يَٰزَكَرِيَّآ إِنَّا نُبَشِّرُكَ بِغُلَٰمٍ ٱسْمُهُۥ يَحْيَىٰ لَمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُۥ مِن قَبْلُ سَمِيًّا ٧
[He was told], "O Zechariah, indeed We give you good tidings of a boy whose name will be John. We have not assigned to any before [this] name."
يَحْيَى
Boy Hebrew origin Yaḥyā
ProphetIn the Quran“He will live”; name of the prophet Yahya (John the Baptist)
The word as it is recited in the Quran: Mahmoud Khalil Al-Hussary, Maryam 19:7.
Allah Himself gave this name: “O Zakariyya, We give you good news of a boy whose name is Yahya; We have not given this name to anyone before” (19:7). A prophet and the son of Zakariyya, he is mentioned five times in the Quran; the Prophet ﷺ met him with ʿĪsā in the second heaven during the Ascension (al-Bukhari 3207).
Yahya is the name the Quran gives to John the Baptist, son of Zakariyya. In Arabic it is the verb form “he lives, he will live”, from the root ḥ-y-y (life); it corresponds to the Hebrew Yohanan, “God has shown grace”. Commentators such as Qatada explained that he was so named because Allah gave him life through faith.
Yes: Yahya is named in the Quran 5 times, in 4 surahs.
يَٰزَكَرِيَّآ إِنَّا نُبَشِّرُكَ بِغُلَٰمٍ ٱسْمُهُۥ يَحْيَىٰ لَمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُۥ مِن قَبْلُ سَمِيًّا ٧
[He was told], "O Zechariah, indeed We give you good tidings of a boy whose name will be John. We have not assigned to any before [this] name."
يَٰيَحْيَىٰ خُذِ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ بِقُوَّةٍ وَءَاتَيْنَٰهُ ٱلْحُكْمَ صَبِيًّا ١٢
[Allāh said], "O John, take the Scripture [i.e., adhere to it] with determination." And We gave him judgement [while yet] a boy
فَنَادَتْهُ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ وَهُوَ قَآئِمٌ يُصَلِّى فِى ٱلْمِحْرَابِ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُبَشِّرُكَ بِيَحْيَىٰ مُصَدِّقًۢا بِكَلِمَةٍ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَسَيِّدًا وَحَصُورًا وَنَبِيًّا مِّنَ ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ ٣٩
So the angels called him while he was standing in prayer in the chamber, "Indeed, Allāh gives you good tidings of John, confirming a word from Allāh and [who will be] honorable, abstaining [from women], and a prophet from among the righteous."
فَٱسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُۥ وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُۥ يَحْيَىٰ وَأَصْلَحْنَا لَهُۥ زَوْجَهُۥٓ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ يُسَٰرِعُونَ فِى ٱلْخَيْرَٰتِ وَيَدْعُونَنَا رَغَبًا وَرَهَبًا وَكَانُوا۟ لَنَا خَٰشِعِينَ ٩٠
So We responded to him, and We gave to him John, and amended for him his wife. Indeed, they used to hasten to good deeds and supplicate Us in hope and fear, and they were to Us humbly submissive.
All the words of the root ح ي ي in the Quran (189 occurrences)
No text or scholarly opinion concerns the name Yahya 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.