- Origin: Persian نیلوفر
- Bengali: নিলুফার
- Urdu: نیلوفر
- Uzbek: Нилуфар
- Variant Transcriptions: Nilofar, Nilufar, Nilofer
- Meaning: “morning glory; water lily; nenuphar”
- Gender: Female
The name comes directly from the Farsi word نیلوفر (niloufar), meaning, “morning glory; water lily; nenuphar.”
It ultimately derives from Middle Persian nīlōpār, from Sanskrit nīlotpala (नीलोत्पल) meaning blue lotus (nīla “blue” + utpala “lotus”). Through Persian, it spread widely into other languages of the Islamic and Silk Road world. The Greek-Latin loan nénuphar comes from this same root, appearing in medieval botanical and poetic texts to denote the water lily (Nymphaea).
Niloufar has been used as a feminine given name in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, and Turkey (where it appears as Nilüfer).
Notable bearers include:
- Niloufar Bayani, Iranian conservationist and scholar.
- Nilüfer Yumlu (known simply as Nilüfer), celebrated Turkish pop singer.
- Princess Niloufer of Hyderabad (1916–1989), Ottoman princess renowned for her beauty and philanthropy.
International Variations
- Nunufar Նունուֆար (Armenian)
- Nilufər (Azeri)
Sources