Rahim
/raˈħiːm/noun
An Arabic masculine given name and a transliteration of an epithet meaning compassionate or merciful.
Did you know?In Qur’anic Arabic, al-Raḥīm—“the Merciful”—is one of the divine names, while the closely related word raḥim means “womb,” connecting mercy with nurturing protection.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*r-ḥ-m
“Reconstructed root associated with the womb and compassionate tenderness.”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
raḥim
“Womb or uterus; the related semantic field developed around kinship, tenderness, and compassion.”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
raḥīm
“Merciful, compassionate, or constantly showing mercy.”
7th Century
Qur’anic Arabic
al-Raḥīm
““The Merciful,” a divine epithet repeatedly used in the Qur’an.”
Modern English
English
Rahim
“An English transliteration used chiefly as a personal name, derived from Arabic Raḥīm.”