A Name Story by Houdhoud
حَلِيمَة
Halima
ha-LEE-ma
“Gentle, patient.”
About Halima
Halima is a Muslim baby girl's name meaning "gentle, patient" — an Arabic-Swahili name carried for centuries across the Muslim world.
From the Arabic root ح-ل-م meaning 'forbearance, gentleness'. Borne by Halima al-Sa'diyya, the wet nurse of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
Very common across Arab, Somali, and Swahili-coast families.
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 ﷺ
- Halimah Yacob (b. 1954), former President of Singapore
How to say it
Stressed syllable in capitals
Discover names like Halima
Other names with the same heart — close in origin, sound, and spirit.
AH-sha · Swahili · Arabic
“Living, vital (Swahili form of Aisha).”
a-MAA-nee · Arabic · Swahili
“Wishes, aspirations, peace.”
sa-EE-da · Arabic · Swahili
“Happy, fortunate.”
zoo-HOO-ra · Swahili · Arabic
“Venus; brilliance.”
mwa-na-EE-sha · Swahili · Arabic
“Daughter of Aisha; one of life.”
ee-MAH-nee · Swahili · Arabic
“My faith.”
Common questions about Halima
- What does the name Halima mean?
- Halima (حَلِيمَة) means "Gentle, patient". From the Arabic root ح-ل-م meaning 'forbearance, gentleness'. Borne by Halima al-Sa'diyya, the wet nurse of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
- Is Halima a name from the Qur'an?
- Halima does not appear directly in the Qur'an in our verified records, though it is an Arabic-Swahili name long carried across the Muslim world. We only list 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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