Aisha

‘Aisha is a name of Arabic origin meaning “alive”. The most famous Arabic name bearer is probably Aisha bint Abu Bakr, one of the wives of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad and the daughter of the First Caliph (Abu Bakr) to succeed Muhammad after his death. Some claim that Aisha was Muhammad’s favorite wife and it was in her arms where the Prophet died (632). Aisha’s role in Islamic history is more important from the Sunni perspective; they consider her “Mother of the Believers”. After Muhammad’s death, Aisha’s position in the 7th century Muslim community became more elevated as she took on leadership roles in religious, social and military affairs. She rebelled against the Fourth Caliph Ali but was ultimately defeated at the Battle of the Camel. Despite Aisha’s prominent position within the Sunni Muslim world, the name spread more widespread into Western Culture for two main reasons. One, King Hussein of Jordan’s second wife was British born Antoinette Avril Gardiner (Princess Muna al-Hussein). The couple named one of their twin daughters Aisha in 1968 (Jordan is predominately Sunni Muslim). And two, in the 1970s African-American citizens began to look toward Arabic and Islamic names for inspiration. Aisha was one such female name that gained a following, no doubt spurred on in 1975 when popular musician Stevie Wonder gave this name to his daughter in 1975. The name Aisha remains a Top 10 favorite girl’s name in the largely Sunni-Muslim nations of the United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan and Malaysia. Aishah, Ayeesha and Ayesha are common alternate spellings.