Girl · Arabic · Muslim
Hanifa
حنیفہSay it ha-NEE-fa
- Meaning today
- True believer, upright, devout
- Original meaning
- "inclining to the true religion; upright in faith (feminine of ḥanīf)" Lane, p. 658
- Say it
- ha-NEE-fa
- Written
- حنیفہ
- Other spellings
- Haneefa, Hanifah, Haneefah
Hanifa
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Hanifa meaning
Hanifa (حنیفہ) is a Muslim girl's name of Arabic origin.
Inclining to the true religion; upright in faith (feminine of ḥanīf)
Also used to mean: true believer, devout
Hanifa (حنیفہ) is the feminine of Arabic ḥanīf, from the root ḥ-n-f, "to incline". Lane's lexicon defines ḥanīf as inclining to a right state, especially turning from a false religion to the true one and holding firm to it, and as one who follows the religion of Abraham. The Quran describes Ibrahim as ḥanīf, "upright", neither Jew nor Christian (3:67). Name lists give "true believer" or "upright". The Hanafi school of law is named after Abu Hanifa, whose name comes from the same root.
Source: Lane, An Arabic–English Lexicon (1863–93), Book I, Part 2, p. 658 · entry ḥanīf (حَنِيفٌ), root ḥ-n-f · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: Lane, Arabic–English Lexicon, ḥanīf (root ḥ-n-f), Book I p. 658 · Quran 3:67
Spellings
Hanifa · Haneefa · Hanifah · Haneefah