A Name Story by Houdhoud
حَلِيمَة
Halima
ha-LEE-mah
“Gentle, patient, mild.”
About Halima
Halima is a Muslim baby girl's name meaning "gentle, patient, mild", an Arabic-Swahili name carried for centuries across the Muslim world.
From the Arabic root ح-ل-م meaning 'gentleness, forbearance'. Borne by Halima al-Sa'diyya, the Prophet's wet-nurse.
Very common across Arab, Somali, and Swahili-coast families.
Spellings of Halima
حَلِيمَة is one name, written in Latin letters in more than one way. Every spelling below is the same name.
| Spelling | Births in England and Wales, 2025 | Births in France, 2016 to 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Halimathe spelling used on this page | 129 | 1,450 |
| Haleema | 54 | 5 |
Babies registered with exactly that spelling. England and Wales: Office for National Statistics, 2025 (the list covers names given to 3 or more babies). France: INSEE Fichier des prénoms, 2016 to 2025 added together (INSEE rounds each yearly count to the nearest 5).
Origin & roots
Origin
Arabic · Swahili
Gender
Girl
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 Halima is one such word.
Across history
Who has carried Halima before.
- Halima al-Sa'diyya, wet-nurse of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
How to say it
Stressed syllable in capitals
Discover names like Halima
Other names with the same heart: close in origin, sound, and spirit.
Common questions about Halima
- What does the name Halima mean?
- Halima (حَلِيمَة) means "Gentle, patient, mild". From the Arabic root ح-ل-م meaning 'gentleness, forbearance'. Borne by Halima al-Sa'diyya, the Prophet's wet-nurse.
- Is Halima a name from the Qur'an?
- Houdhoud doesn't show a verse for this name. Halima is an Arabic-Swahili name long carried across the Muslim world. We only show a Qur'anic verse when it's verified against the Tanzil corpus.
- Is Halima a boy or a girl name?
- Halima is traditionally a girl's name.
- Where does the name Halima come from?
- Halima is an Arabic-Swahili name, built on the root letters Ḥ-L-M. Very common across Arab, Somali, and Swahili-coast families.
Browse names like Halima
Collections Halima belongs to.
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