Category Archives: Mali Names

Maimouna

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Gender: Feminine
Origin: Arabic ميمونه میمونه
Meaning: “auspicious.”
(may-MOO-nah)

 

The name is derived from the Arabic ميمون, (meymewn) meaning, “auspicious.”

This was the name of one of the wives of the Prophet Mohammed. Maimouna bint al-Harith (594-674).

Maimouna appears under several different transliterations. In the Maghreb, it is often transliterated to Maïmouna (the French spelling).

As of 2009, Maïmouna was the 404th most popular female name in France.

Other forms of the name include:

  • Mejmuna Меймуна (Albanian/Bosnian/Bulgarian/Central Asian)
  • Meymune (Azeri/Kurdish/Turkish)
It is also sometimes transliterated as Maymouna, Meymouna or Maimuna.

Walid

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Gender: Masculine
Origin: Arabic
Meaning: “newborn.”
(WAH-leed)

The name is derived the Arabic ولد (walada), “to give birth.”

It is primarily used in honour of Al-Walid I (668 – 715) and Ummayid Caliph who had ruled in the early 700s. He is known for instituting Arabic as the official language across the Islamic World and his conquer of Spain.

As of 2009, Walid was the 163rd most popular male name in France.

Other forms of the name include:

  • Velid (Albanian/Azeri/Bosnian/Bulgarian/Central Asian/Turkish)

Sami

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Gender: Masculine
Origin: Arabic سامي
Meaning: “high; elevated; supreme.”
(SAH-mee)

The name is derived from the Arabic meaning, “high; elevated; supreme.”

However, it could also be a Finnish short form of Samuel. In Finland, it has often been used as an independent given name and in recent years is most likely used in reference to the language and ethnic group which is found in Finland, Norway and Russia, perhaps among people of Sami heritage. Sami is also the name of a lake in Finland.

As of 2009, Sami was the 183rd most popular male name in France while in 2010 he came in as the 193rd most popular male name in the Netherlands.

A feminine form of the Arabic is Samia.

Hafsa

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Gender: Feminine
Origin: Arabic حفصة
Meaning: “lioness.”

The name is borne by the daughter of Umar and a wife of the Prophet Mohammed. She is considered one of the Mothers of Believers.

It was also borne by Hafsa Hatun Sultan (1479-1534), Ottoman Sultan Selim I’s wife and the mother of Süleyman the Magnificent.

As of 2009, Hafsa was the 431st most popular female name in France, while in 2010, she was the 432nd most popular female name in the Netherlands.

Other forms of the name include:

  • Hafza (Albanian/Bosnian/Turkish)
  • Hafsat (East African)
  • Hafize (Turkish)

Karim

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Gender: Masculine
Origin: Arabic  كريم Карим
Meaning: “noble; generous.”
(KAH-REEM)

The name comes directly from the Arabic word for, “noble; generous.” In Islam, Karim is one of the 99 designations of Allah and is used to describe the Qu’ran (Al-Qur’an Al-Karim), literally meaning “the Noble Qu’ran.”

The name is used throughout the Islamic world, but is also used among Middle Eastern Christians.

The name has been occasionally used in Latin America, in Brazil, it seems to be a Portugized spelling for the Scandinavian female name Karin, but in this case it is pronounced (kah-REEN).

The name has numerous famous bearers.

As of 2009, Karim was the 260th most popular male name in France.

Other forms of the name include:

  • Kerim (Azeri/Turkish)
It is sometimes transliterated as Kareem. Feminine forms are Karima, Kerime (Turkish) or Kareema.

Oumou

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Gender: Feminine
Origin: East African
(OO-moo)

The name is derived from the Arabic, umm أُمّ (mother). The name is very specific to Mali, Senegal, Burkina Faso, the Ivory Coast and Guinea.

As of 2009, Oumou was the 484th most popular female name in France.

The name is borne by famous Mali singer,Oomou Sangeré