We have some time - but what do you think and any suggestions - bridging the gap between Arabic and English gets a bit difficult

[elephantsgomarching]

So we may have a while to go. But I need some cheering up so...

DH likes names like Callie, Pip, Jude, Drew as well as Charlotte, Emily, Cecily, Rupert, John etc

While (much to my surprise) I tend to be drawn to quite traditional names (I'm pakistani-british) - that DH laughs at and probably wouldn't be right somehow. We are just throwing around ideas and seem to both agree on some names

Girls

Yasmin/Yasmeen
Malika
Hana
Roziat
Zara - but maybe Zarah or Zahra or Zaara

Boys

Athar
Jasar
Malik
Zain

We know we want an islamic fn (for me that was un-negotiatable) that equally works well with a english surname.

Thoughts or any other names that you know would fit the bill?

I know two mixed Pakistani/British couples with girls called Maya (one pronounces it 'MAY-a' and the other 'MY-a'), which I think is very pretty. I also know a Pakistani-British Shuly, which is nice too, I think. On your list, I also like Zara, Hana and Malika. I think I like Malik best of the boys' names, but tbh it's the only one that is familiar to me apart from Zain, which I'm not keen on.

What about Kamran?

Kamran - I love but it is actually one of my brothers name
Maya - I did bring up but would people get the arabic/pakistani thing?

Athar and Malik were DPs idea - Art Malik (I asked for a pakistani name he knew and he said him) :D

Maya and Shuly are actually also both common Hebrew names...so they're not as "obviously" Arabic as, say, Zayn.

How about Laila for a girl? Tanis?
For a boy, Omar?

Lianna? Sameena? Layla? Amira?malik, mikael? Danyal? Harris? Yakub? Maryam? Anisa?
Zayd, zahid, aasad, jamal

I like Zara/Zahra, Malik and Zain best from your options.

Love Zara, Hana, Yasmin and Zain from your list.

Sarai?

Love Hana

Leila
Salma
Samira
Reem
Jakob
Asad
Mathias

These are the names of some of my arabic cousins!

Layla is being the mn if a girl so that one is set on.

Thanks.

Based on a trawl through my memory, of children with Islamic first names that I've taught, my suggestions would be Hana, Zara, Maryam, Safiya, Maya or Yasmin for a girl.
For boys, Adam, Daniel (Danyal), Ibrahim, Ishaq, Jed, Joseph (Yusuf), Noah (Nuh), Sami or Zaki.

Hoda and Zaynab and Rafi are the only other ones I can think of

The other names I know are all Bengali

Is Alia an arabic name? I love that.

I also really like Nisha (I know 2 Nisha's both have one english/one pakistani parent, don't know if its Islamic though...)

My friend is British married to a UAE guy (sorry don't know the correct descriptive word) and they have recently had a little girl and called her Alia - really lovely I think and works well in bith countries they say (they live in UAE),

Might not go with mn though?

Ishmail, Sami, Idris, Rafiq, Adam.

Hamid for a boy.

I sympathise with you. I'm half Bangladeshi & half English, and my husband is Danish. We'd like the baby to have a first name(s) that reflects all its origins... and that also doesn't sound too strange in Italy, where his parents live! For girls, I've been thinking of Safira, Farah, Rukhshana/ Roxana, possibly Yasmin/ Jasmin. Boys is much more difficult. I quite like the name Imran.

Hamdan is lovely for a boy and can be shortened to Dan/Danny.

Also Noah (Arabic Nuh)...Faisal, Laith, Zayed

Girls' names - Kamilah/Camilla, Aiya, Amira etc.

From your list I love Yasmin and Zain

Me and DH have an English/Pakistani mix. We had the following names on our shortlist:

Boys...

Hassan
Bilal
Omar
Tariq
Haris
Daniyal

Girls...

Eiliyah
Eliza
Hana
Jemimah
Jennah
Kamila
Laila
Rayann
Saadia
Sara
Sofia
Tara

I knew a couple with a Qassim and a Hareth - either of those do anything for you?

I knew a Pakistani Zalina, which I think is gorgeous.