An Arabic name meaning rise or ascent, long used in Islamic history and tradition.
Ruqayyah is one of the most historically resonant names in the Islamic world, borne by Ruqayyah bint Muhammad, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad and his first wife Khadijah. She was among the earliest converts to Islam and made the historic hijra — the migration — twice: first to Abyssinia seeking refuge from Quraysh persecution, and later to Medina. She was married to Uthman ibn Affan, who would later become the third Caliph of Islam, and her life and courage are interwoven with the founding narrative of the faith itself.
To name a daughter Ruqayyah is to connect her to that lineage of steadfastness. Linguistically, Ruqayyah derives from the Arabic root r-q-y, meaning to ascend, to rise, to climb upward. Some scholars also connect it to the idea of a protective incantation or charm — ruqya refers in Islamic tradition to the recitation of Quranic verses for healing and protection.
The name therefore carries a dual luminosity: the literal sense of elevation and the connotation of spiritual shelter. In modern usage, Ruqayyah remains popular throughout the Arab world, Pakistan, and among Muslim communities globally. Its multiple spellings in romanization — Ruqayyah, Ruqayya, Ruqaiya — reflect the challenges of transliterating Arabic's doubled ya sound.
Western-born Muslim families often navigate between full traditional spellings, which honor the name's integrity, and shortened forms used in daily life. The name has also gained new secular attention as global interest in Islamic history has grown, appearing in historical novels and documentaries exploring early Islam.