A Name Story by Houdhoud
صَفِيَّة
Safiyya
sa-FEE-yah
“Pure, chosen, beloved friend.”
About Safiyya
Safiyya is a Muslim baby girl's name meaning "pure, chosen, beloved friend", an Arabic name carried for centuries across the Muslim world.
From the Arabic root ص-ف-و meaning 'purity, sincerity'. Borne by Safiyya bint Huyayy, wife of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
Spellings of Safiyya
صَفِيَّة 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Safiyyathe spelling used on this page | 34 | 130 |
| Safiya | 88 | 3,010 |
| Safia | 38 | 1,690 |
| Safiyah | 43 | 165 |
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
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 Safiyya is one such word.
Across history
Who has carried Safiyya before.
- Safiyya bint Huyayy (c. 610–670 CE), wife of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
How to say it
Stressed syllable in capitals
Discover names like Safiyya
Other names with the same heart: close in origin, sound, and spirit.
Common questions about Safiyya
- What does the name Safiyya mean?
- Safiyya (صَفِيَّة) means "Pure, chosen, beloved friend". From the Arabic root ص-ف-و meaning 'purity, sincerity'. Borne by Safiyya bint Huyayy, wife of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
- Is Safiyya a name from the Qur'an?
- Houdhoud doesn't show a verse for this name. Safiyya is an Arabic name long carried across the Muslim world. We only show a Qur'anic verse when it's verified against the Tanzil corpus.
- Is Safiyya a boy or a girl name?
- Safiyya is traditionally a girl's name.
- Where does the name Safiyya come from?
- Safiyya is an Arabic name, built on the root letters Ṣ-F-W.
Browse names like Safiyya
Collections Safiyya belongs to.
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