Category Archives: Pakistani Names

Faaria, Faria, Farya

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  • Origin: Arabic فارعة
  • Meaning: “lofty; tall; towering; slender; slim; beautiful; handsome; pretty.”
  • Gender: feminine
  • Pronunciation: Arabic: fah-REE…AH; Urdu: FAR-yah

The name is derived from the Arabic word فَارِع (fari) which can mean “tall; lofty” and also “slim; slender” as well as “beautiful; handsome; pretty.” It is derived from the Arabic verbal root ف ر ع (f-r-‘) meaning, “to ascend.” The same root shares is also related فَرْع‎ (farʿ), meaning “tree branch; hair; mountain top; upper part,” which is why some websites list it as meaning, “beautiful hair.”

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Nuralain, Noorulain

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  • Origin: Arabic نور العين
  • Meaning: “light of the eye.”
  • Gender: feminine
  • Arab pron (NOO-roo-LINE); Urdu pron (NOO-rul-en)

The name is composed of the Arabic words, nur نُور (light), ul-Ain عَين (the eye; spring, fountain), hence it could also take on the meaning of “light of the spring or fountain.”

Noorulain or Noor-ul-Ain is a common name among Indian Muslims and Pakistanis, though it is not necessarily a name with strong religious connotations in the Arabic-speaking world itself.

It is the name of the female protagonist in a popular Pakistani romantic drama series of the same name (2018).

The Noor-ul-Ain is the name of one of the largest pink diamonds in the world and the tiara it is mounted in, which was made for Empress Farah Pahlavi’s wedding in 1958.

Its Maghrebi forms are Noorelein, Noureleine, Noraleine, Nureleine & Nurelène which are sometime mistranslated by onomasticians as modern French or Flemish combinations of Nora & Madeleine, which may be the case in some instances.

Other transliterations include: Noor Alain, Nur Alain, Noor-ul-Ain, Nur-ul-Ain, Noraline, Noralin, Noralyn, Nour Elain, Nurelein, Nuraline, Nurelen, Nurelayne & Nuralyn.

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Safin, Safana, Safina

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Safin سَفِين is an Arabic male name that derives from the Arabic root, S-F-N س ف ن meaning, “ship.” Safin itself is the plural form and therefore means “ships.” The singular form of Safina سَفِينة (ship) is used as a female given-name. Another feminine form, which is Safana سَفّانة, literally meaning “boatwright” in modern Arabic derives from the same root but may have had a connotation of a precious gem or pearl in old Arabic and was also used as a term of endearment for a daughter.

Other forms include: Safeen (masculine), Saffanah (feminine), Safanah (feminine) & Safinah (feminine).

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Jashan

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  • Origin: Hindi जशन
  • Meaning: “festivities.”
  • Gender: masculine
  • Pronunciation: JAH-shahn

The name comes directly from the Hindi word जशन meaning, “festivities.”

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Ramz, Ramzi, Ramza, Ramzia

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  • Origin: Arabic
  • Meaning: “code, sign, mark.”

Ramiz رامز , Ramz رَمْز & Ramzi رمزي are Arabic masculine names which come directly from the Arabic word (ramz) رَمْز , meaning, “code, sign, mark, symbol, gesture.” It is ultimately derived from R-M-Z root in Arabic.

Ramzi appeared in the U.S. Top 1000 Most popular male names between 1973-1990 and peaked at #320 in 1982. It’s usage in the United States may have been influenced by immigrant groups who use the name (Southeastern European Muslims, Arab immigrants & Southeastern Asian Muslims immigrants), mixed with Anglophone parents who were probably using it as an alternate spelling for the English surname/place-name, Ramsey, which means “wild garlic island.” It should also be noted that during this time period, the use of Arabic names became especially popular among African-Americans.

The name is sometimes transliteration as Ramzy and I suppose in the English-speaking world it could also be transliterated as Ramsey.

The feminine forms are Ramza and Ramzia, spelled Ramziya Рәмзия in Central Asian & Turkic languages (Bashkir, Chechen, Tatar).

Other forms include:

Male

  • Remzi Ремзи (Albanian, Bosnian, Crimean Tatar, Turkish)

Female

  • Remzije (Albanian, Bosnian)
  • Remziye (Turkish)

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Ajay

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  • Origin: Sanskrit
  • Bengali: অজয়
  • Devangari: अजय
  • Gujarati: અજય
  • Hindi/Marathi: अजय
  • Kannada: ಅಜಯ್
  • Malayalam: അജയ്
  • Tamil: அஜய்
  • Telugu: అజయ్
  • Meaning: “invincible; unconquerable.”
  • Gender: masculine
  • Pronunciation: uh-JYE

The name is from the Sanskrit a अ (not) & jaya जय (victory).

The name appeared in the British Top 500 Male Names between 1996-2011, and peaked at #300 in 2003.

Other forms Ajai and Ajit.

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Duha

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  • Origin: Arabic ضحى
  • Meaning: “forenoon.”
  • Gender: unisex
  • DOO-hah

The name comes directly from the Arabic word for forenoon or late morning. In Islam, it is used in reference to Salat ad-Duha صَلَاة الضحى‎‎, a voluntary prayer that is said between Fajr and Dhuhr and is used mainly for the atonement of sins.

It is also the name of the 93rd chapter in the Qu’ran, al-Ḍuḥā الضحى‎, (the Morning).

As a given-name, it is traditionally unisex, but has been more often bestowed on females.

Other forms include:

  • Duha Духа (Albanian, Arabic (standard), Bashkir, Bosnian, Chechen, Kazakh, Kurdish, Turkish)
  • Zuha ज़ुहा (Azeri, Hindi)
  • Doha, Dohaa للال چاشت (Bengali, Urdu)
  • Dhuha (Javanese, Malaysian)
  • Zoha ضحی (Persian)
  • Zuho Зуҳо (Tajik, Uzbek)

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Gauri

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  • Origin: Sanskrit, Hindi, Marathi गौरी
  • Meaning: “fair; light-skinned; white; brilliant.”
  • Gender: feminine
  • Pronunciation: GORE-ee

The name comes directly from the Sanskrit word meaning “fair; light-skinned; white; brilliant.” In Hinduism, this is an epithet for the goddess Parvati in her Mahagauri form.

The Kannada and Tamil form is Gowri கௌரி (Tamil) & ಗೌರಿ (Kannada).

Gauri can also be a Finnish male form of the name Gabriel.

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Hansa

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  • Hamsa talking to Damayanti by Raja Ravi Varma

The name can have a few origins and meanings. It is primarily an Indian name that comes from the Sanskrit हंस (hamsa), which originally referred to an aquatic bird of passage. The hamsa is described as a mythical bird with knowledge in the Rig Veda and also as the main means of transport for the gods Brahma, Gayatri, Saraswati, and Vishvakarma in Hinduism. In the Ramayana, the hamsa was the bird that carried love letters between Damayanti and Nala. According to Indian legend, arayanna (heavenly hamsa swans) are said to live in the Himalayas where they eat pearls and are able to separate milk from water.

The hamsa bird is also associated with the concept of soham (that I am), as when it is said fast, hamsa starts to resemble soham. The latter is linked with the Brahman, and thus the bird is often associated with the cycle of samsara.

The hamsa bird has also been a popular motif in Indian art for centuries.

Over the centuries, it has interchangeably been translated as a swan, flamingo, goose or duck. It is ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root word *ǵʰh₂éns, which is also the progenitor of the English word goose, German gans (goose), and the Latin anser (goose).

In India, as a given-name, it is used among all languages groups. The name is primarily used on females but has occasionally been given to males.

The name is also German and Scandinavian female name, being a contracted form of Johanna. Other forms are Hansina and Hansine.

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Latif, Latifa

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  • Origin: Arabic لَطِيْف
  • Meaning: “gentle; kind; benevolent.”

Latif is a masculine given-name which comes directly from the Arabic word لَطِيف (gentle; kind; benevolent). In Islam, Al-Latif لطيف, (the Kind; the Benevolent) is one of the 99 names of Allah (God). It’s feminine form is Latifa.

Latif & Latifa are commonly used throughout the Islamic world.

A notable American bearer is actress & singer, Queen Latifah.

Other forms include:

  • Latıif (m), Latıifa (f) (Avar)
  • Lətif (m), Lətife (f) (Azeri)
  • Latheef, Latheefa (Dhivehi)
  • Latifah (f) (Indonesian, Malaysian)
  • Letîf (m), Letîfe (f) (Kurdish)
  • Lәtyjif (m), Lәtyjifә (f) (Tatar)
  • Letife (f) (Turkish)
  • Lateef لطیف, Lateefa(h) (Urdu)

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