Skip to content
Assabile
English

مُعَاوِيَة

Muawiya: meaning of the name

Boy Arabic origin Muʿāwiya

Companion

An ancient Arabic name from ʿawa, “to howl in answer”; a fox cub, according to the Qamus

Compare

Muawiya in Islam

Muʿawiya ibn Abi Sufyan, brother of the Mother of the Believers Umm Habiba, embraced Islam at the conquest of Mecca; the Prophet ﷺ took him as a scribe (Muslim 2501), and he is counted among the scribes of the revelation. Ibn ʿAbbas said of him: “He is a jurist” (al-Bukhari 3765). Governor of Syria under ʿUmar and ʿUthman, he became caliph in 41 AH, when al-Hasan ibn ʿAli ceded power to him to unite the Muslims (al-Bukhari 2704).

Meaning of the name Muawiya

Muʿawiya comes from the root ʿ-w-y of the cry of the wolf and the dog (ʿuwaʾ); the verb ʿawa means “to howl in answer to one another”. The lexicographers give al-muʿawiya as the bitch that calls the dogs with her howling, and the Qamus adds the meaning “fox cub”; they state that the proper name is taken from it. The ancient Arabs readily gave their sons the names of desert animals. The name owes its renown to the Companion Muʿawiya ibn Abi Sufyan.

In Arabic
مُعَاوِيَة معاوية
Transliteration
Muʿāwiya
Root
ع و ي
Gender
Boy
Origin
Arabic

Is Muawiya in the Quran?

No: neither the name Muawiya nor its root appears in the Quran. A name can be beautiful and permissible without coming from the Quran.

In the hadiths

Authentic Sahih Muslim 2501

Allah's Apostle, confer upon me three things. He replied in the affirmative. He (further) said: I have with me the most handsome and the best (woman) Umm Habiba, daughter of Abu Sufyan; marry her, whereupon he said: Yes. And he again said: Accept Mu'awiya to serve as your scribe. He said: Yes. He…

كَانَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ لاَ يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَى أَبِي سُفْيَانَ وَلاَ يُقَاعِدُونَهُ فَقَالَ لِلنَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ ثَلاَثٌ أَعْطِنِيهِنَّ قَالَ ‏"‏ نَعَمْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ عِنْدِي أَحْسَنُ الْعَرَبِ…

Narrated by Ibn ‘Abbās

Authentic Sahih al-Bukhari 2704

By Allah, Al-Hasan bin `Ali led large battalions like mountains against Muawiya. `Amr bin Al-As said (to Muawiya), "I surely see battalions which will not turn back before killing their opponents." Muawiya who was really the best of the two men said to him, "O `Amr! If these killed those and those…

اسْتَقْبَلَ وَاللَّهِ الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ مُعَاوِيَةَ بِكَتَائِبَ أَمْثَالِ الْجِبَالِ فَقَالَ عَمْرُو بْنُ الْعَاصِ إِنِّي لأَرَى كَتَائِبَ لاَ تُوَلِّي حَتَّى تَقْتُلَ أَقْرَانَهَا‏.‏ فَقَالَ لَهُ مُعَاوِيَةُ ـ…

Narrated by Abu Bakrah + 10 other versions

Is this name permissible?

No text or scholarly opinion concerns the name Muawiya in particular: the general rules of Islam apply.

Read the rules for choosing a name

This page is an aid to reflection, not a fatwa. For a personal case, ask a person of knowledge.

Writing Muawiya in each language

French
Mouawiya, Moaouia, Mouaouia, Muawiya
English
Muawiya, Muawiyah, Muaviya
Spanish
Muawiya, Moawiya
Turkish
Muaviye, Muâviye
Arabic
مُعَاوِيَة

Similar names

See also

English
Tuesday, October 13, 2026 2 جمادى الأولى 1448 هـ

About Privacy