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Islamic names

Haya, name meaning in Islam

Haya means modesty, shyness. See it in Arabic, how to say it, where it is in the Quran and names like it.

Girl name · Arabic (Quranic word)

حَيَاء

Haya

Modesty, shyness

Gender
Girl
Origin
Arabic (Quranic word)
Arabic
حَيَاء
Say it
ha-YAA
Root
ح ي ي
In the Quran
Yes, 28:25

See more girl names starting with H, or browse all Islamic names and save the ones you like.

Meaning

Haya, explained

Haya (حَيَاء) is an Arabic name for girls, taken from a word in the Quran. It means modesty, shyness. The Prophet ﷺ said: "Haya is a branch of faith" (Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim). Keep the long a at the end: hayyah (حية) means snake.

Meaning and root

In Arabic, words are built from a root of usually three letters. Haya comes from the root ح ي ي, and words from the same root share its core meaning. Similar names from the same family of words are listed below.

Is Haya in the Quran?

In 28:25 one of the two women of Madyan comes to Musa "walking with shyness" (istihya).

Quran 28:25

فَجَآءَتْهُ إِحْدَىٰهُمَا تَمْشِى عَلَى ٱسْتِحْيَآءٍۢ قَالَتْ إِنَّ أَبِى يَدْعُوكَ لِيَجْزِيَكَ أَجْرَ مَا سَقَيْتَ لَنَا ۚ فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُۥ وَقَصَّ عَلَيْهِ ٱلْقَصَصَ قَالَ لَا تَخَفْ ۖ نَجَوْتَ مِنَ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ

Fajaaa'at hu ihdaahumaa tamshee 'alas tihyaaa'in qaalat inna abee yad'ooka li yajziyaka ajra maa saqaita lanaa; falammaa jaaa'ahoo wa qassa 'alaihil qasasa qaala laa takhaf najawta minal qawmiz zaalimeen

Then one of the two women came to him walking with shyness. She said, "Indeed, my father invites you that he may reward you for having watered for us." So when he came to him and related to him the story, he said, "Fear not. You have escaped from the wrongdoing people."

Quran 28:25. Arabic: Uthmani text (Tanzil). English: Sahih International.

How to say and write Haya

Say it ha-YAA. The capital letters show the stressed part. In English it is also spelled Hayaa and Haaya. In Arabic it is written with 4 letters, from right to left: ح ḥa + ي ya + ا alif + ء hamza.

Choosing Haya

Names taken from words in the Quran are a popular choice. Before choosing one, read the verse it comes from, as above, so you know the context the word is used in. With the father's name it becomes Haya bint (and the father's name): see what bin, bint and abu mean.

Names like Haya

  1. Quran 28:25, translation by Sahih International.
  2. Sahih Muslim 2315.
  3. Sahih Muslim 2132.
  4. Meanings follow classical Arabic usage and the standard name dictionaries; our teachers will check each one.

Our teachers will check the Arabic spelling and meaning on this page before launch.

Questions

Good to know

What does Haya mean in Islam?

Haya (حَيَاء) means modesty, shyness. It is an Arabic name for girls, taken from a word in the Quran.

Is Haya in the Quran?

In 28:25 one of the two women of Madyan comes to Musa "walking with shyness" (istihya).

Is Haya a boy or girl name?

Haya is used as a girl's name.

How do you write Haya in Arabic?

Haya is written حَيَاء in Arabic, said ha-YAA.

Is it Haya or Hayaa?

Both are English spellings of the same Arabic name, حَيَاء. Choose the one that is easiest to say where you live, and keep it the same on all documents.