# Must work well in English, French and Arabic



## CandiceSj

Here are my top few names for girls and boys. What do you think? Which spelling do you prefer for the ones I'm not sure about. Any other names to suggest?

Sumaya (nn Maya, maybe spelled Soumaya)
Lana
Sajida (nn Saj or Sage, maybe spelled with an h, pronounced with the i very short practically like saj-da)
Alya (maybe spelled Alia but again, very short i so I tend to go towards leaving out the letter)

For boys: 

Adam
Ilyas (maybe spelled Ilias)
Ismail


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## holly2234

No more suggestions as i think Alia (people would be more likely to say it right that way!) and Adam are lovely :flower:


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## CandiceSj

Thanks. We like Adam best too so far. It just works super-well in so many languages. The others are pronouncable, but they still don't appear to be English names while Adam does (like Nora). 

For Alia though, I think people will pronounce it A-lee-uh with this spelling (like the singer Aaliyah) when really, I'm not going for the ee sound. Just al-yuh. So I lean towards spelling it Alya for that reason.


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## shelleney

I think Adam and Maya are the best choices :flower:
I also think Alya is spelt better this way if you dont want the ee sound.


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## RubyRainbows

shelleney said:


> I think Adam and Maya are the best choices :flower:
> I also think Alya is spelt better this way if you dont want the ee sound.

Agree.


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## MrsWifey

We've picked Lana so that gets my vote!

Adam is really nice too and hard to pronpunce in any other way so would be the same in different languages!


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## CandiceSj

Thank you for your opinions! I think I like Sumaya and Adam best too but my husband loves Lana. Honestly this name just doesn't work quite well enough in French or it would probau be my favourite too.


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## RubyRainbows

I also really like the nickname Sage (for Sajida)!


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## CandiceSj

I'd love to use Sage just by itself- I love that name! But it doesn't work well in Arabic and is too weird in French.

New ones on my list are: Emanne (Arabic for faith, more typical spelling is Iman), Leena and Sofia.


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## kate.m.

Im not sure about Arabic suitability, but my little boy is called Travis: it's originally French (despite seeming american!!) and works well in english too! Variants are Trevis and Travers!


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## mummySS

For a girl... 
I love Sofia and Maya. Or how about Laila? 

For a boy...
Adam works really well. My colleague just called her son Kamran (she calls him Kam for short), which I believe is an arabic name but also works well in English. I can't see how it would be difficult in french either.


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## CandiceSj

Kamran is a neat name. Looks like it's a unique spelling for Cameron which I don't really like but in a way it's a good thing that it sounds like a normal English names even if it isn't one. It's not an Arabic name though... From what I see online it's Persian. 

For the French part, any -on or -an ending in French can cause a problem because these three endings are each pronounced so differently from each other, and also very differently than in English (where they sound the same). Adam has the same very different sound in French as in English but it's a known name so it's not a problem. 

And Laila is a great name that works well in the three languages. It would definitely be a great choice for us! Thanks!


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## mummySS

Yes maybe it's not arabic, my colleague is english and her husband is pakistani and that was his father's name so i thought it must be from a similar background... but i dont know! haha. 

She called her other son Zakariyah, (zak for short) but i'm not sure that'd work in french! I think Adam is nicer and much more straightforward. :)


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## CandiceSj

You were right - it's the same area and a similar background! 

I kinda like Zakariyah but ruled it out for being a bit long and "fussy" style.


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## harrysmummy

I like Adam for a boy and Sofia for a girl although Alya is very pretty.
That must be difficult trying to get a name that works in different languages.


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## CedarWood

Adam Laila and Lana are great.

Not sure Re French but also like Jasmin, Jena, Camila and Dahlia.


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## CandiceSj

CedarWood: Yes, those work well in French. Jasmin would be a boy's name though so it needs to have an "e" and be Jasmine. Yasmine is the Arabic form and a very nice name. Jena/Jennah/Jannah means heaven in Arabic and is a great name really, but a friend of mine used it for her daughter! Camille is the French form for Camilla and is very popular here (bit too trendy for me) and Dahlia is super pretty and unique. I love flower names! Thanks for the suggestions!! Really good ones!


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## RubyRainbows

Does Dahlia work in all 3 languages? It's quite pretty! Also, love Yasmine!


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## CandiceSj

Dahlia is not an Arabic name but it can be pronounced very easily for Arabs so it would work for sure. Also works in French and English and is not common yet not weird. I find myself leaning towards more Arabic names lately but that could easily change until a baby actually comes - I'm not even pregnant yet! 

Names I'm leaning towards are ones that are Arabic names and English names at the same time that "work" in French like Nora which is the English name derived from Eleanor and also an Arabic name (more commonly transliterated as Noura) which comes from "nor" meaning light. Another favourite Sofia also works in Arabic even if it's more commonly transliterated Safiya and it was one of Muhammad's wife. The name is derived from word meaning pure. Sumaya is an Arabic name but the nickname (Maya) is a French and English name (kinda!)

Lana is nothing in Arabic but my husband likes it probably because of Superman and it sounds good in Arabic. Also, my husband doesn't like idea changes and this was the second choice for our daughter so he'd rather just stick with it and save the thinking. But I have been thinking of names since childhood and I'm not stopping now!


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## mbara

Sumaya is beautiful!


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## kiwimama

Sumaya is lovely I think for a little girl with Maya as a nn.


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## xolily

i hate to think how annoying it is for you having to pick names that go well 3 ways! i need something arabic/asian, but not TOO arabic/asian cos we live in england.. iykwim.. some names i.e. Usma/Nabia sound AWFUL when you hear an english person say it, but when you hear a bengali pronouncing it it sounds lovely xx


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