Wow, Henia, how'd you quote your signature??

No idea.... I think I had two quote brackets in there with no end quotes (if that makes any sense) Why don't we delete buttons on here?

Well Sarah was the wife of Abraham who is one of the most revered prophets in Islam. I can see how it is a Jewish name too though.

here's a cool link of muslim names

http://aaiil.org/text/muslimnames/muslimnamesstu.shtml

Well I can see how you would think that, its a biblical name for sure. Ofcourse it orginated in the Torah but is also a part of the Quran and Bible.




The link you provided also shows the origin of the name as being Jewish.

Will the person who voted other plz explain your vote.
I thank you.

Also wondering for the people who changed their names... did you change it legally or is it just an alias? Does your family call you by your new name too? Thank you.

I've known muslim girls with the name sarah and sofia. Both have different origins but are used by muslims.

My husband calls me Amera - and some in my family do to now, put I think it's simply when he's around because that's how he always refers to me. It's kind of funny that he just randomly chose that because all my life everyone called me a princess (Amera means princess). His sisters, mom, and rest of his family use to call me by my real name but now all use Amera. I wouldn't ever legally change my name first name though. Youssef wanted to change my son's name to something more Arabic (Mehdi) but I was hurt at even the thought! That's why I would never change my own name. I think it would make my parents really sad.

I understand that it can be used by Muslims. I know a Muslim girl named Selena, but clearly thats not a muslim name. I was just under the impression that if you already had a name and wanted to change it, you would pick something something a bit more ethnic. Just confused me at first, but I guess it makes sense now.

This is something I've seen before, changing one's name to an "Islamic" one. There is no such thing as an Islamic name. You're just taking on an Arab name that Arabs, Muslim and non-Muslims, have. It doesn't make you more Muslim, and certainly not more Arab, so unless your name is Christian or something anti-Muslim, I don't get it.

Henia, lately you're doing things with posts no one has ever done before

Ok, that is why I wrote Islamic/ Arabe name... call it whatever you will. I donnot know what this is technically called. My point was not what this is called, but what everyone's opinion is on it.


Are you referring to the quotes and multiple posts ? I donnow. Some bugs with my connection. Keeps cutting off...so I push the send button I think too much.

Are you referring to the quotes and multiple posts ? I donnow. Some bugs with my connection. Keeps cutting off...so I push the send button I think too much.

I was quite impressed by your ability to quote your own siggy. That was waaaay cool and difficult to do, I imagine. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it!

I don't get it either, but Sarah seems to be the new "hit - popular" name over there. When I asked my fiance and his sister to help me brainstorm for baby names for my daughter they both suggested Sarah....and they are Christians...so it's not just a Muslim fetish with the name Sarah.

I was told that a "muslim" name is one that has meaning of something good when given and as long as this is the case, it's ok. Either way, I would not change my first name, but I do plan on taking my fiance's last name. I don't think its anything wrong with those who want to change their names. Funny, my sister's birth name is Akilah lolol but she's not converting back to christianity.

I just wanted to add that in ME/NA there used to be a concrete line of names. You used to be able to tell a person's religion by their name. However in more recent years, people have just been using the names they like regardless of the origin.

In the tribal tradition, we could always tell where people were from by their names too!

Before I reverted I had read that people should pick a new name. Then I read that they only needed to pick a new name if their given name was against Islam.
The night I went to the masjid and said shahadah, all the ladies kept asking me if I had picked a name. I kept having to say no.
I did finally pick one just so I could say yes but I've never used it except for with one woman online, and the last time I got an email from her, even she didn't use it.
The name I picked was Aleesa. I thought it sounded pretty and I liked the meaning and it's close to my given name.
After having talked with my fiance about it off and on he had suggested a name if I really wanted to pick one but I just can't see the point.

Yes, that is true. In my (native) country when I was little, one could tell a Dáavid or a Rebeka from a Emir or Amina or from a Krisztina or Péter. But now, names like Rebeka, Emir, Amina, Adil, Aliran, Nadia, Kadar and Abad are becoming more popular and main stream.

i wouldn't change my name. if i ever did convert, i would get an islamic name as a nickname but i would never legally change my name and make people call me that. i currently have a hebrew name in which only my family knows. so i wouldn't change it for an islamic one either.

i've already tried many times to get people to start calling me by my middle name but even THAT never works out! either they forget or i forget when i introduce myself!

and yes, sarah's origin is a jewish name. nowadays people pick names they like regardless of its origin.

I'm a middle name user and it is definately a legal first name world out there.

I happen to like my first name very much . . . and in egypt everyone seems to be fine with it too, except they keep trying to shorten in to the nickname of "Cathy".

FYI, most bellydancers choose "names" . . . usually as a professional alter-ego type thing and to have a bit of anonymity as a performer. But it has become one of those rites of passage too. I picked out a name several years ago, then decided I didn't identify with it . . . so I just have myself introduced with my given name. I am not a professional dancer so I don't worry too much about trying to be anonymous.

Favorite dance names??? Jasmine/Yasmin, Amera/Amira, Malika, Zahara/Sahara/Sahra, Shareen/Shireen, Noura/Nour, Samira, Nadirah, well, you get the idea.

YEa my daughter's name middle name is JAZMIN... I love that name. Malika, Zahara and (now) Noura too!

most people come the us and change it to a LESS ethnic name...... i was even considering telling my fiance i think he should do the same. my great grandparents did as well.

my closest family friends are 1/2 iraqi 1/2 white american mutt and they named their daughters very islamic names...... one changed her's to "julie". go figure. i guess the grass is always greener?

After 9/11, I did see several Muslims change their names to fit in. Melanie, Michele, Lisa, Pat, Sam, and, yea, Sarah, are popular Christian names taken by Muslims recently.

what are some typical middle eastern names? i've seen primarily male names in mena of course.

You know an Arab, or anyone I guess, named Cinderella???

Arabic Names

Boys: Mohammed,Abdul, Ahmed, Emir,Basil, Bachir,Hamza, Jamal, Murad, Bilal, Nabil, Samir

Girl:Amal, Jazmin, Jameela, Karima, Kamila, Khadijah, Leila, Malak, Malika, Meriem, Noura, Nadia, Safiyah, Rania, Salma, Sanáa, Suhair, Warda,Zeinab,Adeela, Aldina

sub-cat Egyptien: (girl) Isis, Nile, Memphis (boy)Paki, Sobala

Aramaic:
Girl:Samantha, Talitha

Boy:Abbot,Zakai


Hebrew:
girl: Alayiah, Sarah, Abigal, Adalia, Rebeka, Ariel,
Ari: Aaron, David, Moses, Yaakov, Yael

Assyrian/Syrian:
girl : Lilith, Abella,Zada
boy: Aram, Sargon,

Turkis:

girl:Ayse, Dilek, Feiruza, Gizem,Harika,Jihen,Nuray, Safrah, Sevilin

boy: Haran, Erol, Murad, Baris, Ismet, Irem, Levent, Malik, Khan, Selim, Tamer, Tarkan, Soultan, Zefery

Yes, I do know one. Not sure if her real name or stage but still her name is Cinderella.

Henia is a woman of many talents, didn't you know??

I don't intend to convert or change my first name.

My parents named me Jennifer. I hated the name, because it was so common. All throughout my elementary years, there were 4 Jennifers in my class, 3 in my group of friends. I was known by my last name by my friends. Still am.

However, when I converted to Islam, I did not change my name. For me, Muhammad was Muhammad (saws) before he became muslim. Khadija was Khadija (ra) before she became muslim. Umar was Umar (ra) before he became a muslim. The Prophet (saws) changed names when the name had a negative meaning, and gave people affectionate nicknames, but everyone who converted didn't change their name.

Also, as a muslim I am suppose to honor my parents. My parents chose my name. I would see it as dishonoring them if I changed it.


Between my husband and myself, we have nicknames that we use in place of our usual name. I picked a french nickname for him, and he chose an arabic nickname for me - rahma. rahma became my internet handle and I use it just about everywhere I am online.

I have a question kind of on the topic of names...Whenever my fiance is telling someone his name he will always say his last name first. He does it for my name as well. Like for example his name was "Mohamed Eric Smith" he always introduces himself as "Smith, Mohamed Eric." Do your SOs do this as well? I kind of was thinking it was because there are so many Mohamed's that you need the last name to keep them straight.

Also a question for Muslims - are only the Arabic versions of the names of the prophets appropriate names? =

My youngest son has an Arabic name that could be for a "Muslim" or "Christian", however, Moh claims that no Egyptian Christian would name their child that name. He's wrong, lol. I know an Egyptian Christian with that name.

I've seen a trend here in which Christian Arabs in particular are naming their children more "American" names. Most Muslim Arabs I know are more traditional in naming their children "Arabic" names and having the father's name as the middle.




My ex husband signs his name with his last name first.

When I converted, I discussed the name change with Moh. We both actually agreed in me keeping my birthname as respect to my parents. Its who I am. I don't believe a name changes the intention of the person, but that's just my opinion. The imam agreed with me and told me its not necessary to change it.

No and I think that's why I was confused in the beginning of this thread. I thought it asked what your "muslim"' name was not what your "arabic" name was. A muslim name does not have to be arabic. I was taught that you can have any name you wish as long as it doesn't have negative connotations against Islam. For example, if you had the name Christine, you'd probably want to change it. My first name is Bridget, which is the name of a saint who lived in Ireland. I thought of changing it legally but like others said I don't want to dishonor my parents. When I change my last name I will put Sarah as my middle name.

To be honest, when I reverted changing my first name never crossed my mind. It took me a good 20 years to finally come to my senses and actually like my birth name. But in the twenty years, I never wanted to be called Janine. Now I like it, and I am going to stick with it. Especially because I love the way my in-laws pronounce it. GeeNeen!

THen there is also the fact that when it was brought to my attention that I should look into it, I didn't see a name that really stood out to me. And the one name I do like, we are planning to name our first girl.