These names were commonly given to
slave women upon their conversion. While the occasional freeborn woman bore one
of these names, to most people the name would strongly suggest that she was or
had been a slave.
Âfitâb: Persian, “sun.”
Aynülhayât: The fountain of life.
Bahtiyar
Belagat
Benefşe
Canfedâ
Cansever: Persian Jānsūwār
Cansuz
Çeşmisiyâh: Black eyes, a highly desirable characteristic.
Cevri
Cevrücefa: Arabic, “suffering.” [link]
Cihan
Cihan Banu
Dilaver
Dilşad
Dudu
Felek-naz
Ferahşad: Persian, “bringing joy” (Sobers-Khan, p. 232)
Gülaçmaz
Gülendam
Gülistan
Gülizar
Gülruh: Persian, “rose-cheeked” or “rose-faced” (Sobers-Khan, p. 232)
Gülşan
Gülşen
Gülsimâ
Handan
Hemnişin
Hondi
Hümayun
Hurşid
Kadem
Kâmile
Lâlezâr
Mahbülend
Mahıdevran
Mahsima
Mahzaman
Makriye
Mehlika
Mehri
Melahat
Meleksima: Persian, “like an angel” (Sobers-Khan, p. 232)
Mercan
Meserret
Mihman
Mihrinaz
Miyase
Muhti
Mülayim
Müşerrefe
Nâzenin
Niyazi
Nur-saba
Nurban
Peri-ru
Peymane
Reftar
Riyazi
Ruhisani
Ruhzeyba
Şâkire
Şehirben
Şehla
Selver
Şemail
Semenzar
Seminnaz
Semra
Server
Şirin
Sureyya
Tuti
Yasemin: Jasmine
Yemeni
Zamâne
Zeliha
Züleyha
Likely Slave Names
In the sources, these names were
borne by only one or two women, all of whom were converts. Many of the names
are the sort of confections favored for slaves, making it likely that many, if
not all, of the women who bore these names were or had been slaves.
Âbıkevser: The waters of the Kevser, a life-giving river that flows through Paradise.
Âsude
Bula
Canhabib: Heart’s beloved.
Ceyhun
Devlet
Dilferid
Dünyabola: Possibly dünya “world” + bula “lady”
Genc-âsâ
Gülbahar: Spring rose.
Gulbeşe
Gülfidan
Gülüm
Gülyâr
Hacer
Hûrî
Husni
Kabile
Kameruş
Mehtab
Mihrimah
Mülayime
Mûnise
Müzeyyen
Nazyürür
Nergis
Perizad
Pervâne
Rânâ
Rıdvan
Ruşen: Shining (Sobers-Khan, p. 232)
Sabiha
Şems Peri
Şemsimah
Servinaz: A type of cypress tree. The cypress was a symbol of beauty.
Temenna
Tercuman
Ziyâde
Zühre