Category Archives: Azeri Names

Sohrab

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  • Origin: Persian سهراب
  • Meaning: “red water”
  • Gender: Male

Sohrab (Persian: سهراب) is a classic Persian male name. It is most famous from the Shahnameh. In the epic, Sohrab is the heroic son of Rostam and Tahmineh. He is celebrated for his beauty and courage. He is known for his tragic duel with his father Rostam. It is one of the most famous episodes in Persian literature. His story has inspired countless Persian miniatures, operas, and poems. There are also even Western adaptations. One example is Matthew Arnold’s 19th-century poem Sohrab and Rustum.

Scholars derive it from Middle Persian, Suhrāv / Sōhrāv. It is composed of suhr / sohr (سهر) – “red, ruddy, rosy, dawn-colored.” The term āb آب means “water,” but in old compound names, it figuratively represents “essence, fluid, brightness, radiance.” The latter may also be related to آو / او (âv / ô / ow), which is an older or poetic variant meaning, “sound” or “voice.” In some historical compounds, it functions like âb to indicate “substance” or “radiance.”

The name appears not only in Iran, but is found across the Persianate world, including Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and Azerbaijan. It also exists among Central Asian and South-Asian communities influenced by Persian literature, and Zurab ზურაბ is its Georgian form.

International variations include:

  • Zurab Зураб, ზურაბ (Abkhaz, Georgian)
  • Sohrab Սոհրաբ (Armenian)
  • Sührab, Süraab (Azeri)
  • Suhrab, Sukhrab Сухраб (Kazakh, Kyrgyz)
  • Suhrob سهراب, Суҳроб Суһроб (Kurdish, Tajik, Turkmen, Uzbek)
  • Sehrab, Sohrab سہراب (Urdu)

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Rubab

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  • Origin: Arabic رباب
  • Gender: Female

The name comes directly from the Arabic word رباب for a type of stringed instrument.

It was also the name of Rubāb bint Imraʾ al-Qays (b. 7th-century C.E). The wife of Husayn ibn Ali.

It is borne by Pakistani Olympic Swimmer, Rubab Raza (b. 1991).

Another transciption is Rabab.

Other forms include:

  • Rübabə (Azeri)
  • Robabeh ربابه (Persian)
  • Robab رباب (Persian)
  • Rübab (Turkish)

The name is used throughout the Islamic World.

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Sabih, Sabiha

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Sabiha Sultan
  • Origin: Arabic
  • Meaning: “comely; beautiful; handsome; graceful.”

Sabih صبيح is a masculine Arabic name which comes directly from the Arabic word, صَبيح (ṣabīḥ), meaning, “comely; beautiful; handsome; graceful.” It is ultimately derived from the Arabic root word, صبح (ṣabuḥa) “to be beautiful; to be radiant; to beam.”

Sabiha صبيحة is its feminine form. It’s feminine form was borne by Sabiha Sultan (1894-1971) an Ottoman princess, the third and last daughter of Sultan Mehmed VI; the first Turkish female sculptor, Sabiha Bengütaş (1904-1992); and Turkish combat pilot, Sabiha Gökçen (1913-2001).

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Suhail, Suhaila

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Suhail or sometimes transliterated as Suhayl, is derived from the Arabic word سَھْل (sahl) meaning “level; even; smooth, easy.” It is the Arabic name of the second brightest star known in the western world as Canopus. It’s appearance in the skies have traditionally been linked with the end of summer in the Arab world. It is the name of a few other stars.

It was also borne by one of the contemporaries of the Prophet Mohammed, known as Suhayl ibn ʿAmr (6th-century C.E).

Suhail appeared in the U.K. Top 1000 between 1996-2002, peaking at #694 in 1997. Its Urdu form of Sohail appeared in the U.K. Top 1000 between 1996-2007 and peaked at #305 in 1997.

Other forms include:

  • Suhajl (Albanian, Bosnian)
  • Süheyl (Azeri, Turkish)
  • Suhejlo (Bosnian)
  • Suhӏajlʹ СухӀайль (Chechen)
  • Suheyl (Kurdish)
  • Souhail (Maghrebi Arabic)
  • Soheil سهیل (Persian)
  • Sohail سہیل (Urdu)

It’s feminine form is Suhaila or Suhayla سهيلة

Other forms include:

  • Suhajla (Albanian, Bosnian)
  • Suhejla (Albanian, Bosnian)
  • Süheyla (Azeri, Turkish)
  • Souhaila (Maghrebi Arabic)
  • Soheila سهیلا (Persian)
  • Sohaila سہیل (Urdu)

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Zubaidah, Zubayda

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  • Origin: Arabic زُبَيْدَة (Arabic)
  • Usage: Arabic-speaking world, most of the Islamic world
  • Gender: Female
  • Meaning: “little butterball.”

The name is derived from the Arabic rootز-ب- د (z-b-d), which pertains to “cream, foam, butter,” along with the Arabic feminine diminutive suffix, roughly translating to “little cream” or “little butter,” having the same sense as “cream of the crop.”

This was the sobriquet of Zubaidah bint Ja’far (766–831), the wife of Harun al-Rashid. Borne as Sukhainah or Amat al-‘Aziz, she was known for her construction of wells and reservoirs along the pilgramage routes to Mecca and is featured in The Thousand and One Nights. Her life was later the inspiration behind the character of Zobeide in the German opera Abu Hassan by Carl Maria von Weber.

The Turkish form of the name, Zübeyde, was borne by an Ottoman princess, the daughter of Sultan Ahmed II, who lived from 1728 to 1756. It was also carried by Zübeyde Hanım (1856–1923), the mother of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. The name appeared in the Top 100 most popular female names in Turkey between 1980 and 1986, peaking at #70 in 1981

It is also the name of an asteroid.

Other forms include

  • Zübeydə (Azeri)
  • Zubejda (Bosnian)
  • Zobeide (German, literary)
  • Zoubida (Maghrebi Arabic)
  • Zubaida Зөбаида (Tatar)
  • Zübeyde (Turkish)
  • Zubayda (Uzbek)

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Ayman, Yamina, Yumna

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  • Origin: Arabic
  • Meaning: “right.”
  • masc. (I-mun); fem (yah-MEE-nah); YOOM-na

Ayman is derived from the Arabic word يمين (yamin) meaning “right,” referring to the right hand. The word is ultimately derived from a Semitic root ي م ن (right). The Arabic root word is y-m-n (ي-م-ن), which can mean “right hand,” “right side,” “favor,” “blessing,” “prosperity,” “ease,” or “success.” It shares the same root as the Hebrew מִין (yamin) meaning, “right hand; south,” which forms a basis of the name Benjamin. The country of Yemen also gets its name from the same root word.

The name was borne by a companion of the Prophet Mohammed, known as Ayman Ibn Abayd.

Ayman is a traditional male name in the Arabic-speaking world, but has been commonly used on females in Pakistan, possibly in reference to the kunya of Umm Ayman (meaning “mother of Ayman”, the mother of Ayman Ibn Abayd, or perhaps due to it sounding more feminine in the Urdu language.

Its traditional Arabic feminine form is Yamina يمينة which is a popular female name in Maghrebi countries but is used in other predominate Islamic countries. Another feminine form is Yumna يُمْنَى, which is currently the 983rd most popular female name in the United States (2021).

A more unusual feminine form is Yumnaat يُمْنَات.

Ayamin أَيامِن which is a plural form يمين (yamin) is occasionally used as a unisex name.

Ayman currently ranks as the 96th most popular male name in Catalonia, Spain (2021).

Its current rankings in other countries are as follows:

  • #407 (England & Wales, 2021).
  • #477 (France)

Its Turkish form of Eymen is the 5th most popular male name in Turkey (2021). In the Netherlands it ranks in at #344 (2022) and in France at #440 (2021).

Another transliteration of Ayman is Aiman.

Other forms include:

  • Ejmen (Albanian)
  • Yaman, Yamin يمين (Arabic)
  • Yumn يُمْن (Arabic)
  • Ayman (Arabic, Azeri, Urdu)
  • Aiman আইমান Әймән (Bengali, Kazakh, Tatar)
  • Ajman (Bosnian)
  • Aymon Аймон (Tajik)
  • Eymen (Turkish)

Feminine forms include:

  • Jamina (Albanian, Bosnian)

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Safin, Safana, Safina

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Safin سَفِين is an Arabic male name that derives from the Arabic root, S-F-N س ف ن meaning, “ship.” Safin itself is the plural form and therefore means “ships.” The singular form of Safina سَفِينة (ship) is used as a female given-name. Another feminine form, which is Safana سَفّانة, literally meaning “boatwright” in modern Arabic derives from the same root but may have had a connotation of a precious gem or pearl in old Arabic and was also used as a term of endearment for a daughter.

The name is used in reference to “سفينة نوح” (safinat Nuh), which is Arabic for Noah’s ark.

Other forms include: Safeen (masculine), Saffanah (feminine), Safanah (feminine) & Safinah (feminine).

A Tatar form is Сәфинә” (Säfinä).

Safina is used throughout the Islamic world.

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Ramz, Ramzi, Ramza, Ramzia

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  • Origin: Arabic
  • Meaning: “code, sign, mark.”

Ramiz رامز , Ramz رَمْز & Ramzi رمزي are Arabic masculine names which come directly from the Arabic word (ramz) رَمْز , meaning, “code, sign, mark, symbol, gesture.” It is ultimately derived from R-M-Z root in Arabic.

Ramzi appeared in the U.S. Top 1000 Most popular male names between 1973-1990 and peaked at #320 in 1982. It’s usage in the United States may have been influenced by immigrant groups who use the name (Southeastern European Muslims, Arab immigrants & Southeastern Asian Muslims immigrants), mixed with Anglophone parents who were probably using it as an alternate spelling for the English surname/place-name, Ramsey, which means “wild garlic island.” It should also be noted that during this time period, the use of Arabic names became especially popular among African-Americans.

The name is sometimes transliteration as Ramzy and I suppose in the English-speaking world it could also be transliterated as Ramsey.

The feminine forms are Ramza and Ramzia, spelled Ramziya Рәмзия in Central Asian & Turkic languages (Bashkir, Chechen, Tatar).

Other forms include:

Male

  • Remzi Ремзи (Albanian, Bosnian, Crimean Tatar, Turkish)

Female

  • Remzije (Albanian, Bosnian)
  • Remziye (Turkish)

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Aynur, Ainura

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  • Origin: Turkish
  • Meaning: “moonlight.”
  • Gender: feminine
  • Pronunciation: I-noor; i-NOO-rah

Aynur is a Turkic female name, which is composed of the elements, ay (moon) and nur (light). It’s various offshoots across Central Asia have been popularly used.

Aynur appeared in the Turkish Top 100 Female Names between 1980-1997, and peaked at #22 in 1980.

Aynur is used as a female name in Azerbaijan, among the Uyghur and the Kurds. Among the Tatars of Russia, it is a masculine name, while Ajnur is a male name in Bosnia and Albania, it currently ranks in as the 11th most popular male name in Bosnia & Herzegovina (2019).

Other forms include:

  • Ajnura (Albanian, Bosnian)
  • Ainur Айнұр (Kazakh)
  • Ainura, Aynura Айнура (Kyrgyz)
  • Ainuria, Aynurya Айнурия (Tatar)

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Duha

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  • Origin: Arabic ضحى
  • Meaning: “forenoon.”
  • Gender: unisex
  • DOO-hah

The name comes directly from the Arabic word for forenoon or late morning. In Islam, it is used in reference to Salat ad-Duha صَلَاة الضحى‎‎, a voluntary prayer that is said between Fajr and Dhuhr and is used mainly for the atonement of sins.

It is also the name of the 93rd chapter in the Qu’ran, al-Ḍuḥā الضحى‎, (the Morning).

As a given-name, it is traditionally unisex, but has been more often bestowed on females.

Other forms include:

  • Duha Духа (Albanian, Arabic (standard), Bashkir, Bosnian, Chechen, Kazakh, Kurdish, Turkish)
  • Zuha ज़ुहा (Azeri, Hindi)
  • Doha, Dohaa للال چاشت (Bengali, Urdu)
  • Dhuha (Javanese, Malaysian)
  • Zoha ضحی (Persian)
  • Zuho Зуҳо (Tajik, Uzbek)

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