By Region  ·  West African

West African Muslim Baby Names

84 Muslim baby names used in Senegal, Mali, Nigeria and the Sahel, each with its Arabic and Urdu spelling, its meaning, and its letter-by-letter reading.

84 names

On this page
84 names
Used in
Senegal, Mali, Nigeria and the Sahel
Split
49 boy names, 35 girl names
Every entry has
Arabic and Urdu spelling, meaning, and the Ilm ul Huroof reading

What is on this page? 84 Muslim baby names used in Senegal, Mali, Nigeria and the Sahel, each with its Arabic and Urdu spelling, its meaning, and its letter-by-letter reading. Every name links to its full page.

Narrow it down: West African boy names (49)  ·  West African girl names (35)

عَبْد الرَّحْمَنAbdirahmanServant of the Most Merciful عَبْد اللهAbdoulayeServant of Allah عَبْد اللهAbdullahiAbdullah, Hausa Nigerian form أَبُو بَكْرAboubacarAbu Bakr, Guinean/West African spelling أَبُو بَكْرAboubakryAbu Bakr, Senegalese/Guinean spelling variant أَبُو بَكْرAbubakarAbu Bakr آدَمAdamuAdam حاجةAdjaHajja, West African Fula respected woman عَائِشَةAichaAisha, French/West African spelling عَائِشَةAishatuAisha الأميرAlmirThe prince, the commander علوAlouAli, the West African diminutive form أَحْمَدAmadouAhmad, West African compressed form أمارةAmaraEternal beauty, grace, West African and global girls name أميرAmeerPrince, commander, the one of noble leadership and sovereign bearing أمينةAminataTrustworthy أمينAminuTrustworthy, faithful أميرAmirPrince, commander, leader أنتAntaAnta Sega, beloved Senegalese feminine name بلوBelloBeautiful, fine, Hausa Islamic name of beauty and goodness بنتہBinetaDaughter بنتوBintouDaughter, West African Muslim girls name شيخCheikhSheikh شيخCheikhouSheikh, West African Fula form كومباCoumbaGood omen, Senegalese Muslim girls name جبريلDjibrilJibreel, West African Fula dominant form أميرEmirPrince, commander, top Bosnian/Albanian Muslim male name فانطاFantaGood, joyful, West African Muslim girls name فوزيةFaouziaVictorious فَاطِمَةFatimataFāṭima فَاطِمَةFatimatuFāṭima فَاطِمَةFatouFatimah فَاطِمَةFatoumataFatimah, Fula long form فيصلFaycalFaisal, French/Senegalese spelling غسانGhassaneVigour خَدِيجَةHadijatKhadijah هَارُونHarounAaron, West African/Senegalese هَارُونHarunAaron حواءHauwaEve إبوIbouYusuf/Ibrahim, Senegalese short form إِبْرَاهِيمIbrahimaIbrahim, West African Fula/Mande form إِدْرِيسIdrisThe prophet Idris (often identified with Enoch) خَدِيجَةKhadijatKhadijah الأمينLamineThe Trustworthy, West African boys name میمونہMaimounaBlessed مُحَمَّدMamadouMuhammad, West African compressed form مَرْيَمMariamaMaryam, West African Fula/Mande form مَيْمُونَةMaymounaBlessed مُحَمَّدModouMuhammad, Wolof form, most common name in Senegal مباركMoubarakBlessed, West African spelling مُحَمَّدMouhamadThe praised one مُحَمَّدMouhamadouMuhammad, Fula form with -adou suffix مُحَمَّدMouhamedMuhammad مُوسَىMoussaMoses, West African/North African spelling مصطفىMoustaphaMustafa, West African dominant spelling نديةNdeyeLady, Wolof/Senegalese Muslim girls name نُوحNuhuNoah أُسَامَةOsamaLion, the brave young commander chosen by the Prophet at seventeen وسامOuissamOuissam, Badge of honour, West African أوليماتاOulimataOulimata, Learned woman, Fula girls name عُمَرOumarUmar, Senegalese dominant form عُمَرOumarouUmar عُمَرOumaruUmar أم الخيرOumkheirOumkheir, Mother of goodness, West African أمOumouMother, West African Fula girls name عُثْمَانOusmaneOusmane, Uthman, West African Fula form حسينيOusseiniOusseini قائدQaidQaid, Leader/commander, top Arab boys رَحْمَةRamatuMercy, West African Islamic feminine name of divine mercy رُقَيَّةRokayaRuqayyah رُقَيَّةRokayatouRuqayyah, Guinea/Fula form رُقَيَّةRokhayaRuqayyah, Senegalese Wolof form رُقَيَّةRokiaRuqayyah, Mali/West African spelling رميصاءRomaissaRumaisa, West African/French variant صلاح الدينSaladinLiberator of Jerusalem, greatest Muslim commander سيدوSeydouSayyid, West African Fula form صخنہSokhnaNoble learned woman, Wolof honorific as name سُمَيَّةSoumayaSoumaya سُلَيْمَانSulaimanSolomon, Prophet-King, commanded wind, jinn, and birds تیجانیTidianeFrom the Tijaniyya يَعْقُوبYacoubYaqub, West African and French North African spelling يَعْقُوبYaqubJacob يُوسُفYoussouphaYusuf, West African Fula form زارياZariaZaria, Radiant, Nigerian city as name

How names work in Senegal, Mali, Nigeria and the Sahel

Islam reached West Africa across the Sahara, and the names came with it and then changed shape in Wolof, Fula, Mandinka and Hausa mouths. Muhammad becomes Mamadou. Uthman becomes Ousmane. Yusuf becomes Youssoupha. These are not corruptions but the ordinary work a living language does on a borrowed word, and the meaning survives the journey.

Ordered by how often visitors open them on AsrNaam.

  1. IdrisإِدْرِيسThe prophet Idris (often identified with Enoch)
  2. HauwaحواءEve
  3. YaqubيَعْقُوبJacob
  4. AdamuآدَمAdam
  5. AminuأمينTrustworthy, faithful
  6. KhadijatخَدِيجَةKhadijah
  7. Abubakarأَبُو بَكْرAbu Bakr
  8. BelloبلوBeautiful, fine, Hausa Islamic name of beauty and goodness
  9. OsamaأُسَامَةLion, the brave young commander chosen by the Prophet at seventeen
  10. LamineالأمينThe Trustworthy, West African boys name

What West African names tend to mean

Sorted at the Arabic root rather than off the English spelling, the 84 names here fall most often into these themes.

West African Muslim boy names

49 of the names here are boy names.

Idrisإِدْرِيس Yaqubيَعْقُوب Adamuآدَم Aminuأمين Abubakarأَبُو بَكْر Belloبلو Osamaأُسَامَة Lamineالأمين Nuhuنُوح Abdullahiعَبْد الله Abdirahmanعَبْد الرَّحْمَن Abdoulayeعَبْد الله

West African Muslim girl names

35 of the names here are girl names.

Hauwaحواء Khadijatخَدِيجَة Aishatuعَائِشَة Fantaفانطا Bintouبنتو Oumouأم Fatouفَاطِمَة Adjaحاجة Aichaعَائِشَة Amaraأمارة Aminataأمينة Antaأنت

Quranic names used in Senegal, Mali, Nigeria and the Sahel

2 of the names on this page appear in the Quran or belong to a figure named in it. A name does not have to be Quranic to be Islamic, but the overlap is worth seeing.

Idrisإِدْرِيس Sulaimanسُلَيْمَان

Questions about West African Muslim names

How many West African Muslim names are there?
AsrNaam lists 84 used in Senegal, Mali, Nigeria and the Sahel, 49 for boys and 35 for girls. Naming traditions overlap rather than divide, so many of these are used well beyond the region too.
Are West African names Arabic names?
Not all of them, and the distinction matters. A name is Islamic through its meaning, not through the language it comes from. Some of the names here are Arabic and travelled; others come from the languages of Senegal, Mali, Nigeria and the Sahel and were carried into Muslim naming locally. Both are on this page, each with its origin stated.
Which West African Muslim name is most popular?
By what visitors search for and open on this site, Idris, Hauwa and Yaqub lead. The settled meaning of Idris is: The prophet Idris (often identified with Enoch).
Do these names have an Urdu spelling?
Yes. Every name on this site carries its Arabic spelling and its Urdu spelling separately, because Urdu writes ک ی ہ where Arabic writes ك ي ه. You can also browse the whole library by Urdu letter.

Other naming traditions

ArabicNorth AfricanSouth Asian and UrduTurkish and TurkicGulfPersianLevantineIndonesian and MalayBalkanEast AfricanBerber

Or narrow by several things at once with the name filter, or browse by meaning, A to Z, or by Urdu letter.