Ibtihaj as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Ibtihaj

What is the meaning of the name Ibtihaj ?

The baby name Ibtihaj is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced /ib.tiˈhaːdʒ/ (ib-ti-HAHJ).

Ibtihaj is Arabic in Origin.

Ibtihaj (Arabic: ابتهاج) comes from the triliteral root b-h-j, associated with brightness and cheer. It is a verbal noun on the ifti‘āl pattern meaning “joy,” “delight,” or “exultation,” akin to the Arabic virtue names that celebrate positive qualities (e.g., Farah). As a given name it is primarily feminine in Arabic-speaking contexts, though it appears as unisex in parts of South Asia.

Use is documented across the Levant, North Africa, and the Gulf, and in diaspora communities. It gained broader international recognition through American Olympian Ibtihaj Muhammad, subtly reinforcing its association with pride and joyful achievement. Spelling varies with transliteration systems: Ibtehaj and Ebtehaj/Ebtihaj are common alternatives; in Persian contexts Ebtehaj also occurs as a family name. Related Arabic words from the same root include bahja/bahjah (“splendor; joy”), underscoring the name’s luminous, celebratory sense.