Arabic is written right to left with 28 letters, almost all of them consonants. Short vowels are usually left out, and the long vowels ا (a), و (oo/o) and ي (ee/i) carry most of a name's vowel sounds. Common English names have spellings Arabic media already uses, and the converter shows those. Other names are sounded out and marked as approximate.
Popular Names in Arabic
| Name | Arabic |
|---|---|
| Emma | إيما |
| Olivia | أوليفيا |
| Sophia | صوفيا |
| Charlotte | شارلوت |
| Sarah | سارة |
| Grace | غريس |
| Victoria | فيكتوريا |
| Michael | مايكل |
| John | جون |
| David | ديفيد |
| Peter | بيتر |
| Jack | جاك |
| Adam | آدم |
| Noah | نوح |
| Smith | سميث |
What Changes When a Name Moves Into Arabic
- Most consonants: م m, ن n, ل l, ر r, س s, ك k, ت t, د d
- Sounds English spells with two letters: ش sh, ث th, خ kh
- Long vowels: ا a, و o/u, ي i/e
- P becomes ب (b): Peter is بيتر
- V becomes ف (f): Victoria is فيكتوريا
- Hard G has no standard letter, so غ or ج is used: Grace is غريس
مايكل — Michael, read right to left
Arabic letters join up, and most change shape depending on whether they sit at the start, middle or end of a word, so مايكل looks different from its letters written apart. Some names are not transliterated at all because Arabic has its own form: Noah is نوح (Nuh) and Adam is آدم, both names found in the Quran.
Common Questions
Why are some vowels missing from my name in Arabic?
Arabic normally writes only long vowels. Short vowels can be added as small marks above and below the letters, but everyday writing leaves them out, so readers fill them in from context.
Why does Sarah end in ة?
Ta marbuta (ة) is the usual ending for feminine names and words in Arabic, so the established spelling of Sarah is سارة. Sounded-out names in this tool end in ا instead, which is how most foreign names ending in -a are written.
Is the Arabic spelling of a name the same everywhere?
No. Spellings of foreign names vary between countries and publications, especially for G, V and short vowels. If you need an exact spelling for a document, check it with a native speaker.