Maha (, ''mahā'') is an
Arabic
Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...
female given name meaning "half moon" or "beautiful eyes". The wild deer — or the
Arabian oryx antelope, which is identified with the word ''mahā'' in some sources — has been traditionally celebrated in
Arabic poetry
Arabic poetry ( ''ash-shi‘r al-‘arabīyy'') is one of the earliest forms of Arabic literature. Pre-Islamic Arabic poetry contains the bulk of the oldest poetic material in Arabic, but Old Arabic inscriptions reveal the art of poetry existe ...
for the beauty of its eyes.
The phrase ''‘uyūnu ’l-mahā'' (
عُيُونُ الْمَهَا) or "eyes of the ''mahā''" used in poetry to praise by the beauty of their beloved.
Other meanings are "the
Sun
The Sun is the star at the centre of the Solar System. It is a massive, nearly perfect sphere of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core, radiating the energy from its surface mainly as visible light a ...
", "the planet(s)", "mirror", "shining bright white pearl", "white stones that shine, twinkle or gleam", "mouth or (front) teeth" and "if something is more white, pure and very watery".
The written form of Maha is in the
plural form as the
singular form is written ''mahāh'' (
مَهَاة).
People with the name include:
Given name
*
Maha Ali (born 1973), Jordanian politician and industrial engineer
*
Maha Bayrakdar (1947–2025), Syrian and Lebanese poet and artist
*
Maha Koraiem (born 1978), Australian author
*
Maha bint Mishari Al Saud, Saudi Arabian royal and physician
*
Maha Shehata (born 1989), Egyptian women's footballer
*
Maha bint Mohammed Al Sudairi, Saudi royal
*
Maha Tahirani, Pakistani supermodel, actress, and lawyer
References
{{given name
Arabic-language feminine given names
Feminine given names