Short answer
The Prophet ﷺ said the names most loved by Allah are Abdullah and Abdur Rahman, and names of prophets and names with good meanings are also recommended. In the Hanafi school names that belong to Allah alone, or that make a person the servant of anyone but Allah, are not allowed. A name does not have to be Arabic.
Choosing a good name is mustahabb, best of all Abd joined to one of Allah's names. Naming a person with a name exclusive to Allah, or with Abd joined to anything other than Allah, is haram. Names with a bad meaning, or that praise the self, are makruh.
The four schools agree on this.
Explanation
A name is the first gift parents give, and the person is called by it in this life and on the Day of Judgement. The four schools agree on the main lines below.
Recommended names:
- Abd joined to a name of Allah: Abdullah, Abdur Rahman, Abdul Karim. See the 99 names of Allah.
- Names of prophets: Muhammad, Ibrahim, Musa, Yusuf, Adam. The Companions named their children after prophets and righteous people.
- Names of the Companions and righteous women: Khadijah, Aishah, Fatimah, Maryam.
- Any name with a good meaning.
Names to avoid:
- Haram: names that belong to Allah alone, such as al-Khaliq or ar-Razzaq on their own, titles like "King of Kings", and Abd joined to anyone other than Allah: Abdun Nabi, Abdur Rasul, Abdul Husain, Abdul Masih.
- Makruh: names with ugly or sad meanings, names that praise the self, and names of tyrants or of false gods.
- Names tied to another religion's worship, such as names meaning "follower of Christ".
A Muslim name does not have to be Arabic. A Persian, Turkish, Urdu, Malay or English name with a good meaning is permissible as long as it is not one of the forbidden kinds. The Prophet ﷺ also discouraged a few names such as Yasar and Aflah, and the Hanafi scholars treat that as makruh tanzihi (mildly disliked), not forbidden. If a name you already have falls into the haram group, see changing a name. To check a meaning, use the Islamic names list.
The evidence
Quran, Surah Al-A'raaf 7:180
وَلِلَّهِ ٱلْأَسْمَآءُ ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ فَٱدْعُوهُ بِهَا ۖ وَذَرُوا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ يُلْحِدُونَ فِىٓ أَسْمَٰٓئِهِۦ ۚ سَيُجْزَوْنَ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ ﴿١٨٠﴾
And to Allah belong the best names, so invoke Him by them. And leave [the company of] those who practice deviation concerning His names. They will be recompensed for what they have been doing.
The best names belong to Allah, which is why Abd joined to His names is the finest name for a person.
Sahih Muslim 2132
Sahih... إن أحب أسمائكم إلى الله عبد الله وعبد الرحمن ...
"The most beloved of your names to Allah are Abdullah and Abdur Rahman."
Names the best names.
Sahih al-Bukhari 6206
Sahih... أخنع اسم عند الله ...
"The most humiliating name with Allah is a man who calls himself King of Kings."
A name claiming a quality that belongs only to Allah is forbidden.
Sahih Muslim 2135
Sahih... إنهم كانوا يسمون بأنبيائهم والصالحين قبلهم ...
"They used to name their children after their prophets and the righteous people before them."
Supports naming children after prophets and righteous people.
Sahih Muslim 2137
Sahih... لا تسمين غلامك يسارا ولا رباحا ولا نجيحا ولا أفلح ...
"Do not name your boy Yasar, Rabah, Najih or Aflah."
Shows that some names are discouraged for their meaning.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya, Kitab al-Karahiyya, chapter on naming children and their kunyas. Lists recommended and disliked names in the Hanafi school.
- Radd al-Muhtar (Ibn Abidin), Kitab al-Hazr wal-Ibaha, discussion of names. Explains why Abd joined to other than Allah is not allowed.
This answer is pending review by the scholars on our team. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.