Moroccan girls’ names

A

• Abirعبير

  “fragrance, perfume”¹¹

  Arabic

• Afafعفاف

  “chastity”, from a root meaning “to abstain”¹²

  Arabic

• Ahlamأحلام

  “dreams”, plural of hulm¹³

  Arabic

• Aichaعائشة

  “living, alive”; the name of the third wife of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ رضي الله عنها (may Allah be pleased with her), a daughter of Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه (may Allah be pleased with him)¹⁴

  Arabic

• Amalأمل

  “hope, aspiration”¹⁵

  Arabic

• Amaniأماني

  “wishes”¹⁶

  Arabic

• Aminaأمينة

  feminine form of Amin, from a root meaning “to be faithful”; in the spelling آمنة (“safe, secure”) it was the name of the mother of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ¹⁷

  Arabic

• Amiraأميرة

  feminine form of Amir¹⁸, “commander, prince”, hence “princess”¹⁹; according to the Forebears name statistics, around 6,500 people in Morocco bear the name²⁰

  Arabic

• Asmaeأسماء

  “lofty, higher”; the name of Asma رضي الله عنها, a daughter of Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه, the first caliph²¹

  Arabic

• Assiaآسية

  according to Islamic tradition the name of Pharaoh’s wife at the time of Moses, who took in the infant Moses²²

  Arabic

• Ayaآية

  “sign”, meaning a sign of Allah سبحانه وتعالى (glorified and exalted be He); also a “verse” of the Quran²³

  Arabic

• Azizaعزيزة

  feminine form of Aziz²⁴, which means “mighty, respected, beloved”²⁵

  Arabic

B

• Basmaبسمة

  “smile”²⁶

  Arabic

• Bouchraبشرى

  “good news”; Bouchra is the transcription of Bushra usual in North Africa²⁷

  Arabic

C

• Chaimaeشيماء

  the name of the daughter of Halima رضي الله عنها, the wet nurse of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ²⁸

  Arabic

D

• Douniaدنيا

  “world, earth”²⁹

  Arabic

F

• Fadma

  the Tashelhit form of Fatima, produced by sound assimilation³⁰; the meaning is that of Fatima, from Arabic “to abstain, to wean”³¹; widespread in Morocco with around 12,600 bearers³²

  Amazigh

• Farahفرح

  “joy, happiness”³³

  Arabic

• Faridaفريدة

  feminine form of Farid³⁴, which means “unique, precious”³⁵

  Arabic

• Fatimaفاطمة

  from Arabic “to abstain, to wean”; the name of a daughter of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ رضي الله عنها and wife of Ali رضي الله عنه, the fourth caliph³⁶

  Arabic

• Fatima Zohraفاطمة الزهراء

  combination of Fatima and Zahra, referring to Fatima رضي الله عنها, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ; also Fatima Zahra, the transcription used above all in North Africa³⁷

  Arabic

• Fouziaفوزيّة

  feminine form of Fawzi³⁸, which means “triumph, victory”³⁹

  Arabic

H

• Hafsaحفصة

  “gathering”; the name of Hafsa رضي الله عنها, a daughter of the caliph Omar رضي الله عنه, who became a wife of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ⁴⁰

  Arabic

• Hakimaحكيمة

  feminine form of Hakim⁴¹, which means “wise”⁴²

  Arabic

• Halimaحليمة

  feminine form of Halim (“patient, forbearing, gentle”); Halima رضي الله عنها was the name of the wet nurse of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ⁴³

  Arabic

• Hanaeهناء

  “bliss, happiness”⁴⁴

  Arabic

• Hananeحنان

  “mercy, compassion”; Hanane is the transcription usual in North Africa⁴⁵

  Arabic

• Hasnaeحسناء

  “beauty”⁴⁶

  Arabic

• Hayatحياة

  “life”⁴⁷

  Arabic

• Hibaهبة

  “gift”⁴⁸

  Arabic

• Hindهند

  Hind bint Abi Umayya, known as Umm Salama رضي الله عنها, was a wife of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Hind is also the Arabic name for India⁴⁹

  Arabic

• Houdaهدى

  “right guidance”; Houda is the transcription usual in North Africa⁵⁰

  Arabic

• Houriaحوريّة

  “maiden of paradise”, after the houris of the Islamic afterlife⁵¹

  Arabic

I

• Ibtissameابتسام

  “smile”⁵²

  Arabic

• Ikramإكرام

  “honour”, from a root meaning “to be generous”⁵³

  Arabic

• Ilhamإلهام

  “intuition, inspiration”⁵⁴

  Arabic

• Imaneإيمان

  “faith”; Imane is the transcription usual in North Africa⁵⁵

  Arabic

• Inasإيناس

  “friendliness, sociability”⁵⁶

  Arabic

J

• Jamilaجميلة

  feminine form of Jamil (“beautiful”); the name of a wife of the caliph Omar رضي الله عنه⁵⁷

  Arabic

K

• Kaoutarكوثر

  “abundance”; the name of the 108th sura of the Quran⁵⁸

  Arabic

• Karimaكريمة

  feminine form of Karim⁵⁹, which means “generous, noble”⁶⁰

  Arabic

• Kenzaكنزة

  from Arabic kanz, “treasure”; Kenza is the transcription usual in North Africa⁶¹

  Arabic

• Khadijaخديجة

  “child born prematurely”; the name of the first wife of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ رضي الله عنها, who was the first to accept Islam; also Khadidja⁶²

  Arabic

• Khaoulaخولة

  the name of a female companion of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ رضي الله عنها⁶³

  Arabic

L

• Latifaلطيفة

  feminine form of Latif⁶⁴, which means “gentle, kind”⁶⁵

  Arabic

• Leilaليلى

  “night”⁶⁶; also Layla⁶⁷

  Arabic

• Loubnaلبنى

  “storax tree”⁶⁸

  Arabic

M

• Mahaمها

  “oryx”, an antelope regarded as a symbol of beauty⁶⁹

  Arabic

• Majdaماجدة

  feminine form of Majd⁷⁰, which means “glory, splendour”⁷¹

  Arabic

• Malakملك

  “angel”⁷²

  Arabic

• Malikaملكة

  “queen”, feminine form of Malik (“king”)⁷³

  Arabic

• Manalمنال

  “achievement, attainment”⁷⁴

  Arabic

• Marouaمروة

  from Arabic marw, “pebble, flint”; al-Marwa is the name of one of the two sacred hills near Mecca⁷⁵

  Arabic

• Mounaمنى

  “wishes”; Mouna is the transcription usual in North Africa⁷⁶

  Arabic

N

• Nabilaنبيلة

  feminine form of Nabil (“noble”)⁷⁷

  Arabic

• Nadaندى

  “dew, moisture, generosity”⁷⁸

  Arabic

• Nadiaناديّة

  transcription of Nadiyya⁷⁹, “announcement, call”⁸⁰

  Arabic

• Naimaنعيمة

  feminine form of Naim (“tranquil, happy, carefree”)⁸¹

  Arabic

• Najatنجاة

  “rescue, salvation”⁸²

  Arabic

• Najouaنجوى

  “secret, whisper, confidential talk”; Najoua is the transcription usual in North Africa⁸³

  Arabic

• Naoualنوال

  “gift, present”⁸⁴

  Arabic

• Noraنورة

  exclusively feminine form of Nour (“light”)⁸⁵

  Arabic

• Nourنور

  “light”; in Islamic tradition an-Nur is one of the 99 names of Allah سبحانه وتعالى⁸⁶

  Arabic

O

• Ouafaeوفاء

  “faithfulness, reliability”⁸⁷

  Arabic

R

• Rabiaربيعة

  in this spelling a variant of Rabi⁸⁸, “spring”⁸⁹

  Arabic

• Rachidaرشيدة

  feminine form of Rashid⁹⁰, “rightly guided”⁹¹

  Arabic

• Rahmaرحمة

  “mercy, compassion”⁹²

  Arabic

• Rajaeرجاء

  “hope”⁹³

  Arabic

• Rimريم

  “white antelope”⁹⁴

  Arabic

• Rkiaرقيّة

  from Arabic “ascent” or “spell”; the name of a daughter of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ رضي الله عنها who married Othman رضي الله عنه, the third caliph; also Roukaya⁹⁵

  Arabic

S

• Safaeصفاء

  “serenity, clarity”⁹⁶

  Arabic

• Safiaصفيّة

  feminine form of Safi (“pure”); the name of a wife of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ رضي الله عنها⁹⁷

  Arabic

• Saidaسعيدة

  feminine form of Said⁹⁸, which means “happy”⁹⁹

  Arabic

• Sakinaسكينة

  “calm, peace”¹⁰⁰

  Arabic

• Salmaسلمى

  “safe, unharmed”¹⁰¹

  Arabic

• Salouaسلوى

  “consolation”¹⁰²

  Arabic

• Samiraسميرة

  feminine form of Samir¹⁰³, “companion in evening conversation”¹⁰⁴

  Arabic

• Sanaeسناء

  “brilliance, radiance”¹⁰⁵

  Arabic

• Sihamسهام

  “arrows”, plural of sahm¹⁰⁶

  Arabic

• Souadسعاد

  “happiness”¹⁰⁷

  Arabic

• Souhailaسهيلة

  feminine form of Suhail¹⁰⁸, the Arabic name of the star Canopus¹⁰⁹

  Arabic

T

• Tafoukt

  “sun”, the Amazigh word tafukt according to the IRCAM dictionary¹¹⁰. Very common in Morocco in the first decade after independence¹¹¹

  AmazighIn Tifinagh ⵜⴰⴼⵓⴽⵜ

• Tilelli

  “freedom”, the Amazigh word tilelli according to the IRCAM dictionary¹¹²; Haddadou lists the name as a recent introduction¹¹³. IRCAM gives it as an example in its book of Amazigh first names¹¹⁴

  AmazighIn Tifinagh ⵜⵉⵍⴻⵍⵍⵉ

• Tiziri

  “moon, full moon”, the Amazigh word tiziri according to the IRCAM dictionary¹¹⁵; Haddadou attests the name from medieval writings and links it to ziri, “moonlight”¹¹⁶. Very common in Morocco in the first decade after independence¹¹⁷

  AmazighIn Tifinagh ⵜⵉⵣⵉⵔⵉ

W

• Widadوداد

  “love”¹¹⁸

  Arabic

Y

• Yaminaيمينة

  from Arabic yamin, “right hand, oath”¹¹⁹

  Arabic

• Yasmineياسمين

  “jasmine”¹²⁰

  Arabic

• Yousraيسرى

  “prosperity, ease”; Yousra is the transcription usual in North Africa¹²¹

  Arabic

Z

• Zahraزهراء

  “radiant, shining”; an epithet of Fatima رضي الله عنها, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ¹²²

  Arabic

• Zakiaزكيّة

  feminine form of Zaki (“pure”)¹²³

  Arabic

• Zinebزينب

  the name of a daughter, a granddaughter and two wives of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ رضي الله عنهن (may Allah be pleased with them); Zineb is the transcription usual in North Africa¹²⁴

  Arabic

• Zohraزهرة

  “brilliance, light”¹²⁵

  Arabic

• Zoubidaزبيدة

  “the choice, the best”; the name of a wife of the Abbasid caliph Harun al-Rashid in the 9th century¹²⁶

  Arabic

The Tifinagh spelling is given only for names of Amazigh origin.

Pass it on

As a link, by WhatsApp or email.

WhatsAppEmailFacebookX

Last checked on 26 Oct 2026.