Bilal, name meaning in Islam.

Bilal (بِلَال) is an Arabic name for boys. It means moisture, freshness.

Meaning and root

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

Is Bilal in the Quran?

No. Bilal is not a word in the Quran. A name does not need to be in the Quran to be a good Muslim name: what matters is that its meaning is good. The Prophet ﷺ changed names with bad meanings and kept names with good ones.¹

How to say and write Bilal

Say it bi-LAAL. The capital letters show the stressed part. In English it is also spelled Bilaal. In Arabic it is written with 4 letters, from right to left: ب ba + ل lam + ا alif + ل lam.

Choosing Bilal

Many parents choose Bilal to name their child after someone from the early generations of Islam, hoping the child will grow up with the same qualities. With the father's name it becomes Bilal bin (and the father's name): see what bin, bint and abu mean.

Famous people named Bilal

• Bilal ibn Rabah, the first muadhin, who held to "Ahad, Ahad" under torture

Names like Bilal

• Ammar
• Salman
• Suhaib

1. Sahih Muslim 2139, the Prophet ﷺ changing a name with a bad meaning.
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.