
Name: Hala
Meaning: Sweetness, moon halo, an outline of brightness (Female name)
Name: Hassan
Meaning: Handsome, benefactor, one who does good deeds (Male name)
Name: Husani
Meaning: Handsome (Male name)
Name: Heba
Meaning: Gift (Female name)
I
Name: Ibtisam
Meaning: Smiling, cheerfulness (Used as both male and female name)
Name: Ibrahim
Variations: Ibraheem, Ebraheem
Meaning: Name of one of the most important prophets in the Quran (Male name)
Name: Ishaq
Meaning: Name of the son of Prophet Ibrahim (Male name)
Name: Iman
Meaning: Faith (Female name)
J
Name: Jude
Meaning: Praised (Female name)
Name: Jumanah
Meaning: Silver pearl (Female name)
Name: Jamal
Meaning: Beauty (Male name)
Name: Jamila
Meaning: Beauty, feminine name of Jamal (Female name)
K
Name: Kamilah
Variations: Kamila, Kamilla
Meaning: Perfect (Female name)
Name: Khadijah
Variations: Khadija, Khadiga
Meaning: Respected (Female name)
Name: Kabil
Meaning: Spear, gatherer (Male name)
Name: Khalid
Meaning: Eternity, eternal (Male name)
Name: Khalil
Variations: Khaleel
Meaning: Friend (Male name)
L
Name: Layla
Variations: Leila, Laila, Lila, Lilah
Meaning: Night (Female name)
Name: Latif
Meaning: Kind, gentle (Male name)
M
Name: Malika
Variations: Malikah
Meaning: Queen (Female name)
Name: Mariam
Variations: Maryam, Meriem, Mariyam
Meaning: Beloved (Female name)
Name: Malik
Meaning: King (Male name)
Name: Murad
Meaning: Yearned for, desired, wanted (Male name)
Name: Musa
Meaning: Moses in Islam, drawn out of the water (Male name)
N
Name: Nabila
Variations: Nabeela, Nabilah, Nabeelah
Meaning: Noble (Female name)
Name: Nadia
Variations: Nadiyya, Nadya, Nadiyyah
Meaning: Tender, delicate (Female name)
Name: Nadir
Meaning: Dear, precious (Male name)
Name: Nasr
Meaning: Victory (Male name)
Name: Noor
Meaning: Light (Used as both male and female name)
O
Name: Omar
Meaning: Flourishing, long-lived (Male name)
Name: Oma
Meaning: Giver of life (Female name)
P
Name: Philo
Meaning: Friend, loving (Male name)
Q
Name: Qasim
Meaning: One who distributes (Male name)
R
Name: Rihanna
Meaning: Good scent, fragrance (Female name)
Name: Rafi
Meaning: To lift/raise something high (Male name)
Name: Razi
Meaning: Secret (Female name)
Name: Reyhan
Meaning: Good scent, fragrance (Male name)
Name: Rasul
Meaning: Messenger, an apostle (Male name)
S
Name: Sabira
Variants: Sabri
Meaning: Patient (Female name)
Name: Sherifa
Meaning: Honored (Female name)
Name: Saalim
Meaning: Safe, secure (Male name)
Name: Saad
Variations: Sa’d, sad
Meaning: Prosperity, happiness, good luck (Male name)
Name: Samir
Variants: Sameer
Meaning: Holy, loyal, charming companion (Male name)
T
Name: Tariq
Meaning: Knocker, visitor, morning star (Male name)
Name: Tahir
Variant: Taher
Meaning: Pure, virtuous (Male name)
U
Name: Uzza
Meaning: Strong (Female name)
Y
Name: Yusuf
Meaning: God increases in power and influence (Male name)
Z
Name: Zahir
Meaning: Blossoming, flourishing
Name: Zeinab
Meaning: Father’s pride
So these were a bunch of Middle Eastern baby names we handpicked just for you. If this curated baby name recommendation helped you figure out a beautiful name for a baby close to your heart, leave a comment and let us know!