Aisha

Living; she who lives.

Aisha is an Arabic feminine name meaning “living” or “she who lives”. Its meaning gives it an appealing sense of vitality, while the sh sound and open ending lend it warmth. That combination may appeal if you like a name with a positive meaning and a gentle finish. Aisha bint Abi Bakr, a wife of the Prophet Muhammad in the seventh century, is an important historical bearer. She also transmitted traditions about him, known as hadith. The name therefore has a connection to early Islamic learning as well as to the Prophet’s family. In Arabic, عَائِشَة has three sound units, approximately aa-i-sha, with a brief catch before the i. Its opening consonant, ʿayn, has no exact English equivalent. English readings include eye-EE-shuh, EYE-shuh and AY-shuh; Ayesha and Aysha are also established spellings. If the Arabic sound matters to you, the spelling Aisha alone will not convey every detail of it.

Etymology: From Arabic عائشة (ʿĀʾisha), the feminine active participle of عَاشَ (ʿāsha), “to live”.