Girl · Arabic · Muslim
Safiya
صفیہSay it sa-FEE-ya
- Meaning today
- Pure, chosen, best friend
- Original meaning
- "pure; a sincere, true friend; a choice portion picked out for oneself" Lane, p. 1704
- Say it
- sa-FEE-ya
- Written
- صفیہ
- Other spellings
- Safia, Safiyya, Safiyyah, Saffiya
Safiya
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Safiya meaning
Safiya (صفیہ) is a Muslim girl's name of Arabic origin.
Pure; a sincere, true friend; a choice portion picked out for oneself
Also used to mean: chosen, best friend
Safiya (صفیہ) is the feminine of Arabic ṣafiyy, from the root ṣ-f-w, "to be clear or pure". Lane's lexicon gives ṣafiyy as another word for ṣāfin, clear or pure, and also for a true friend whose love is sincere; a woman can be called the ṣafiyya of a friend. The word is also used for the choice share that a leader picks out for himself, which fits the popular gloss "chosen". The best-known bearer is Safiyya bint Huyayy, one of the wives of the Prophet Muhammad.
Source: Lane, An Arabic–English Lexicon (1863–93), Book I, Part 4, p. 1704 · entry ṣafiyy, fem. ṣafiyya (صَفِيٌّ، صَفِيَّةٌ), root ṣ-f-w · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: Lane, Arabic–English Lexicon, ṣafiyy, Book I p. 1704 · Lane, Arabic–English Lexicon, ṣāfin, Book I p. 1704 · Wikipedia, Safiyya bint Huyayy
Famous namesakes
- Safiyya bint Huyayy, wife of the Prophet Muhammad
Popularity abroad
- #455 England and Wales, girls 2025
Office for National Statistics
Official birth registrations. India publishes no national name statistics.
Spellings
Safiya · Safia · Safiyya · Safiyyah · Saffiya