Safiya - girl name

[Elambert83]

Hi

I am liking the name Safiya (pronounced Sah-fee-ya.

What are peoples thoughts?

I have an Arabic name. I’m white and middle aged. I don’t think anybody has ever assumed that I must have Islamic heritage.
Safiya is a beautiful name. I think it’s fine for anyone from any background to use a name they like.

I like it but it really doesn't go with Karen

Worried about some of the posters on here if they think that ANYONE would think it was appropriate to approach someone and for no reason at all demand to know whether they're muslims/whether their parents are from an Arab country/Pakistani etc, based purely on their first name? That would be really bizarre and rude behaviour and sort of, weirdly confrontational? I knew a white Priya once and I'd never have DREAMED of interrogating her about het name, just vaguely assumed her mum had liked the name and thought what a lovely choice it was. Let's hope people in real life are more polite than MN posters (they definitely are )

I teach in an Arabic country & actually know more Sophias than Safiyas - it's not a super popular & obviously Arabic name like Khadiga or Farida here, so I'd agree it's ripe for assimilation.

Incidentally the ME is either slightly ahead, or way behind, the curve when it comes to old fashioned English names, which are popular here now. I know a few teenage Karens (also Noras & Judys), so nothing unusual about teaming an Arabic name with a 'too middle aged to have come back into fashion quite yet' English name. Safiya Karen would be a cool combination on any register here!

I'd totally go for it. It's lovely.

We are also thinking of using this name, although like the spelling ‘Safia’. We are not Muslim. As someone from cosmopolitan London, it didn’t concern me in the slightest that it has Muslim roots...well until I read this post and heard all the negative comments that is. So surprised by how concerned some people are with non Muslims using Muslim names. I haven’t seen the same concern apply to names from other religions and cultures on here, eg. Buddhist (Bodhi).
For us, we love the similarity to Sofia, but the distance it has from Sofie/Sophie. It also lends itself to a lovely (in my opinion) nickname of ‘Safi more obviously than ‘Sofia’ might. The meaning is also really nice, and we prefer it again to Sofia.
I would be interested to understand how people pronounce it, as there are numerous variations online and we wouldn’t want her called ‘SAF-ia’. We would go with the same pronunciation as what I’m understanding the OP is suggesting with the emphasis on ‘FEE’ so ‘ Sa-FEE-ah. Thoughts?

@Mumstheword36

We are also thinking of using this name, although like the spelling ‘Safia’. We are not Muslim. As someone from cosmopolitan London, it didn’t concern me in the slightest that it has Muslim roots...well until I read this post and heard all the negative comments that is. So surprised by how concerned some people are with non Muslims using Muslim names. I haven’t seen the same concern apply to names from other religions and cultures on here, eg. Buddhist (Bodhi). For us, we love the similarity to Sofia, but the distance it has from Sofie/Sophie. It also lends itself to a lovely (in my opinion) nickname of ‘Safi more obviously than ‘Sofia’ might. The meaning is also really nice, and we prefer it again to Sofia. I would be interested to understand how people pronounce it, as there are numerous variations online and we wouldn’t want her called ‘SAF-ia’. We would go with the same pronunciation as what I’m understanding the OP is suggesting with the emphasis on ‘FEE’ so ‘ Sa-FEE-ah. Thoughts?

If you go on YouTube you can find videos of the correct pronunciations of loads of Arabic names and my understanding is more like 'SAF-iya' is the correct way. I've met quite a few and none of them pronounced it with the stress on the 'fi' sound.

I think Safiya is a beautiful name. It doesnt super go with Karen but my understanding is Karen will be her middle name so not like "Ellie-May" hyphenation and wont be said together a whole lot . Like others it makes me think of the YouTuber, but to reassure you this is a positive association - shes a bright and funny lady in her late 20s

Love it!

You and your daughter will spend forever correcting the way people spell and say it.

It is a pretty name and Europeans have borrowed names from the ME for centuries (e.g. Sarah, Rebecca, Hannah). As far as cultural appropriation goes I think there's a difference between a European using a Muslim name and an WASP American using a Native American name, the history is different. Having said that I wouldn't think it was appropriate for a white christian boy to be called Mohammed but there's always been more flexibility around girls names and the Muslims who have responded on this thread don't have an issue with it so go for it. You often get quite conservative opinions on the baby name threads around non-English names but that applies as much to Saoirse or Sholto as it does to Safiya.