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.
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 Shaima is one such word.
Across history
Who has carried Shaima before.
- Shaima bint Halima, the Prophet's milk-sister
How to say it
Stressed syllable in capitals
Discover names like Shaima
Other names with the same heart — close in origin, sound, and spirit.
HAA-lah · Arabic
“Halo, ring around the moon.”
SAL-mah · Arabic
“Safe; peaceful.”
SEL-ma · Turkish · Arabic
“Safe, peaceful.”
AA-lee-ah · Indonesian · Arabic
“High, exalted.”
a-NEE-sa · Arabic · Indonesian
“Friendly, companion.”
sa-NAA · Arabic · Urdu
“Brilliance, radiance.”
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?
- Shaima 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 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.
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