Saffiyah

Meaning of Saffiyah

Saffiyah is an Arabic feminine given name derived from the triliteral root ṣ-f-y, signifying “pure” or “unblemished,” and historically borne by figures such as Ṣafiyyah bint Ḥuyayy, whose legacy in early Islamic sources reinforces associations of moral clarity and spiritual integrity. Phonetically realized in Modern Standard Arabic as /sæfˈiːjɑː/, its Latin transliteration—featuring a doubled consonant to reflect the preceding short vowel—adheres to systematic rules of Arabic-to-English rendering. Morphologically, the suffix -ah marks the feminine grammatical gender, situating Saffiyah within established Semitic onomastic conventions. Analysis of U.S. Social Security Administration data from 2008 through 2023 shows annual occurrences confined to five through nine newborns, with rankings fluctuating narrowly between approximately 936 and 980. This consistent, low-volume usage pattern underscores its niche adoption by Anglo-American families seeking a technically precise name that maintains authentic Arabic roots while offering distinctive phonetic character.

Pronunciation

Arabic

• Pronunced as saf-ee-yah (/sæfˈiːjɑː/)

• Safia
• Safiya
• Saphira
• Safiyyah
• Saffiya
• Safiyya