Rihanna (; ar, ريحـانة, Rīḥāna, Rayḥāna) is a feminine given name of

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...

and

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walte ...

origin.

Arabic name

Rayhana or Reyhana (

:رَيْحَانَة ''rayḥānah''), also spelt Rayhaana, Reyhaana, Rihana, Rihaana, is an Arabic female given name meaning the herb plant

basil Basil (, ; ''Ocimum basilicum'' , also called great basil, is a culinary herb of the family Lamiaceae (mints). It is a tender plant, and is used in cuisines worldwide. In Western cuisine, the generic term "basil" refers to the variety also ...

. However, the name may possibly derived from the noun ''rā’iḥāh'' (رائِحَة) meaning "scent, aroma, smell, odor" or "fragrance or perfume" or "zest of a fruit peel".

Rayhana bint Zayd Rayḥānah bint Zayd ( ar, ريحانة بنت زيد) was a Jewish woman from the Banu Nadir tribe, who became a concubine of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, after the Incident of Banu Qurayza in 627 CE (5 AH).Rodinson, ''Muhammad: Prophet of ...

, one of the wives of

Muhammad Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the monot ...

, was

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

. The name Rayhana is formed from male variant of the name is

Rayhan Reyhan or Rayḥānī ( ar, ریحان) is one of the six canonical scripts of Perso-Arabic calligraphy. The word Reyhan means basil in Arabic and Persian. Reyhan is considered a finer variant of Muhaqqaq script, likened to flowers and leaves ...

. It is said the woman is "Reyhana", that is not a ''

qahramana The harem of the caliphs of the Abbasid Caliphate (750–1258) in Baghdad was composed of his mother, wives, slave concubines, female relatives and slave servants (women and eunuchs), occupying a secluded portion of the Abbasid household ...

'', which is female slaves responsible in the harem during the

Abbasid Period The Abbasid Caliphate ( or ; ar, الْخِلَافَةُ الْعَبَّاسِيَّة, ') was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib ...

, but the qahramana is who is a woman employed to teach children in a private house - i.e. woman housekeeper, governess, or the manageress of the household and in charge of its affairs.

Welsh name

The Welsh name is derived from the common female name

Rhiannon Rhiannon is a major figure in the Mabinogi, the medieval Welsh story collection. She appears mainly in the First Branch of the Mabinogi, and again in the Third Branch. She is a strong-minded Otherworld woman, who chooses Pwyll, prince of ...

, meaning great queen and most associated with

, a goddess of fertility, prominent in Welsh texts such as the

Mabinogi The ''Mabinogion'' () are the earliest Welsh prose stories, and belong to the Matter of Britain. The stories were compiled in Middle Welsh in the 12th–13th centuries from earlier oral traditions. There are two main source manuscripts, create ...

. The Welsh names have gained popularity outside of Wales through their use in music and entertainment, especially the song "

" by Fleetwood Mac and the Barbadian singer

Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to t ...

References

{{given name Feminine given names Arabic-language feminine given names

Arabic name

Welsh name

See also

References