Category Archives: Somalian Names

Adhan, Azaan

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The name is derived from the Arabic root ʾadhina أَذِنَ meaning “to listen, to hear, be informed about,” or ʾudhun (أُذُن), meaning “ear.” The Adhan, sometimes romanized as Azaan, is the name of the Islamic call to prayer, which is rung 5 time a day.

Currently, Azaan is the 406th Most Popular Male Name in England & Wales, (2018). Other transliterated forms include: Adaan, Adan, Adhaan, Athan, Edan & Edhaan.

Other forms include:

  • Ezani (Albanian)
  • Ezan Езан (Albanian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Kurdish, Turkish)
  • Azan Азан (Azeri, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Malay, Tatar)
  • Azán Аза́н (Chechen)
  • Adan (Javanese)
  • Aadaan (Somali)
  • Azon Азон (Tajik)
  • Ezane (Zazaki)

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Nora, Nour

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This multicultural name has recently experienced a revival. In European countries, the name stems from any name ending in the -nora element, such as Honora & Eleanora. In Arabic, Nora is a variant transliteration of Nurah, which is a strictly feminine version of the unisex Arabic name, Nur (light). Nur is used as one of the 99 attributes of Allah, al-Nur (the light).

The name was used by Henrik Ibsen for his main character in his play, A Doll’s House (1878).

Outside of East Asia, there isn’t a counry where Nora is unhead of or is not in use. Nora has been in out of the U.S. Top 100 since 1880! She currently ranks in as the 30th Most Popular Female Name in the United States. Her rankings in other countries are as follows:

  • #2 (Norway, 2018)
  • #10 (Netherlands, 2018)
  • #11 (Hungary, 2018)
  • #14 (Switzerland, 2018)
  • #15 (Denmark, 2018)
  • #20 (Belgium, 2018)
  • #23 (Austria, 2018)
  • #26 (Catalonia, Spain, 2018)
  • #28 (Sweden, 2018)
  • #38 (Canada, BC, 2018)
  • #47 (Spain, 2018)
  • #64 (Norah, Netherlands, 2018)
  • #79 (Bosnia & Herzegovina, 2018)
  • #84 (Norah, Canada, BC, 2018)
  • #85 (Italy, 2018)
  • #119 (France, 2018)
  • #140 (Norah, United States, 2018)
  • #184 (Norah, France, 2018)
  • #197 (England & Wales, 2018)
  • #283 (Norah, England & Wales, 2018)

Its Dutch version of Noor also ranks high in several popularity charts. This name is also used by Muslim families as a variation of Nur. Her rankings in other countries are as follows:

  • #10 (Netherlands, 2018)
  • #25 (Belgium, 2018)
  • #279 (England & Wales, 2018)
  • #311 (France, 2018)

Noortje is another Dutch version which currently ranks in as the 203rd Most Popular Female Name in the Netherlands.

Other forms of its European version include:

  • Nora Нора Νόρα (Bulgarian, Greek)
  • Noera (Dutch)
  • Noor (Dutch)
  • Noortje (Dutch)
  • Norah (Dutch, English, French)
  • Nonie (English)
  • Noreen (English, Irish)
  • Noora (Estonian, Finnish)
  • Nóra Но́ра (Faroese, Hungarian, Irish, Russian)
  • Nuura (Finnish, Scandinavian)
  • Nóirín (Gaelic)
  • Norina (Italian, Provençal, Romansch)
  • Norá (Sami)
  • Norea (Scandinavian)
  • Norena (Scandinavian)
  • Noria (Scandinavian)
  • Norita (Spanish, Scandinavian)

The Arabic Nur is traditionally a unisex name which is popularly used in many Islamic countries. Its Maghrebi form of Nour currently ranks in the following popularity charts for girls:

  • #40 (Belgium, 2018)
  • #48 (Catalonia, Spain, 2018)
  • #48 (France, 2018)
  • #76 (Spain, 2018)
  • #137 (Italy, 2018)
  • #197 (Netherlands, 2018)

Nur is currently the 87th Most Popular Female Name in Bosnia & Herzegovina (2018).

Other forms of the Arabic version include:

  • Noora, Nura (Arabic, strictly feminine)
  • Noura (Maghrebi Arabic, strictly feminine)
  • Núria (Catalan)
  • Nor (Malay, unisex)
  • Nuru (Swahili, strictly feminine)

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Israa, Isra

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  • Origin: Arabic
  • Meaning: “night journey”
  • Gender: Female
  • Pronunciation: is-RAH

The name is derived from the Arabic سرى (sara) meaning “to travel at night.” In Islam, it is the the name of the 17th Chapter of the Quran, which outlines the journey the Prophet Muhammad took between Mecca and Jerusalem.

Isra is currently the 181st Most Popular Female name in the Netherlands & the 351st Most Popular in France, while its other transliterated form of Israa is the 433rd Most Popular Female Name in France (2018).

Isra is used throughout the Islamic world, while Israa is usually used in mainly, Arabic-speaking Muslim countries. Another transliteration is Isra’

Other forms include:

  • Isrá (Bashkir)
  • Îsra (Kurdish)
  • İsra (Turkish)

Sources

Dunya, Dounia

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The name is derived from the Arabic dunyā (دُنْيَا) meaning “world, kingdom, universe.”

It is a concept in Islam used to describe worldly concerns, and it is also used to describe anything that is close or near.

Its Maghrebi form of Dounia is currently the 445th most popular female name in France.

Other forms include:

  • Dynja (Albanian)
  • Dünya (Azeri/Turkish)
  • Donja Донъя (Bashkir)
  • Dunja (Bosnian)
  • Djunjà/ дюня̀/Dunjà дуня̀ (Bulgarian)
  • Denya (Egyptian-Arabic)
  • Donya  دنیا‎ (Egyptian-Arabic/Javanese/Persian)
  • Duniya (Hausa)
  • Ddunit (Kabyle)
  • Dünïe дүние (Kazakh)
  • Dinya (Kurdish)
  • Düynö (Kyrgyz)
  • Dunia (Malay/Indonesian/Swahili)
  • Dinja (Maltese)
  • Dunida (Somali)
  • Dunyo дунё (Tajik/Uzbek)
  • Dön’ya дөнья (Tatar)
  • Dünyä (Turkmen)
  • Duniyâ دنیا (Urdu)

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Firdaus

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Poet, Firdowsi
  • Origin: Perso-Arabic
  • Gender: Unisex
  • Meaning: heaven; paradise; garden
  • Pronunciation: (FUR-dows)

The name comes directly from the Arabic word فردوس (firdaws), meaning “paradise,” which is ultimately from the Avestan pairidaeza “garden; enclosure.” In Islam, the term firdaws is sometimes used to refer to the highest level of Jannat or Heaven.

The name seems to be traditionally given to both males and females equally. A notable bearer was the 11th-century Persian poet, Firdowsi, who authored the historical epic, Shahnamah (Book of Kings).

Other forms of the name include:

  • Fardawəs (Abkhaz, exclusively male)
  • Firdovs (Chechen, exclusively female)
  • Fildusa (Bosnian, exclusively female)
  • Firdevsa (Bosnian, exclusively female)
  • Firdusa (Bosnian, exclusively female)
  • Firdaws/Firdaous (Maghrebin forms, exclusively female)
  • Pardis (Persian, exclusively female)
  • Fardowsa (Somali, exclusively female)
  • Firdavs (Tajik & Uzbek, exclusively male)
  • Firdausa (Tatar, exclusively female)
  • Firdaves (Tatar, unisex)
  • Firdavis (Tatar, exclusively male)
  • Firdevs (Turkish, unisex)

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Qasim

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QasimOrigin: Arabic قاسم
Meaning: “one who distributes; one who shares.”
Gender: Masculine
(KAH-seem)

The name is derived from the Arabic root Q-S-M قسم (qasama) “to share or to divide.” The name was borne by one of the infant sons of the Prophet Muhammed, Qasim ibn Muhammed (d. 605).

In the UK, the name appeared in the Top 500 between 1996 and 2005 and peaked at #318 in 1997.

Other forms of the name include:

  • Gasim/Qasım (Azeri)
  • Qaasim (Somalian)
  • Qasem/Qassem (Persian)
  • Kassem (Lebanese)
  • Kasım (Turkish)

Other transliterations from the Arabic include: Quasim, Casim, Cassim, Kacem, Kasem, Kassem, Kassim, Qasem, Kasim, Qassim, Ghasem, Kassam, Kaseem, Kasseem, Qaseem, and Kasim.

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Asha

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AshaThe name can have several origins and meanings. It is principally a Sanskrit name that can mean “hope; aspiration; wish; desire.” It is also the name of a concept in Zoroastrianism, roughly translating as “truth; righteousness; correct order.” It is is the name of several places across Europe, spelled Ascha, it is the name of several places in Germany. It also can coincide with the Polish diminutive form of Joanna (Asia) pronounced (AH-shah). Lastly, it is the Somalian and Swahili form of Aisha (life) and is also the Swahili word for life.

It is definitely a cross-cultural name.

It is the name of a village in Cyprus, according to legend the name derives from the Greek askia, which means “without any shade” and might refer to the fact the town has few trees. Alternately, it is also said to come from aski, which is the name of a type of alcoholic vessel and the villagers like to boast their town bears this name due to the fact they drank so much wine.

Ascha is the name of a municipality in Lower Bavaria. It is also the name of a tributary of the Schwarzach River in Bavaria. Its etymology is unknown, but is believed to derive from a Slavic source.

In the United States, Asha appeared in the U.S. Top 1000 2000 and 2003 and peaked at #882 in 2000. In the U.K. & Wales, Asha peaked at #313 in 2003.

A notable bearer is Indian actress and singer, Asha Bhosle (b.1933).

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Hakim, Hakeem

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Istanbul,_Hagia_Sophia,_AllahThe name is derived from an Arabic honorific title حكيم that can have several different meanings. The name roughly translates as “sage” or “wise” but it can also mean “physician” or “philosopher” and is often used to denote a doctor, judge or someone highly educated in a particular scientific field in the Arabic world.

It is also used as a given name in most of the Islamic world,as in Islam, Al-Hakim is one of the 99 names of Allah.

As of 2016, Hakeem 905th most popular male name. Hakeem first entered the U.S. top 1000 in 1989 when it peaked at its highest in popularity, coming in as the 586th most popular male name. Hakim has only appeared in the U.S. Top 1000 one time in 1976, when it was the 881st most popular male name.

In France, Hakim appeared in the Top 1000 between 1961 and 2008 and peaked in popularity in 1981 when it was the 161st most popular male name in France.

Another form is

  • Hakimi ჰაქიმი (Georgian)

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