Quranic Names: The Names Actually Mentioned and the Words That Became Names

“I’d love a name from the Quran for my daughter.” The answer may surprise you: only one woman is named in the Quran, Maryam. The other so-called Quranic names are either words from the text, such as Janna or Firdaous, or the names of famous women from the history of Islam, such as Khadija or Fatima, who are not mentioned in it.

For boys the choice is wider: the Quran names some twenty prophets and a handful of other figures. This article sorts things out, verse by verse, between names actually mentioned, Quranic words that became names, and names that come from tradition. We stick to the facts: the religious significance of each name is a matter for scholars, not for a magazine.

All the Arabic spellings and meanings given here have been checked in at least two references. The number of mentions comes from a count of the Quranic text; it can vary slightly from one count to another.

What does “a name from the Quran” actually mean?

The phrase covers three quite different families, and it helps to tell them apart before you choose.

1. People named in the Quran: prophets and a few other figures, almost all men. Only one woman: Maryam.
2. Quranic words that became names: Janna (paradise, garden), Firdaous (paradise), Nour (light). These are not people but terms from the text.
3. Names from Muslim tradition: those of figures the Quran refers to without naming them, such as Hawwa (Eve), or who do not appear in it at all, such as Khadija or Fatima.

All three families give Islamic names. Telling them apart simply avoids saying a name “is in the Quran” when it is not.

The prophets named in the Quran

Twenty-four prophets are named, from Adam to Muhammad. Adding Dhul-Kifl, named twice but whose status as a prophet is debated, brings the total to twenty-five. Most bear the Arabic form of a biblical name.

The Quran also names Ishaq (Isaac), Yacoub (Jacob), Youssef (Joseph), Idriss (identified with Enoch), Houd, Salih, Lout (Lot), Ilyas (Elijah), Al-Yasa (Elisha), Younes (Jonah) and Yahya (John the Baptist). These names are closely tied to the Quran and come in many spellings. For more boy name ideas, with their meanings, see our selection of Arabic and Muslim boy names.

Maryam, the only woman named in the Quran

Maryam (مريم), the mother of Isa (Jesus), is the only woman the Quran refers to by name. The text calls her Maryam, daughter of Imran, and sura 19 bears her name. According to counts, her name appears 34 or 35 times.

It is the Arabic form of Mary, which makes it a name understood in almost every language. Its Latin spelling varies between families and countries (Maryam, Meryem, Mariam): choose the one you like and keep it on all your daughter’s documents.

Luqman, Imran, Zayd: the other named figures

Beyond the prophets, the Quran names a few figures whose names have become given names. For a boy, they are more original choices.

The Quran also names Talut (Saul), the angel Mikail (Michael, in 2:98) and Dhul-Qarnayn, a travelling king.

Hawwa, Asiya, Bilqis: women referred to, but not named

Several women play a part in the Quranic narrative without being named. The names we know them by come from tradition.

• Hawwa (Eve): Adam’s wife is referred to, notably in verses 2:35, 7:19 and 20:117, without a name.
• Asiya: the name tradition gives to Pharaoh’s wife (28:9, 66:11).
• Bilqis: the traditional name of the Queen of Sheba, whose story is in sura 27.
• Zulaykha: the name tradition gives to the wife of Al-Aziz, in the story of Youssef (12:23-32).

The great female figures of early Islam are not named either. Their names nonetheless remain closely tied to the history of Islam.

Sara, Ibrahim’s wife, is not named either. Our selection of Arabic girl names with their meanings covers these names in detail.

Quranic words that became names

This is the richest family for girls: words from the text, chosen for their meaning or their sound. The names below have been cross-checked in at least two references, and their place in the text is given with the verse.

Other names also come from Quranic vocabulary: Kaoutar (Kawthar), name of sura 108; Tasnim and Salsabil, mentioned in verses 83:27 and 76:18; Marwa, the place mentioned with Safa in verse 2:158; and Aya, which means both a “sign” and a verse. As for Taha and Yassine, they are the names of two suras formed from the isolated letters that open them, with no translation.

At the civil registry: what you need to know

In the Moroccan civil register, these names follow the rules of article 34 of Law 36-21, published in the Official Bulletin on 22 July 2021. Two of those rules often concern religious names:

• a compound name cannot combine more than two names: Fatima-Zahra is fine, a triple name is not;
• no title may accompany the name: Moulay, Sidi or Lalla do not appear on the certificate.

The other conditions, what happens if the registrar hesitates and the situation of families living abroad are explained in our guide to the law and choosing a baby name in Morocco. And if you are preparing the seventh-day celebration, our article on the sbou3 and the aqiqa will help you organise it.

From the shop

Keepsakes to go with the name

An imprint box or frame to keep a record of the very first days, alongside the name you have chosen.

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