Namesake.

Iman

إِيمَان
Unisex Arabic /ee-MAHN/ #2276 in 2023

Iman is a unisex name of Arabic origin.

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Meaning of Iman

"Faith, belief, conviction." Central theological concept in Islam — faith in God, the angels, the books, the messengers, the Last Day, and divine decree. The heart of the Islamic creed.

Arabic root: ʾ-m-n — (أ-م-ن, faith, security)

Regional variants

Unisex in the US, though more common for girls thanks to the Somali-American model/actress Iman. Rises in both African-American Muslim and Arab-American families.

Popularity of Iman

Popularity, 1972–2023
142 births in 2023
1972 2023

6,252 U.S. births recorded from 1972–2023. Used for both boys and girls — see notes below.

Peak year
1996
209 babies
First recorded
1972
51 years of history
Recent trend
Rising
Last 5 yrs vs. prior 5

Qur’anic concept

إِيمَان

īmān

īmān is belief — the inward faith at the heart of Islamic practice. The word appears constantly throughout the Qur’an as the defining condition of the believer (mu’min).

From the Qur’an

"But Allah has endeared to you the faith and has made it pleasing in your hearts and has made hateful to you disbelief, defiance and disobedience."

— Qur’an, Al-Hujurat 49:7

"…And never would Allah have caused you to lose your faith. Indeed Allah is, to the people, Kind and Merciful."

— Qur’an, Al-Baqarah 2:143

Variants & nicknames

ImaanEmanIman

Related guide

30 Quranic Baby Names for Boys and Girls (With Verses)

30 names drawn from the Qur’an — prophets, named and referenced women, and meaningful Arabic concepts — each with its verse reference and classical meaning.

Read the full guide →
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Famous people named Iman

  • Iman (model, wife of David Bowie)
  • Iman Shumpert (NBA)

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About this page

Popularity counts come from the U.S. Social Security Administration's national dataset. Meaning and cultural context drawn from classical sources: Lisan al-Arab, Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Qur'an and Sunnah. If you spot an error, please let us know.