Muslim
names and their meaning.
Acknowledgements: Raymond Chickrie - Updated May 24th. 2002
See here also for additional information
Guyanese Muslim names derive from the three most dominant cultures that have impacted heavily on the Islamic civilization: Arabic, Persian (Iran) and Turkic. The fact that Guyanese Muslims have roots in some of these civilization explain this connection.
The fact that the Arabs, the Afghans, the Persians and the Turks assimilated in Hindustan (India), contributed to the make up of Islamic names in that country. Some often refer to these names as Urdu, but what are Urdu names? There are no such things as Urdu names. Urdu names come from three languages Arabic, Persian and Turkic. Hence, Guyanese Muslims whose forefathers migrated from Hindustan to Guyana, have Muslim names from the Arabic, Persian and Turkic languages that are part of the Urdu language.
The coming together of these three cultures brought Islamic civilization to its zenith during the golden age or the Abbasid period. It is impossible to compile all the names that exist in Arabic, Persian and Turkish, but this list includes the most popular Muslim names in Guyana.
During the Mughal era in Hindustan the emperors had the suffix Uddin attached to their names, and it was a popular trend in South Asia. For example names such as Zahiruddin, Kamaluddin, Nasseruddin, or Shahabuddin were common. Many girls were given the title Bibi. Bibi is Persian for lady and in Guyana it was a popular trend. So it's not strange to find many girls in Guyana with the name Bibi Khatija, Bibi Haniffa, Bibi Rashida, etch. Also a common trend of adding UN (suffix) to names to give it female connotation was common. This is a tradition that came from the Uttar Pardeshi Muslims who migrated to Guyana. Wazirun, Ameerun, Radhidun, Nazirun, etch were common names during the early history of Guyanese Muslims. Common among Guyanese girls are names such as Nazmoon, Azimoon, Naimoon, Zaimoon etch. The origin and meaning of these names are unknown to me. These names definitely seem to be Persian in origins but over time may have become corrupted.
I could not trace the origin or the meanings of a few Guyanese Muslim names. Thus, you can contact me if you would like to contribute to this list. Names followed by the symbol (T) means that it is of Turkish origin; (P) means of Persian/Iranian origin and the rest are of Arabic origin.
| Girls | Meaning | Girls | Meaning |
| Alisha: | Protected by God | Mumtaz: | Distinguished, Superior |
| Aaliya: | High, Tall,Towering,Excellent | Naaz (P) : | Glory, Elegance, Young, Pride |
| Aamira: | Prosperous,Ffull of life | Nadira: | Rare, Not easily accessible |
| Aarifa: | Learned, Expert, Authority | Nadia: | Fem. of Nadir; Moist, Damp, Tender |
| Afrin (P): | Praise, lucky | Nafisa: | Precious, Gem; A great granddaughter of Ali. |
| Afroza (P): | Burning, polishing | Nageena (P): | Diamond |
| Afsana (P): | Fable,Ffiction, romance | Nahida (P): | Venus |
| Amani: | Wish, Aspiration, trust | Naima: | Happiness, Peaceful, Bliss |
| Ambarin: | Perfumed | Naimoon: | Popular in Guyana; meaning and origin unknown: origin is probably Persian; could be a corrupted spelling |
| Ameena: | Trustworthy, Faitful | Najma: | Star |
| Anjum: | Star | Nargis (P): | Narciccuss |
| Arshiya: | Divine | Nasrin/ Nasreen (P): | A wild rose |
| Asma: | Daughter of Abu- Bakr | Nazgul / Nazmoon (P): | Beautiful flower |
| Azra (P): | Adoring | Nazia (P): | Optimistic and full of hope |
| Arzu (P): | Wish, Hope, Love | Nazima (P): | Poetness |
| Ayesha: | Name of Prophet Mohammad's (p.b.u.h.) wife | Nazma: | Star |
| Aziman: | Sky, Heaven | Nazmoon: | Popular in Guyana; meaning and origin unknown: origin is probably Persian; spelling could be |
| Azimoon: (P) | Popular in Guyana, comes from the Persian word Aseeman meaning Heaven, Sky | Nazanin (P): | Sweetheart |
| Aziza: | Friend, Dear, Honourable, Noble, Illustrious | Nazrana (P): | Bloom, Beauty |
| Barkha: | Rain, Blessings | Niloufar (T): | Blue lotus |
| Basheera: | Bringer of good tidings | Noorjahan (P) | Light of the world |
| Begum (T): | Hhonorific title, Queen, Lady of rank | Noushin (P): | Sweet, Palatable |
| Benazir (P): | Incomparable | Nusrat : | Victory |
| Bulbul (P): | Nightingale | Parvin (P): | Name of a constellation |
| Bushra (A): | Good news, Glad tidings | Rabia: | Famous, Divine |
| Bibi (P): | Lady; Persian title for lady of the house: was very popular in the Subcontinent. | Raisa: | Leader, Superior |
| Darya (P): | Sea | Rashida: | Rightly guided, Right minded |
| Deeba (P): | Silk | Raushan Ara (P): | Adoring light |
| Dilbar (P): | Holder of the heart | Raushana (P): | Light, Splendour |
| Dilkash (P): | Charming, Sweetheart, heart-ravisher | Razia: | Satisfied, Contended; Delhi Suntana (1236-40) |
| Dilruba (A): | Heart-ravishing, a beloved object | Rehana: | A handful of sweet basil |
| Dilshad (P): | A happy heart, Happy, Glad | Rubeina: | Bright |
| Faiza: | Gain | Ruksana (P): | Beautiful; Name of an Iranian princess. |
| Farida (A): | Unique, Matchless | Sadika: | Truthful |
| Farzana (P): | Wise, Learned | Safiya: | Virtuous lady |
| Fauzia: | Successful | Sakeena: | Friend |
| Farah: | Happiness | Salena: | Moon |
| Farahnaz (P): | Joy | Salima: | Happy, Peaceful |
| Fatima: | Name of Phophet Mohammad's (p.b.u.h.) daughter | Sanam: | Idol |
| Fazila: | Virtious, Honest, Excellent | Sanaz (T): | A flower |
| Firuza (P): | Turquoise, A bright greenish-blue colour | Sara (A): | Sarah; also pure, excellent |
| Ghazala: | Deer | Shabnam (P): | Dew |
| Gul (P): | Flower | Shahla (P): | A dark-eyed woman |
| Gulshan (P): | Rose Garden | Shahnaz (P): | The king’s favorite love |
| Gulzar (P): | Rose Garden | Shahrazad (P): | The town’s loved/favorite one |
| Habeeba: | Lover, Friend | Shaliza (P): | Of rice field |
| Hafeeza: | Protector | Shalizar (P): | Rice field |
| Halima: | Patient, Tolerant | Sayeeda: | Auspicious, Leader |
| Hana (A): | Happiness, Bliss | Shabab: | Youth |
| Haseena: | Beautiful | Shabana (P): | Wife of the Shah (King); Queen |
| Henna (P): | Mehendi | Shabnam (P): | Dew drops |
| Husna: | Beautiful | Shagufta (P): | Blooming |
| Inayat: | Kindness | Shaheen (P): | Soft, Gentle |
| Ismat: | Pure, Chastity | Shakeela: | Beautiful |
| Jahanara (P): | Queen of the Universe | Shakira: | Thankful |
| Jamila: | Beautiful, Pretty | Shalimar (P): | Adode of Love |
| Khadija: | The first wife of the Mohammad | Shama: | Lamp |
| Khanum (P): | Princess, Noble women | Shamina: | Beautiful |
| Khatun (P): | Noblewomen, Lady. A courteous title used at the end of a women’s name | Shamshad (P): | Tall and upright tree, Graceful figure |
| Kulsum (A): | Full of flesh about the face and cheeks. | Shirin/Shireen (P): | Sweet, Pleasant, Gente, Delicate |
| Latafat : | Variety | Suhaila: | Moon light |
| Leila: | Night | Suraiya /Soraya (P): | Name of a constellation; beautiful |
| Lubna: | A tree which yields an aromatic resin used in perfume and medicine | Taslima: | Salute, Congratulation |
| Mahjabeen (P): | Moon like, Beautiful | Wafa: | Faithfulness, Fidelity,Loyalty, Faith |
| Mahnaz/ Mehnaz (P): | The moon’s glory | Waheeda: | Beautiful |
| Maimun/ Maimoon: | Auspicious, Prosperious, Lucky | Yasmeen: | Jasmine flower |
| Maliha: | Beautiful, Pretty, Good-looking | Zahira: | Expression |
| Malika: | Queen | Zarin (P): | Golden |
| Marjaan (P): | Small pearls | Zarina (P): | Golden vessel; queen |
| Maryam: | Mother of Jesus (Essa :SWS) | Zeba (P): | Ornament, beautiful |
| Mehar: | Kindness, Dowry | Zeb-un-Nisa (P): | Ornament of women, Daughter of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. |
| Meharunnisa (P): | Kind | Zeenat: | Honour |
| Mehbooba (P): | Lover | Zenia: | Name of a flower |
| Mehrnaz (P): | Glory of love | Zohra: | A planet Venus |
| Misam: | Impression, Mark, Beauty, Beautiful women | Zubaida: | Marigold |
| Moshgan (P): | Eyelashes | Zulekha: | Beautiful |
| Mumina: | Believer in Islam, Pious | ||
| Boys | Meaning | Boys | Meaning |
| Abdul-Aleem: | Servant of the Omniscient | Irshad: | Order |
| Abdul-Aalee: | Servant of the Most High | Ishrat: | Happiness |
| Abdul Azeem: | Servant of the Mighty | Izhar: | Expression |
| Abdul-Azeez: | Servant of the Mighty, the Powerful | Izmet (T): | See Ismat: First President of Turkey |
| Abdul-Baari: | Servant of the Creator | Jahangir (P): | Conqueror of the Universe; One of the Mughal Emperors |
| Abdul-Baasit: | Servant of the Extender, Creator | Jalal: | Richness |
| Abdul-Fataah: | Servant of the Opener (of the gates of sustenance) | Jalil: | Respectable |
| Abdul-Jabaar: | Servant of the Mighty | Jaan (P): | Life, Love |
| Abdul-Ghafaar: | Servant of the Forgiver | Jamshed (P): | The sun in Pisces; A King of Iran. |
| Abdul-Ghafoor: | Servant of the Forgiver | Jamaluddin: | Beauty of the Religion (Islam). |
| Abdul-Haady: | Servant of the Guide | Jansher (P): | Life of a Lion |
| Abdul-Haafiz: | Servant of the Protector | Javed (P) | Immortal |
| Abdul-Haq: | Servant of the Truth | Kamran (P): | Successful, Fortunate |
| Abdul-Hakam: | Servant of the Arbitrator | Kamal (P): | Perfection, Excellence, Completion |
| Abdul-Hakeem: | Servant of the Wise | Kamaluddin: | Perfection of Religion (Islam). |
| Abdul-Haleem: | Servant of the Mild, Patient | Karim: | Kind hearted |
| Abdul-Hameed: | Servant of the Praiseworthy, the Ever-Praised | Khadim: | Servant of God |
| Abdul-Haseeb: | Servant of the Respected, Esteemed | Khalid: | Creator, Immortal |
| Abdul-Jaleel: | Servant of the Great, Revered | Khan (T): | A lineal descendant of Genghis Khan |
| Abdul-Qaadir: | Servant of the Capable | Khwaja (P): | A Title of learning, Generally accorded to the Sufi Masters |
| Abdul-Kareem: | Servant of the Noble, Generous | Khosrau (P): | Character in the Shahnameh; a royal surname in Persia |
| Abdul-Lateef: | Servant of the Kind | Khurram (P): | Cheerful, glad, fresh; Son of Mughal Emperor Shahjahan |
| Abdul-Majeed: | Servant of the Glorious | Khurshid (P): | Sun |
| Abdul-Muiz: | Servant of the Giver of Might and Glory | Latif : | Variety |
| Abdul-Mutaal: | Servant of the Most High | Liaqat: | Liaqat Ali Khan first Prime Minister of Pakistan |
| Abdul-Mujeeb: | Servant of the Responder | Lodhi (T): | Ibrahim and Sikander; Sultan of India 1489-1526; Turks from the Central Asian city of Lodhi |
| Abdul-Mateen: | Servant of the Firm, Strong | Mahtab: | Moon |
| Abdul-Muhaimin: | Servant of the Supervising, the Guardian, the Protector | Mahmood: | Praised |
| Abdul-Nasser: | Servant of the Helper, Granting Victory | Majid: | Great, honourable |
| Abdul-Qudoos: | Servant of the Most Holy | Masheer (P): | Advisor |
| Abdul-Qahaar: | Servant of the Subduer, the Almighty | Mansoor: | Defended, Protected by God |
| Abdul-Raafi': | Servant of the One Who Raises (intellect, esteem), Elevates | Mazharally: | Manifestation of Ally; An epithet of khalifa Ali |
| Abdul-Raheem: | Servant of the Most Compassionate | Mehboob (P): | Lover |
| Abdul-Rahmaan: | Servant of the Mercifully Gracious | Mirza (T): | Turkish title for Lord, Prince; always a middle name of the Mughals |
| Abdul-Rasheed: | Servant of the Rightly Guided | Mohammad: | Name of the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) |
| Abdul-Razaaq: | Servant of the Maintainer, the Provider | Moshin: | One who does good |
| Abdul-Salaam: | Servant of the Peace | Mubarak: | Auspicious |
| Abdul-Raouf: | Servant of the Most Merciful | Mumtaz: | Best, Excellent |
| Abdul-Khaaliq: | Servant of the Creator | Murad: | Wish |
| Abdul-Saboor: | Servant of the Patient | Murtaza: | Chosen, approved |
| Abdul-Samad: | Servant of the Eternal | Mustafa: | Chosen |
| Abdul-Sameed: | Servant of the All-Hearing | Nabeel: | Noble |
| Abdullah: | Servant of God | Nadeem: | Intimate, Friend, Companion |
| Abdul-Shakoor: | Servant of the Most Thankful | Najeeb: | Of noble descent |
| Abdul-Tawaab: | Servant of the Forgiver | Naseem: | Fresh Air |
| Abdul-Wadood: | Servant of the Loving | Naseeb: | Luck, Fortune |
| Abdul-Waahid: | Servant of the One | Nasser: | Friend |
| Abdul-Wahaab: | Servant of the Giver | Nasseruddin: | An helper of the Islam |
| Abbas: | Description of a lion | Nadir: | Rare, Inaccessible |
| Al Abbas: | Description of a lion | Noushad (P): | Happily born |
| Abedin: | Worshipers | Nizam (T): | Ruler |
| Abed: | Worship | Nizamuddin (T): | Discipline of the religion (Islam). |
| Adil: | Justice minded | Pasha (T): | A Turkish world meaning Lord |
| Aftab (P): | Sun | Omar: | Life, Long living |
| Aga (T): | Owner, Chief | Ossama: | Lion |
| Ahsan: | Act of kindness | Qasim: | Judge |
| Ajmal: | Holy, More beautiful | Qutub (T): | chieftain; Qutub-ud-din Aibak; Sultan of Hindustan |
| Akbar: | Great, Powerful | Raamiz: | Symbol |
| Aklamash (P): | Pure, Spotless | Rafi: | High ranking, Noble |
| Akram: | Excellent, Best | Rafik/Rafiq | Intimate friend, Companion |
| Alam: | Universe | Rahim: | Kind hearted |
| Alamgir: | Lord of the universe | Ramjan: | Corrupted verson of Ramazan |
| Ali: | Protected by God, High, and one of the names of Allah | Ramazan (P): | The Muslim month of Ramadhan |
| Ameerally: | An epithet of Khalifa Ali | Rashad: | Integrity of conduct |
| Amin: | Blessing of God | Rashid: | Rightly guided |
| Amir: | Rich | Rasool: | Messenger of God, Prophet (p.b.u.h.) |
| Amir: | Most excellent, glorious | Raunak: | Fame |
| Amir/Ameer: | Comander, Ruler, Chief | Raza/ Reza: | Wish, Agreement |
| Amzad: | Glory | Razak: | Protector |
| Anjum (P): | Star | Rehman: | Kind hearted |
| Anjuman (P): | Meeting | Rehmat: | Kind |
| Anoush (P) | Rifat: | Development | |
| Anwar: | Devoted to God | Riyaz: | Garden |
| Arif/Areef: | Llearned, Expert, Authority | Rizwan (P): | Satisfaction, Contentment |
| Arlsam (T): | Lion | Rustam : | Brave fighter |
| Arman (P): | Ideal, Hope, Aspiration | Sadik: | Truthful |
| Arshad | More rightly guided, Holy | Sahel: | One who shows path |
| Arshaq: | More elegant, More handsome | Salman: | Safe |
| Asghar: | Younger, Smaller | Salim: | Happy, Peaceful |
| Ashraf: | Nobler, More Honourable | Selim (T): | see Salim |
| Asim: | Protector | Sattar: | One of the names of Allah; veiler of sin |
| Aslam: | Better, More perfect, More complete | Sayeed: | Leader, Auspicious |
| Ata (T): | Gift, Present | Shabab: | Fresh |
| Azaad (P): | Freedom | Shah (P): | Persian title for King, Ruler |
| Azam: | The greatest, More important, Most powerful | Shaw (P) | Corrupted version of Shah |
| Aziz: | Mightly, Strong, Dearly loved | Shahab (P): | Shooting star, Meteor |
| Babur (P): | Lion; First Mughal Emperor of Hindustan. | Shahabuddin: | Meteor of religion; Mughal emperor (ShahJahan) 1666. |
| Baksh (P): | Gift or Fortune | Shahrukh (P): | Face of the King |
| Bacchus: | Corrupted version of Baksh | Shamsuddin (P): | Light (torch) of Islam |
| Baktiyar/ Bakhtawar(P): | Fortunate, Lucky | Shihabuddin: | see Shahabuddin; Shihabuddin Ghori, Sultan of Hindustan defeated the HIndu King Privitiraj. |
| Basheer: | One who carries good news | Shahfaraz / Safraz (P); | Devine ruler |
| Basit (A): | One who stretches, Enlarges | Shah-Nawaz (P): | Friend of the King |
| Baz (P): | Falcon | Shakir: | Thankful, Grateful |
| Beg (T): | Honorific title, Noble, Lord, Prince | Sarfraz-Nawaz (P): | Famous Pakistani Cricketer Sarfraz Nawaz Malik. |
| Bilal: | One of the first muezzin in Islam | Shahbaz (P): | Royal Falcon, Noble |
| Chaghatai (T): | Surname of the decendents of the Turkish tribe of Central Asia, Chaghatai: Babur’s clan | Shahzad (P): | King/ Emperor |
| Chengiz (T): | Chengiz Khan | Shakeel: | Handsome |
| Dara (P): | Possessor,Sovereign; Son of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan | Sharif: | Gentleman |
| Dilawar (P): | Brave | Shaukat : | Prestige, Richness |
| Dilbar (P): | Lover | Shamshad (P): | Upright like a tree, Handsome |
| Dilshad (P): | Happy | Shamsher (P): | Sword |
| Dost (P): | Friend | Sherally (P): | An epithet of Khalifa Ali |
| Eijaz: | Miracle, Inimitability | Shiraz / Shirazi (P): | From the Iranian city of Shiraz |
| Farhat (P): | Happiness | Sikandar/Iskander (P): | Alexander the Great |
| Faiyaz: | Generous, Munificient, Bountiful | Sikandar Lodi: | Sultan of Hindustan;The famous Lodis of Afghan origin |
| Faiz: | Superabudance, Effluence | Siraj: | Lamp |
| Faraz (P): | Devine, Above, Upon, on the top | Sohail: | Moon Light |
| Fareed: | Second to none | Sohil: | Handsome |
| Farhad (P): | A character in Shahnameh | Suhail: | Moon Light |
| Farzad (P): | Splendid birth | Sultan: | King |
| Farzan (P): | Wise | Talal: | Nice, Admirable |
| Farookh: | A good Judge | Tahirally: | Virtue of Ally |
| Fateh: | Victory | Taj: | Crown |
| Fawwaz: | Winner of victory after victory | Tazim: | Respect |
| Fayyad: | Generous, Manificent | Talat: | Prayer |
| Fazil: | Virtorious,Superior | Talib: | Willing |
| Firdaus: | Heaven | Tariq: | Morning star |
| Firouz: | Victorious | Timur (T): | Timur of Tamerlane; Central Asia |
| Firoz: | See Firouz | Usman: | Slave |
| Ghalib: | The best | Wahab: | Kind hearted |
| Ghazni (P): | Surname from the Afghan city of Ghazni | Wajid: | Finder, Lover |
| Ghazni: | Famous Delhi Suntanate | Waris: | Heir, Inheritor, Successor |
| Ghori/ Ghuri (T): | The clan from the Afghan city of Ghori;Shahabuddin Ghori who defeated the Hindu King, Pritiviraj. | Wasim: | Handsome, Good looking |
| Gul (P): | Flower | Waseem: | See Wasim: Famous Pakistani cricketer Waseem Barri. |
| Gulfam: | Flower colour | Wazir: | Minister, Vizier |
| Gulzar (P): | Garden | Yaqub: | A Prophet, The biblical Jacob |
| Habeeb: | Lover, Friend | Yasin: | The opening letters of the first verse of Surat Yasin. |
| Hafeez: | Protector | Yasir: | Easy;Ammar bin Yasir: A Sahaabi. |
| Hamid: | One who should be praised | Yunus: | A Prophet, The Biblical Jonah |
| Haroon: | Aaron; Achievement | Yusuf: | Chosen by god |
| Hashmat: | Happy | Zafar: | The best, Victory |
| Hassan: | Son of Ali; Good | Zahid: | Saintly |
| Hashem: | The Arab clan of the Prophet Muhammad (SWS). | Zahiruddin: | Helper of the religion; The first Mughal Emperor of Hindustan, Zahiruddin Mohammad Babu. |
| Humayun (P): | Auspicious,Fortunate, One of the Mughal Emperors of India. | Zahur: | Prominent, High |
| Hussain: | Name of a saint, Beautiful; Third Imam of Shiites | Zakariya: | A Prophet, The Biblical Zachariah and father of Prophet Yahya. |
| Ibrahim: | Abraham | Zaki: | Intelligent, Sinless, Chaste |
| Ifran: | Identity | Zaman: | Time, Age, Era |
| Imran: | Powerful, Father of Maryam: mother of Prophet Isa (p.b.u.h) | Zia: | Light |
| Insanally: | Followers of Ally | Zhobin (P): | Kind of spear |
| Intakhab: | Election | Zubair: | Pure |
| Iqbal: | Richness | Zulfiqar: | The cleaver of vertebrae. |