A Name Story by Houdhoud
شَمْس
Shams
SHAMS
“Sun.”
About Shams
Shams is a Muslim baby girl's name meaning "sun", an Arabic name carried for centuries across the Muslim world.
Classical Arabic for the sun. Surah 91 of the Qur'an is named Ash-Shams.
Used across Arab families and in Persian poetic tradition (Shams of Tabriz).
Spellings of Shams
| Spelling | Births in England and Wales, 2025 | Births in France, 2016 to 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Shamsthe spelling used on this page | 17 | 185 |
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 Shams is one such word.
How to say it
Stressed syllable in capitals
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Common questions about Shams
- What does the name Shams mean?
- Shams (شَمْس) means "Sun". Classical Arabic for the sun. Surah 91 of the Qur'an is named Ash-Shams.
- Is Shams a name from the Qur'an?
- Houdhoud doesn't show a verse for this name. Shams 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 Shams a boy or a girl name?
- Shams is traditionally a girl's name.
- Where does the name Shams come from?
- Shams is an Arabic name, built on the root letters Sh-M-S. Used across Arab families and in Persian poetic tradition (Shams of Tabriz).
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