
A Name Story by Houdhoud
عَفْرَاء
Afra
AF-rah
“White, pale; a white gazelle.”
About Afra
Afra is a Muslim baby girl's name meaning "white, pale; a white gazelle" — an Arabic name carried for centuries across the Muslim world.
From the Arabic root ع-ف-ر: afra' describes a pale whiteness, and is the classical word for a white gazelle. Afra is the beloved of the classical love story of Urwa and Afra.
Popular in the UAE and Oman.
Origin & roots
Origin
Arabic
Gender
Girl
Also spelled
Afraa, Afrah
Root letters
In Arabic, root letters are the seed that gives a word its meaning. Every word built from them inherits that family of meaning — and Afra is one such word.
How to say it
Stressed syllable in capitals
Discover names like Afra
Other names with the same heart — close in origin, sound, and spirit.
AH-mee-na · Arabic
“Trustworthy (Bosnian usage).”
ha-LEE-ma · Arabic · Swahili
“Gentle, patient.”
LAY-la · Persian · Arabic
“Night.”
NA-dah · Arabic
“Dew; generosity.”
AH-sha · Swahili · Arabic
“Living, vital (Swahili form of Aisha).”
AA-see-ah · Arabic
“One who tends, comforts.”
Common questions about Afra
- What does the name Afra mean?
- Afra (عَفْرَاء) means "White, pale; a white gazelle". From the Arabic root ع-ف-ر: afra' describes a pale whiteness, and is the classical word for a white gazelle. Afra is the beloved of the classical love story of Urwa and Afra.
- Is Afra a name from the Qur'an?
- Afra does not appear directly in the Qur'an in our verified records, though it is an Arabic name long carried across the Muslim world. We only list a Qur'anic verse when it's verified against the Tanzil corpus.
- Is Afra a boy or a girl name?
- Afra is traditionally a girl's name.
- Where does the name Afra come from?
- Afra is an Arabic name, built on the root letters ʿ-F-R. Popular in the UAE and Oman.
- How is Afra spelled?
- Afra is the most common English spelling. The same Arabic name (عَفْرَاء) is also written Afraa and Afrah. They are one name, not different names — the spelling only reflects how each family or country transliterates the Arabic.
Browse names like Afra
Collections Afra belongs to.
Looking for a name made for your family?
I’ll ask six warm questions about your family — heritage, the sound you love, who you’d like to honor — and find names made for yours. About ninety seconds.
Free · No sign-up