Fatima (given name)
Fatima (Arabic: فَاطِمَة, Fāṭimah), also spelled Fatimah, is a feminine given name of Arabic origin used throughout the Muslim world. Several relatives of the Islamic prophet Muhammad had the name, including his daughter Fatima as the most famous one. The literal meaning of the name is one who weans an infant or one who abstains.
| Pronunciation | Arabic: [faː.tˤi.mah] |
|---|---|
| Gender | Female |
| Origin | |
| Word/name | Arabic |
| Meaning | one who is beautiful like the stars |
| Other names | |
| Related names | Fathima, Fatimah, Fadumo, Fadime, Fadima, Fatma, Fatme, Fatemeh, Fathama, Fadma, Fatna, Fatim, Fotima, Patimat, Petimat |
The colloquial Arabic pronunciation of the name in some varieties (e.g., Syrian and Egyptian) often omits the unstressed second syllable and renders it as Fatma when romanized. Incidentally, this is also the usual Turkish and Azerbaijani form of the name (another variant, Fadime, is less common). In South Asian countries, such as India (most commonly), Pakistan, it may be spelt as Fathima. In Persian, the name is rendered as Fatemeh in the Iranian dialect, Fatima in Afghan dialect and Fotima (Фотима) in Tajik dialect.
Fatima is also used by non-Muslims: the town of Fátima, Portugal (originally named after a Moorish princess) was the site of a famous Marian apparition in 1917, after which it achieved some popularity as a female personal name among Catholic populations, particularly in the Portuguese-speaking and Spanish-speaking countries.