What does the name Shaima mean?

Shaima (شَيْمَاء) means "Distinguishing mark; beloved". From the Arabic root ش-ي-م. Borne by Shaima bint Halima, the Prophet's milk-sister.

Is Shaima a name from the Qur'an?

Houdhoud doesn't show a verse for this name. Shaima 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 Shaima a boy or a girl name?

Shaima is traditionally a girl's name.

Where does the name Shaima come from?

Shaima is an Arabic name, built on the root letters Sh-Y-M.

A Name Story by Houdhoud

شَيْمَاء

Shaima

shay-MAA

“Distinguishing mark; beloved.”

About Shaima

Shaima is a Muslim baby girl's name meaning "distinguishing mark; beloved", an Arabic name carried for centuries across the Muslim world.

From the Arabic root ش-ي-م. Borne by Shaima bint Halima, the Prophet's milk-sister.

Spellings of Shaima

Spelling	Births in England and Wales, 2025	Births in France, 2016 to 2025
Shaimathe spelling used on this page	Not listed	65

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

ش ي مSh-Y-M

In Arabic, root letters are the seed that gives a word its meaning. Every word built from them inherits that family of meaning, and Shaima is one such word.

Across history

Who has carried Shaima before.

Shaima bint Halima, the Prophet's milk-sister

How to say it

shay·MAA

Stressed syllable in capitals

Discover names like Shaima

Other names with the same heart: close in origin, sound, and spirit.

Habibaحَبِيبَة

ha-BEE-bah · Arabic

“Beloved.”

Halaهَالَة

HAA-lah · Arabic

“Halo, ring around the moon.”

Mahaمَهَا

MA-hah · Arabic

“Oryx; large, beautiful eyes.”

Salmaسَلْمَى

SAL-mah · Arabic · Turkish

“Safe; peaceful.”

Aliaعَالِيَا

AA-lee-ah · Indonesian · Arabic

“High, exalted.”

Anisaأَنِيسَة

a-NEE-sa · Arabic · Indonesian

“Friendly, companion.”

Common questions about Shaima

What does the name Shaima mean?: Shaima (شَيْمَاء) means "Distinguishing mark; beloved". From the Arabic root ش-ي-م. Borne by Shaima bint Halima, the Prophet's milk-sister.
Is Shaima a name from the Qur'an?: Houdhoud doesn't show a verse for this name. Shaima 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 Shaima a boy or a girl name?: Shaima is traditionally a girl's name.
Where does the name Shaima come from?: Shaima is an Arabic name, built on the root letters Sh-Y-M.

Browse names like Shaima

Collections Shaima belongs to.

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