Category Archives: Azeri Names

Ammar

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Gender: Masculine
Origin: Arabic  عمّار
Meaning: “pious; virtuous.”

The name is from the Arabic meaning, “pious; virtuous.”

It was borne by Ammar ibn Yasir al-Ansi, a desciple of the Prophet Mohammed.

As of 2010, its Bosnian form of Amar was the most popular male name in Bosnia & Herzegovina. His rankings in other countries are as follows:

  • # 10 (Iraq, 2007)
  • # 10 (United Arab Emirates)
  • # 45 (Amer, Bosnia & Herzegovina, 2010)
  • # 80 (Ammar, Bosnia & Herzegovia, 2010)

Other forms of the name include:

  • Amar (Bosnian)
  • Əmmar (Azeri)
  • Gammer Гаммәр (Tatar)
The name is used throughout the Islamic world.
A Bosnian feminine form is Amera.

Tariq

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Gender: Masculine
Origin: Arabic طارق
Meaning: “morning star; messenger; the knocking one; traveller, path finder.”
طارق

The name is of Arabic origins and can have several different interpretations, one is that it is from the Arabic verb ṭaraqa meaning “to knock” or “to pound.” In this case, the name would take on the meaning of “messenger” or “bringer of news.”

In the Qu’ran, the morning star is named ṭāriq and is described as something that shines and leads the way and in this case, the name can take on the meaning of “someone who leads the way” “traveller” or “pathfinder.”

As of 2010, Tarik was the 2nd most popular male name in Bosnia & Herzegovina, while Tareq is the 8th most popular male name in Libya.

The name was most notably borne by Tariq ibn Ziyad, the Islamic general who helped conquer Spain in the 8th-century.

The name is used by both Muslim and Christian Arabs.

Other forms of the name include:

  • Tarik (Albanian/Bosnian)
  • Tarak/Tarek (Algerian/Lebanese/Moroccan/Tunisian: these are usually the way the name is transcribed in French and hence is most often used in the Francophone world)
  • Tarık (Azeri/Kurdish/Turkish)

The name is also transliterated as Tareq and Tareeq.

Saira

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Gender: Feminine
Origin: Arabic
Meaning: “traveler.”
(SYE-rah)

The name comes from the Arabic meaning, “traveler.”

This was the Muslim name of Scottish-Afghan writer, Saira Shah, (neé Elizabeth Louise Mackenzie 1900-1960), sometimes writing under the pseudonym of Morag Murray Abdullah. It is also borne by her grand-daughter, the author, reporter and documentary film-maker, Saira Shah (b.1964). It is also borne by Canadian fashion model, Saira Mohan (b.1978)

Its Bosnian form of Sajra is currently the 14th most popular female name in Bosnia & Herzegovina, (2010).

A Turkish and Azeri form is Saire.

Leila, Layla

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Gender: Feminine
Origin: Arabic לילה‎ ليلى
Meaning: “night.”
(LAY-la)

The name is derived from the Arabic and has a variety of different meanings depending on its spelling, the most popular etymology is that it is from a Semitic root, l-y-l, meaning, “night” and shares the same etymology as the name Lilith.

The name has always been popular in the Middle East and is found in the 7th-century romantic poem, Qays & Layla also known as Layla & Majnun (written by Persian poet, Nizami Ganjavi). The legend trickled down to throughout the Middle East, Near East, Central Asia and South Eastern Europe, making the name a long time classic in all those regions.

It was introduced into the English-speaking world via Lord Byron in which the name appears in two of his works, The Gaiour (1813) and Don Juan (1819). It was further popularized in the 1970s when the name was the subject of two songs, one being the famous Eric Clapton song and the other being “Layla” by Derek and the Dominos.

Her Bosnian form of Lejla is the 7th most popular female name in Bosnia & Herzegovina, (2010). Her rankings in other countries are as follows:

  • # 3 (Leyla, Azerbaijan, 2010)
  • # 36 (Layla, Australia, 2010)
  • # 37 (Layla, United States, 2010)
  • # 44 (Layla, England/Wales, 2010)
  • # 50 (Layla, Ireland, 2010)
  • # 50 (Layla, Scotland, 2010)
  • # 71 (Leila, Hungary, 2010)
  • # 76 (Layla, Canada, BC, 2010)
  • # 95 (Laila, England/Wales, 2010)
  • # 138 (Laila, United States, 2010)
  • # 143 (Leila, France, 2009)
  • # 204 (Leila, United States, 2010)
  • # 304 (Layla, Netherlands, 2010)
  • # 478 (Laila, Netherlands, 2010)
  • # 747 (Leyla, United States, 2010)

The name is also common in Iran, Israel, the Balkans and in the Turkic world.

In the Middle East, the name was popularized by a 7th-century poet by the name of Qays, whose lady love was named Layla. His story became a popular Medieval Arabic romance.

Other forms of the name include:

  • Lejla Лейла (Albanian/Bosnian/Dagestani/Kazakh/Maltese/Tatar)
  • Laïla (Algerian/Moroccan/Tunisian)
  • Leïla (Algerian/Moroccan/Tunisian)
  • Leyli Լեյլի (Armenian)
  • Leyla (Azeri/English/Kurdish/Turkish)
  • Lajla Лайла (Chechen)
  • Leila ლეილა (Circassian/English/Ethiopian/French/Georgian/Hungarian)
  • Laila (Dutch/English/Estonian/Finnish/Hindi/German/Latvian/Scandinavian/Urdu)
  • Layla (English/Italian/Uzbek)
  • Lejli Лейли (Kazakh)
  • Ljajlim Ляйлим (Kazakh)
Laila can also be a Sami form of Helga.

Azra

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Gender: Feminine
Origin: Arabic
Meaning: “virgin.”
(AHZ-rah)

The name is derived from the Arabic, ‘adra, meaning, “virgin; maiden.”

As of 2010, Azra was the 22nd most popular female name in Bosnia & Herzegovina.

Amna

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Gender: Feminine
Origin: Arabic  أمنة
Meaning: “safety.”
(AHM-nah)

The name is derived from the Arabic أمان (amn) meaning, “safety.”

As of 2010, Amna was the 16th most popular female name in Bosnia & Herzegovina.

Ayla

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Gender: Feminine
Origin: Turkish
Meaning: “halo; moonlight.”
(I-lah)

The name is derived from the Turkish word, ay (moon), denoting halo or moonlight.

Ayla makes an appearance in Jean M. Auel’s Clan of the Cave Bear as the name of the Cro-Magnum heroine.

Currently, its Bosnian form of Ajla is the 5th most popular female name in Bosnia & Herzegovina, (2010). Her rankings in other countries are as follows:

  • # 83 (Canada, BC, 2010)
  • # 217 (Germany, 2011)
  • #351 (United States, 2010)
  • # 444 (the Netherlands, 2010)
Other forms of the name include:
  • Ajla (Albanian/Bosnian/Tatar)
  • Ajly Айлы (Tartar)
  • Ajta Аыта (Tatar)

The name could also be a variant transcription of the Hebrew, Elah אֵלָה , meaning “oak” or “terebinth tree.”

Asma

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Gender: Feminine
Origin: Arabic أسمى
Meaning: “supreme.”
(AHS-mah)

The name comes directly from the Arabic, أشد (asma), meaning, “supreme.”

The name is of pre-Islamic origins and was borne by a legendary 7th-century female poetess, Asma bint Marwan. According to legend, she tried to incite the populous of Medina to rebel against the Prophet Mohammed in which she was summarily killed by the Prophet. Her existence and story has been questioned and debated by scholars.

Another notable bearers include Asma al-Assad, First Lady of Syria (b.1975). Its Turkish form of Esma was borne by two Turkish sultanas.

As of 2010, Esma was the 18th most popular female name in Bosnia & Herzegovina. Other Bosnian forms include: Esmana, Esmina and Esminka.

Armin

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Gender: Masculine
Origin: German
Meaning: “whole; universal.”
(AHR-meen)

The name is derived from the latinized Germanic name, Arminius, which is believed to be derived from the Germanic element, ermen, (whole; universal). It is suggested that Arminius was a latinized form of Herman.

The name was borne by a 1st-century Cherusci leader who lead a rebellion against the Romans and defeated the Romans in the famous Battle of the Teutoburg Forest.

As of 2010, Armin was the 15th most popular male name in Bosnia & Herzegovina. His rankings in other countries are as follows:

  • # 65 (Hungary, 2010)
  • # 380 (Netherlands, 2010)

Other forms of the name include:

  • Armini (Azeri/Catalan)
  • Armin (Bosnian/Croatian/Dutch/German/Hungarian/Serbian/Slovene)
  • Arminije (Croatian)
  • Arminij Арминий (Bulgarian/Macedonian/Russian/Ukrainian)
  • Arminio (Galician/Italian/Spanish)
  • Arminiusi არმინიუსი (Georgian)
  • Arminijus (Lithuanian)
  • Armínio (Portuguese)
  • Arminiu (Sicilian)