A Name Story by Houdhoud
زَيْنَب
Zainab
ZAY-nab
“Fragrant flowering plant; beauty.”
About Zainab
Zainab is a Muslim baby girl's name meaning "fragrant flowering plant; beauty" — an Arabic name carried for centuries across the Muslim world.
Of classical Arabic origin, traditionally referring to a fragrant desert flower. Borne by Zainab bint Muhammad and Zainab bint Ali.
Strong classical name, especially common in South Asian and Arab families.
Origin & roots
Origin
Arabic
Gender
Girl
Also spelled
Zaynab, Zenab
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 Zainab is one such word.
Across history
Who has carried Zainab before.
- Zainab bint Muhammad, daughter of the Prophet ﷺ
- Zainab bint Ali, scholar and granddaughter of the Prophet ﷺ
How to say it
Stressed syllable in capitals
Discover names like Zainab
Other names with the same heart — close in origin, sound, and spirit.
kha-DEE-jah · Arabic
“Premature child; one who came early.”
ZAY-nep · Turkish · Arabic
“Fragrant flowering plant.”
HAF-sah · Arabic
“Lion cub; gathered together.”
KHAW-lah · Arabic
“Gazelle; female deer.”
LAY-lah · Arabic · Persian
“Night, dark beauty.”
SAA-rah · Arabic-Hebrew · Arabic
“Princess; noblewoman.”
Common questions about Zainab
- What does the name Zainab mean?
- Zainab (زَيْنَب) means "Fragrant flowering plant; beauty". Of classical Arabic origin, traditionally referring to a fragrant desert flower. Borne by Zainab bint Muhammad and Zainab bint Ali.
- Is Zainab a name from the Qur'an?
- Zainab 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 Zainab a boy or a girl name?
- Zainab is traditionally a girl's name.
- Where does the name Zainab come from?
- Zainab is an Arabic name, built on the root letters Z-Y-N-B. Strong classical name, especially common in South Asian and Arab families.
Browse names like Zainab
Collections Zainab belongs to.
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