Afiya

Afiya is a feminine given name used in multiple linguistic and cultural communities. The name commonly derives from the Arabic word afiya or “afiya,” meaning health, safety, or well-being, and is sometimes interpreted as a wish for good health for the bearer. In Swahili, the noun afiya also means health, contributing to the name’s use in East Africa and among the African diaspora.

Variants and spellings include Afia, Afiyya, and other transliterations that reflect regional pronunciation and orthography. The form Afiya is widely encountered in Arabic-speaking, Swahili-speaking, and South Asian Muslim communities, where names with positive meanings are common.

In usage, Afiya is typically given to girls and may be chosen for its hopeful meaning or as part of a longer name. The name does not indicate a specific ethnicity or religion, but it is most often associated with communities that value health and welfare as central virtues.

In literature and media, individuals named Afiya may appear as fictional characters or possessors of the name in real life, reflecting its broad cultural adoption rather than a single origin story.

See also Afia, Afiyya.