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Fatima

♀ Girl

Pronounced FAH-tih-mah /ˈfɑː.tɪ.mɑː/High

Meaning: From the Arabic root 'f-t-m', meaning to wean (a child) or to abstain. The name also carries the connotation of a woman who captivates men away from forbidden things.High

In 30 seconds: Fatima is one of the most sacred names in Islam, borne by the Prophet Muhammad's beloved daughter. Across the Muslim world, it is a name of profound reverence, love, and spiritual significance.
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Origin HighArabic
MeaningFrom the Arabic root 'f-t-m', meaning to wean (a child) or to abstain. The name also carries the connotation of a woman who captivates men away from forbidden things.
U.S. rank (2025)#330 ↘ Falling
2025 U.S. births931 girls (0.05% of U.S. girls)
Peak year2006
Total births (all-time)≈ 38,937

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 200619192025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

History & Origin

Fatima derives from the Arabic root f-t-m, related to weaning and abstinence. Fatima bint Muhammad (c. 605–632 CE), the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad and his wife Khadijah, is one of the most venerated figures in Islam. She is honored by both Sunni and Shia Muslims, though she holds particularly exalted status in Shia Islam as the wife of Ali and mother of Hasan and Husayn.

The name Fatima has been among the most popular girls' names in Muslim-majority countries for over fourteen centuries. Its spread follows Islamic cultural and historical influence across the Middle East, North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. In the West, it gained additional recognition through Our Lady of Fatima, the site of Marian apparitions in Portugal in 1917, which Catholic tradition holds was named after a Moorish princess named Fatima who converted to Christianity.

Did you know? Fatima al-Zahra, the Prophet's daughter, is so revered in Islam that her name is among the top five most popular girls' names globally — she is called 'Mother of her Father' (Umm Abiha) for the care she showed him, a remarkable honorific.
Overall data confidence 92%
Wehr, Hans. A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic — Root f-t-m and its derivationsBehind the Name: Fatima — Islamic historical context and global usage

Variations

FatimahFatmaFathima

Nicknames

FatiFatu

Famous Bearers

  • ★Fatima bint Muhammad (c. 605–632 CE)
    Daughter of the Prophet Muhammad, one of the most revered figures in Islamic tradition.

If you like Fatima…

Amina— Arabic Islamic name of equal historical reverence, also connected to the Prophet's family
Aisha— Arabic name meaning 'living', the Prophet's wife and another of the most revered Islamic names
Maryam— Arabic form of Mary, equally sacred in Islam as the mother of the prophet Isa (Jesus)

Frequently Asked

What does the name Fatima mean?

Fatima means 'one who weans' or 'one who abstains', from Arabic f-t-m, and also carries a connotation of captivating virtue.

How do you pronounce Fatima?

Fatima is pronounced FAH-tih-mah (/ˈfɑː.tɪ.mɑː/), three syllables with stress on the first.

Is Fatima a boy or girl name?

Fatima is exclusively a girl's name.

How popular is Fatima?

Fatima is one of the most popular names in the world, ranking in the top 10 across many Muslim-majority countries and in the US top 500.