Girl · Arabic · Muslim
Iffat
عفتSay it IF-fat
- Meaning
- Abstinence from what is unlawful; continence, chastity, modesty Lane, p. 2088
- Say it
- IF-fat
- Written
- عفت
- Other spellings
- Iffath, Effat
Iffat
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Iffat meaning
Iffat (عفت) is a Muslim girl's name of Arabic origin.
Abstinence from what is unlawful; continence, chastity, modesty
Iffat (عفت) is the Urdu form of the Arabic ʿiffa, from the root ʿ-f-f. Lane explains the root as abstaining from what is unlawful or unbecoming, and gives ʿiffa as abstinence, continence or chastity; related epithets describe a person who is chaste and modest. His entry also quotes a saying that urges abstaining from begging, which shows that the word covers self-restraint and dignity in general, not only chastity. In Persian and Urdu the Arabic feminine ending is written and spoken as -at, giving ʿiffat. Name lists give Iffat as "chastity", "modesty" or "purity", which matches the dictionary. The boys' name Affan comes from the same root.
Source: Lane, An Arabic–English Lexicon, Book I, Part 5 (1874), p. 2088 · entry ʿiffa (عِفَّةٌ), root ʿ-f-f · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: Lane, ʿ-f-f, p. 2088 (Part 5 scan, leaf 372)
Spellings
Iffat · Iffath · Effat