How to say it
FA · ti · ma
/ˈfɑː.tɪ.mə/
Feminine
Fatima
One who abstains
What it means
Arabic, 'one who weans' or 'abstains,' traditionally read as a mark of self-restraint.
Fatima is Arabic for 'one who weans' or 'abstains.' It is among the most honored names in Islam, borne by Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad and a revered figure across the Muslim world. It carries a second, Catholic resonance through the Portuguese town of Fátima, a major Marian pilgrimage site. That dual heritage gives it unusual cross-cultural reach. Fati and Tima are gentle shorts.
Popularity over time
peaked at #227 in 2001, currently #330 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Worth knowing
Deeply honored across Muslim communities as the Prophet Muhammad's daughter; the shrine at Fátima adds a Catholic layer.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Fatima daughter of the Prophet Muhammad, one of Islam's most revered women
Spelling variants
- Fatimah
- Fatma
- Fattima