Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post provides a list of Arabic female names and varants of Arabic female names language that are included in a Social Security Administration list of the top 1000 names for United States children born in 2020. A total of 59 names from that SSA list are included in this post.
These names were retrieved from all of the birth certificates that were issued by the United States Social Security Administration for United States children who were born in 2020.
This pancocojams post includes the origins and meanings of these names (with online citations).
The content of this post is presented for onamastic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to representatives of the Social Security Administration for compiling this list each year of the top 1000 names for United States children.
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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
I focused on Arabic names/Arabic name variants because I'm interested in documenting the fact that a number of female names and male names in that list are from the Arabic language or are variants of the Arabic language names.
These top 1000 female names for 2020 were compiled from birth certificates by personel of the United States Social Security Administration. I retrieved that list from the following website article: "Top 1,000 Baby Girl Names of 2020" https://www.verywellfamily.com/top-1000-baby-girl-names-2757832 By Robin Elise Weiss, PhD, MPH; Fact checked by Daniella Amato, published on June 14, 2021.
Neither that website nor the official Social Security Administration list include ethnic/racial breakdowns. Those websites also don't include any meanings for these names.
I used Google search to find these meanings that are included in this post.. Most of the meanings for names in this list are from https://quranicnames.com.. Other websites may include attribute additional names that are found in that SSA list to the Arabic language, but I don't trust their information as much as I trust that quranic names website.
Although Arabic meanings can be found for these names and for other names, people who gave those names to others (or took those names for themselves) might have conferred another meaning to those names (such as a meaning from another language which has that name or a meaning that they or someone else made up.)
Names that are spelled the same or similarly can be found in more than one language, but usually don't have the same meaning in those languages. Arabic names are often also found in Hebrew and/or Persian with the same, similar, or different meaning.
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It's important to note that the term "Arabic names" is more accurate than "Muslim names" as non-Muslims in the United States and elsewhere throughout the world routinely select these names for their children. given a people in the United States a number of non-Muslims have Arabic names or names that are variants (in whole or in part) of Arabic names.
**
Judging from two lists of names given to New York City females and males that included ethnic/racial information (in 2013 and 2016), people who are Hispanic, Non-Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic White, or Asian/Pacific Islander can have Arabic names.
Click https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/vs/baby-names-female2013.pdf and https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/vs/baby-names-female.pdf for New York City's list of the top 100 names given to females in 2013 and 2016.
Also, click https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/vs/baby-names-male2013.pdf and https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/vs/baby-names-male.pdf for New York City's list of the top 100 names given to females in 2013 and 2016.
In those lists, non-Hispanic Black and Asian/Pacific Islanders were the the ethnic group/races that had the most Arabic names and variants of Arabic names. However, some examples of Arabic names/variants were found in each of these four race/ethnic groups.
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The numbers that are found in front of these names indicate their ranking in that Social Security Administration list. The lower the number, the more often that name was given.
**
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2021/06/lists-of-popular-names-for-non-hispanic.html for the pancocojams post entitled "Lists of Popular Names For Non-Hispanic Black Females Born In New York City (2013 & 2016)" .
Also, click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2021/06/lists-of-popular-names-for-non-hispanic_16.html for the pancocojams post entitled "Lists of Popular Names For Non-Hispanic Black Males Born In New York City (2013 & 2016)."
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ARABIC FEMALE NAMES AND VARIANTS IN THE SOCIAL SECURITY LIST (2020)
24. Layla
'Laila is an indirect Quranic name for girls that means “ecstasy”, “intoxication”. Laila is derived from the L-Y-L root (“night”) which is used in the Quran. We can be sure that Laila is an acceptable name for Muslim girls as it is the name of a Sahabiyyah (female peer of the Prophet peace be upon him), whose full name is Laila bint Khutaim and who was the first woman to pledge her allegiance to the Prophet when he entered the city of Madinah.https://quranicnames.com/laila/
*
"Layla is a variant of Leila, a name of Arabic origin. In Arabic, “leila” means “night.” In bestowing Leila as a given name in the convention of its root etymology, it has come to mean “dark beauty” or “one who was born at night.” The name has been in circulation since medieval times as evidenced by the true Arabian legend of “Qays and Layla” – a famous tale of unrequited love."... https://ohbabynames.com/all-baby-names/layla/
**
65 - Aaliyah
"Aaliyah is a Quranic name for girls that means “high”,
“exalted”, “sublime”, “lofty”. It is directly mentioned twice in the Quran:
https://quranicnames.com/aaliyah/
**
118 - Lyla
a variant form of "Laila"
Read the entry for #24.
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120 - Alaia
a variant form of "Aaliyah".
Read the entry for
#65
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141 - Jasmine
a variant form of the Arabic name "Jasmin"
https://imuslim.name/6390-meaning-Jasmin-muslim-arabic-names.html
"The name Jasmin (Arabic writing : جاسمين) is a Muslim
girls Names. The meaning of name Jasmin is " Flower " "
**
142 - Amara
"Amara is an indirect Quranic name for boys and girls
that means “large group of ships sailing together”, “tribe”. It is derived from
the Ain-M-R (lifetime, visit, build) root which is used in many places in the
Quran." https://quranicnames.com/amara/
**
189 - Aliyah
Read the entry for
#65
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205- Leila
Read the entry for #24.
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214 - Kamila
"Kamila is a Quranic name for girls that means
complete, perfect, and flawless. It is mentioned directly in the Quran
twice" https://quranicnames.com/kamila/
215 - Zara
"Zara is an indirect Quranic name for girls that means
pinnacle, the top and best of everything. It is the plural of Ziwa. It is
derived from the DHAAL-R-A root which is used in the Quran in 51:1" https://quranicnames.com/zara/#:~:text=ZariyaZaryanZirwa-,Meaning%20of%20Zara,the%20dipersing%20winds%20that%20disperse
**
225 - Laila
Read the entry for #24.
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226 - Lila
Read the entry for #24
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236- Zuri
KiSwahili word meaning "beautiful",
"nice", "pretty"
https://www.duolingo.com/dictionary/Swahili/zuri/ba41bf6e4fedb3f0dc4c2ee229896fec
*
Arabic Girl Name Zuri
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239 - Lilah
"Lilah is a Muslim Girl Name. Lilah name meaning is
Night, Night Beauty. It has multiple Islamic meaning. The name is originated
from Arabic" https://www.urdupoint.com/islamic-names/lilah-name-meaning-in-english-93513.html
**
248 - Nyla
Variant form of the name "Nahla"
"Nahla is feminine given name of multiple cultural
origins.
Nahla is of Arabic and African origin meaning first drink of water or water in the desert. In Sanskrit it means stem, hollow reed. In Swahili and other languages spoken in countries of Africa it means Queen, lion and successful woman.
Another variant is Nala. This means 'gift' in Swahili.
A descendant of the Arabic, "Naħla" means Bee in the Maltese language" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nahla_(name)
**
283 Alayah
"Alaya is an indirect Quranic name for boys and girls
that means “greatness”, “highness”, “sublimity”. Arabs mostly use it for boys,
while in other cultures it is used for girls as well. It is derived from the
AIN-L-A root which is used in many places in the Quran."
https://quranicnames.com/alaya/
**
284 - Amira
"Amira (also spelled Emira or Ameera) Amirah (Arabic: أميرة)
(Hindi: अमीरा)
(Hebrew: אֲמִירָה ) is an Arabic female given name, meaning
"princess",[1] a Hindi name meaning “princess” or “high born girl,”
(derived from Arabic) [2] and a Hebrew female given name, meaning 'treetop' or
'saying'.[3]
Variant forms include: Emira, Ameera, Ameerah, Amirah, and Meera.
Usage
It is a very common name in North Africa, the Middle East, South Asia like in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, and in India".... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amira_(name)
**
311 - Aniyah
"Aniyah is an indirect Quranic name for girls that
means “caring”, “affectionate”, “one who consoles others”, “one who helps
others”. It is derived from the AIN-W-N root which is used in many places in
the Quran."
https://quranicnames.com/aniyah/
**
330 - Amina
"Amina means ‘safe one’, someone who is protected from
all that causes fear. It is the name of Prophet Muhammad’s mother (sallallahu
alaihi wa sallam wa alaiha salaam). Note that the emphasis is on the A at the
beginning (thus a long Aa and a quick mina), as opposed to the name Ameena
where the emphasis is on the mee. https://quranicnames.com/amina/
**
339 - Alaya
Read entry for #24 and for #283
**
342 - Fatima
"Fatima is the name of Prophet Muhammad’s daughter,
peace and blessings of Allah upon him and his family and companions. The meaning of Fatima is a child who has been
weaned off breast milk. The linguists of the Arabic language aren’t certain why
this word is used as a name. It is not mentioned in the Quran, whether directly
or indirectly. But since it is the name of the Prophet’s daughter, Muslims
consider it a high-status name". https://quranicnames.com/fatima/
*
"Fatima:
"Pronunciation: Arabic: [faː.tˤi.mah]
Gender: Female
Word/name: Arabic
Meaning: one who weans an infant or one who abstains
[1]"[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatima_(given_name)
**
350 - Samara
"Samara is an indirect Quranic name for girls that
means “she took part in conversation at night under the sky of a moonlit
desert”, “she conversed with a friend long into the night”, figuratively
meaning “she was/is a good friend”. Samara is derived from the S-M-R root which
is used in the Quran in verse 23:67" https://quranicnames.com/samara/
**
382 - Anaya
"Anaya is an indirect Quranic name for girls that means
“care”, “protection”, “diligence”. It is a variant of the name Inaya"
https://quranicnames.com/anaya/
**
403 - Nylah
Read the entry for #248
**
460 - Zariah
"Zariah is an indirect Quranic name for girls that
means “scattering wind”, a wind that scatters things like dust or leaves in the
streets. It is derived from the Dhal-R-A root and its plural form, Zariahat, is
used in Quran 51:1 https://quranicnames.com/zariah/
**
463. Maliyah
a variant form of the Arabic name "Maliha"
"Maliha is an indirect Quranic name for girls that means “woman with happy glowing face”, “beautiful”, “well-spoken”. It is derived from the M-L-H6 root (salt, beauty) which is used twice in the Quran." https://quranicnames.com/maliha/
**
523 - Imani
a variant form of the Arabic word "iman"
"Imaan is one of the highest status Quranic names for girls and one of the central concepts of Islam. It is mentioned directly dozens of times in the Quran. Imaan means faith in Allah. It means to accept the truth of Islam in the heart."... https://quranicnames.com/imaan/
-snip-
"Imani"
means "faith" in KiSwahili. This name was popularized in the United
States because it is Day 7 of the seven days of the African American created
holiday of Kwanzaa.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwanzaa . "Nia" is another
KiSwahili word that means "purpose". That word doesn't appear to be
derived from Arabic. "Nia" is Day 5 of Kwanzaa. It is listed as
"494" in the 2020 Social Security Administration list of top 1000
names for females.
**
533 - Aisha
"Aisha is an indirect Quranic name for girls that means
“alive”, “well-living”, “happily living”. It is derived from the AIN-Y-SH
(livelihood) root which is used in many places in the Quran. It is a common
Muslim name out of life for Aisha bint Abu Bakr, wife of Prophet Muhammad,
peace and blessings of Allah upon him and his family and companions."
https://quranicnames.com/aisha/
**
545- Amirah
Read entry #284
**
561. Amaia
a variant form of Amaya
"Name: Amaya
Meaning: Night, Rain
Gender: Female
Origin: Arabic" https://www.myislamicname.com/name/Amaya
**
572- Alia
Read the entry for
#65
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582-Aleah
Read the entry for
#65
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586- Leyla
Read the entry for #24
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589 - Zahra
"Zahra means flower. It is mentioned only once in the
Quran, within a popular Arabic idiom which literally means ‘flower of the
world’. When Arabs say something is a flower of the world, it means it is one
of the things that make life enjoyable and beautiful. For instance; health,
wealth, and children can be described as flowers of the world. For this reason
Zahra can also be considered to mean ‘splendor’ and ‘bounty’, since that is the
meaning for which it is used in the Quran." https://quranicnames.com/zahra/
**
592-Lylah
Read the entry for #24.
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597 - Aleena
"Aleena is an indirect Quranic name for girls that
means soft, pliable, delicate. It is the plural of Layyin. It is derived from
the L-Y-N root which is used in a number of places in the Quran." https://quranicnames.com/aleena
**
607 - Salem
"Salem is variant of Saleem and has the exact same
meaning and pronunciation (see below for full meaning). You can use either
Salem or Saleem, both are correct and acceptable. If you like this variant more
and you'd like to pronounce it the way it is spelled (different than the
original name), this is perfectly acceptable....
Full Meaning of Salem
"Salem is an direct Quranic name for boys that means
“righteous”, “true”, “perfect”, “unblemished”, “unharmed”, “in good health”. It
is mentioned directly in the Quran twice, and its root is S-L-M which is the
root for many common Quranic words like Islam, Muslim, and Salaam (peace)." https://quranicnames.com/salem/
**
637- Jazmin
"The name Jasmin (Arabic writing : جاسمين) is a Muslim
girls Names. The meaning of name Jasmin is " Flower "
https://imuslim.name/6390-meaning-Jasmin-muslim-arabic-names.html
**
688 - Kamiyah
a variant form of the name "Kamilah"
Read the entry for #214
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693-Nala
Read the entry for #248
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697- Zariyah
"Zariya is an indirect Quranic name for girls that
means “scattering wind”, a wind that scatters things like dust or leaves in the
streets. It is derived from the Dhal-R-A root and its plural form, Zariyaat, is
used in Quran 51:1" https://quranicnames.com/zariya/
**
730 - Zaniyah
a variant of the name "Zaina"
"Zaina is an indirect Quranic name for girls. It is the
explicitly feminine version of the name Zayn, which itself is a name for both
boys and girls. Zaina means beauty, adornment, excellence. It is derived from
the Z-Y-N root which is used in many places in the Quran"
https://quranicnames.com/zaina/
**
758 - Naya
"Naya, pronounced [(NA)p] + [(YU)mmy] with stress on
the first syllable, is an Arabic name that is taken from the Persian word Nay,
which refers to a musical instrument also known as Saz. It is not an Islamic
name, but you can use it since it doesn't have a bad meaning."
https://quranicnames.com/is-naya-an-islamic-name/
**
774 - Alaiya
Read entry for #24 and for #283
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778 - Jazmine
Read the entry for #637
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785- Laylah
Read the entry for #24.
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827- Kamilah
High Status, Exalted, Sublime and Superb https://quranicnames.com/kamilah/
**
833 - Sariyah
"Sariah is variant of Sariya and has the exact same
meaning and pronunciation (see below for full meaning). You can use either
Sariah or Sariya, both are correct and acceptable. If you like this variant
more and you'd like to pronounce it the way it is spelled (different than the
original name), this is perfectly acceptable...
Full Meaning of Sariah
844 - Sariah
Read the entry for #833
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861-Zaria
Read the entry for #833
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866 - Aliya
Read entry for #65
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871 - Aniya
"Aniya is an indirect Quranic name for girls that means
“caring”, “affectionate”, “one who consoles others”, “one who helps others”. It
is derived from the AIN-W-N root which is used in many places in the
Quran." https://quranicnames.com/aniya/
**
877- Zora
a variant form of the Arabic female name "Zohra"
meanng beautiful and radiant https://quranicnames.com/zohra/
**
882 - Noor
"Noor is variant of Nur and has the exact same meaning
and pronunciation (see below for full meaning). You can use either Noor or Nur,
both are correct and acceptable. If you like this variant more and you'd like
to pronounce it the way it is spelled (different than the original name), this
is perfectly acceptable...
Full Meaning of Noor
Noor is a name for both boys and girls and means light (the opposite of darkness), radiant (something that gives off light on its own, such as a star), light (as in ‘ray of light’), and it is one of the 99 Attributes of Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala)." https://quranicnames.com/noor/
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906 - Aila
Read entry for #65
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919- Zoya
"Zoya/Zoyah is often an alternate spelling of Zoeya,
which is an indirect Quranic name for girls. You can use either Zoya, Zoyah or
Zoeya, whichever spelling you like more."
https://quranicnames.com/what-is-the-meaning-of-zoya-or-zoyah-is-it-quranic-word/
*
"Zoeya is an indirect Quranic name for girls that means
“made of light”, “radiant”, “brilliant”. It is derived from the DHAD-W-HAMZ
Quranic root." https://quranicnames.com/zoeya/
**
924- Samira
"Samira is variant of Sameera and has the exact same
meaning and pronunciation (see below for full meaning). You can use either
Samira or Sameera, both are correct and acceptable. If you like this variant
more and you'd like to pronounce it the way it is spelled (different than the
original name), this is perfectly acceptable. ...
Full Meaning of Samira
"Samira (with the stress on the second syllable: -mee-)
is an indirect Quranic name for girls that means “good friend”. It’s literal
meaning is “night conversation companion”, someone who stays up long into the
night speaking with friends. It is derived from the S-M-R root which is used in
the Quran in verse 23:67"
https://quranicnames.com/samira/
**
929-Amayah
Read the entry for #561.
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935- Zola
a variant of "Zulla"
"Meaning of Zulla
Arabic for “shade”, what protects you from strong sunlight,
especially the shade of trees." https://quranicnames.com/zulla/
**
959- Zainab
"Zaynab, pronounced as (Z)oom + pr(AY) + (NU)m(B)er,
which is the name of a "fragrant tree" according to the Arabic
dictionaries. It is not clear what tree it is exactly since this is an ancient
(pre-Islamic) name. It is the name of some Sahabiyaat (pious women who lived at
the time of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah upon him and his
companions), including one of the Mothers of the Believers (wives of the
Prophet), and one of the daughters of Ali bin Abi Talib.
Zaynab is not a Quranic name, but since it has a good meaning and it was used by the family and companions of the Prophet, it is a good Islamic name.
Zaynab can also be spelled as Zainab, Zenab, Zinab, Zeenab, Zeynab, Zeinab." https://quranicnames.com/what-is-the-meaning-of-zaynab/
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