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| I made this one. |
Basim- Starting off with a good one, Basim means "smiling." He's not a popular name at all, but with easy spelling and pronounciation, I think he'd do well in the U.S.
Eyad- Eyad is a modern Arabic name (I couldn't find a meaning). I recently discovered him when watching the Israeli film A Borrowed Identity. The movie was amazing, which obviously colored my view of the main character's name. Watch the film and get back to me :)
Hakeem- Hakeem (and his variant, Hakim) has a debatable meaning. Some say it's "judicious," others, "wise." I prefer the latter, but it's really a win-win.
Nadim- Possibly the name with the best meaning of the list, Nadim is roughly defined as "drinking companion." Count him under Names for People 21 and Older.
Osman- Not many Arabic names come with wonderful nicknames, but I couldn't resist calling a little Osman Ozzie. I mean, how cute is that?
Rafi- Does Rafi still reek of children's songs? I met a young Rafi recently, and he seems perfectly wearable to me. He's a cross-cultural name with many different meanings, but the Arabic form means "noble."
Samar- Samar is a unisex name that means "evening conversation." Sorry Nadim, but that one might be my favorite. If that swanky meaning doesn't convince you, I don't know what will. Maybe the fact that you can call him Sam?
Sulaiman- Sulaiman is the Arabic form of Solomon, which, as many people know, means "peace." He's different yet familiar, with some exotic flair. Perfect.
Zaki- We really are winning with all these meanings today! Zaki means "pure." You could use him as a nickname for any of the Zach- names, but I really like him on his own.
Zinedine- Zinedine has roots in Arabic and French, and means "beauty of faith" or "jewel of religion." Again, the meaning is outstanding. He's pronounced ZAYN-ah-din or ZI-nah-din--though the former allows you to use the nickname Zane.
