Gender: Feminine
Origin: Arabic
Meaning: “beeswax.”
(shah-EE-mah)
The name is derived from the Arabic, شمع (shem), meaning, “beeswax.”
As of 2010, Shaïma was the 472nd most popular female name in France.
Shaima
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Category Archives: Tunisian Names
Ibtissam
Gender: Feminine
Origin: Arabic إبتسام
Meaning: “smile.”
The name comes directly from the Arabic meaning, “to smile.”
As of 2010, its variant form of Ibtissem was the 479th most popular female name in France.
It is also sometimes transliterated as Ibtisam.
Tidiane
Gender: Masculine
Origin: East African
Meaning: “the Tijani path.”
(tee-dee-YAHN)
Tidiane is a franconized form of the Wolof, Ti(i)jaan, which is derived from the Arabic, Tijanniyyah, meaning, “the Tijani path.”
Tijanniyyah is the name of a North and West African sufi Islamic religious order which emphasizes culture and education.
Tidiane is a common name among Muslim West Africans.
As of 2010, Tidiane was the 453rd most popular male name in France.
Brahim
Gender: Masculine
Origin: Arabic
(BRAH-HEEM)
The name is an abbreviated, particularly North African, form of Ibrahim, which is the Arabic form of Abraham.
As of 2010, Brahim was the 494th most popular male name in France.
Rahma
Gender: Feminine
Origin: Arabic
Meaning: “mercy.”
The name is derived from the Arabic word for “mercy.”
As of 2010, Rahma was the 492nd most popular female name in France.
The name is borne by Jordanian princess Rahma bint El Hassan (b.1969)
Samia
Gender: Feminine
Origin: Arabic سامية
Meaning: “elevated; high; lofty.”
(sah-MEE-ah)
Actress and comedienne, Kathy Najimy bestowed this Arabic beauty upon her daughter (named in honour of Kathy’s Lebanese-born mother). Samia is a feminine form of Sami, and is used throughout the Islamic world, though Samia itself is used equally among Arabic-speaking Muslims, Christians and Jews.
As of 2009, Samia was the 392nd most popular female name in France. Her variant spellings of Samiya just entered the U.S. top 1000, coming in as the 959th most popular female name in the United States (2011), while Samiyah ranked in slightly higher, being the 793rd most popular female name.
An Eastern European and Central Asian form is Samija.
Maimouna
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
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)
Naim
The name could be from the Hebrew נעים meaning, (pleasant) or the Arabic نعیم (tranquil).
As of 2009, Naïm (Maghrebin orthograph) was the 182nd most popular male name in France.
A feminine form is Naima.
Sami
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.