Where does the name Safia come from?

Safia is a girl name of Arabic origin. "Safiyah" is the most common US spelling.

Is Safia a boy or a girl name?

Safia is overwhelmingly a girl name in the United States. Of the 1,488 U.S. babies recorded with this name, more than 99% are girls.

How popular is the name Safia in 2023?

Safia ranks #2696 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 2023 with 65 babies.

How do you pronounce Safia?

Safia is pronounced sah-FEE-yah (3 syllables).

What are common spellings of Safia?

Safia is also written as Safiyya, Safiyah, Safietou.

A name from Arabic · Girl

Safia

صَفِيَّة

"Pure, chosen, best friend." Safiyya bint Huyayy was a wife of the Prophet, of Jewish origin, who converted to Islam. The word also means "the most precious share of the spoils."

Compare

Popularity over time

A 48-year arc in numbers.

1,488 U.S. births recorded from 1975–2023.

Popularity · 1975–2023

65 births in 2023

1975 1999 2023

Babies named per year Peak year Most recent

Meaning

A name that means something.

S"Pure, chosen, best friend." Safiyya bint Huyayy was a wife of the Prophet, of Jewish origin, who converted to Islam. The word also means "the most precious share of the spoils."

Etymology, in one line

Arabic root: ṣ-f-w — ص-ف-و, purity

Regional variants

"Safiyah" is the most common US spelling. "Safietou" is the Senegalese-American form.

Variants & spellings

3 ways to spell "Safia".

Each transliteration carries a slightly different cultural fingerprint.

Safiyya Most common Safiyah Safietou

Famous bearers

People who carry the name Safia.

S
Safiyya bint Huyayy

Quick answers

People often ask about Safia.

What does the name Safia mean?: Safia means "Pure, chosen, best friend." Safiyya bint Huyayy was a wife of the Prophet, of Jewish origin, who converted to Islam. The word also means "the most precious share of the spoils.".
Where does the name Safia come from?: Safia is a girl name of Arabic origin. "Safiyah" is the most common US spelling.
Is Safia a boy or a girl name?: Safia is overwhelmingly a girl name in the United States. Of the 1,488 U.S. babies recorded with this name, more than 99% are girls.
How popular is the name Safia in 2023?: Safia ranks #2696 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 2023 with 65 babies.
How do you pronounce Safia?: Safia is pronounced sah-FEE-yah (3 syllables).
What are common spellings of Safia?: Safia is also written as Safiyya, Safiyah, Safietou.

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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.