Lema as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Lema

What is the meaning of the name Lema ?

The baby name Lema is a Unisex name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced LEH-ma (/ˈle.mə/),LAY-ma (/ˈleɪ.mə/).

Lema is Spanish in Origin.

Rooted in Ottoman Turkish and Arabic, Lema most plausibly derives from Arabic lam'a/lem'a, “a flash, glint, or gleam,” adopted into Ottoman as lem'a (“gleam”) and used poetically (e.g., Said Nursi’s Lem'alar, “The Flashes”). As a given name in Turkey and parts of the Arab world, Lema is typically feminine and carries the sense of sparkle, brilliance, or sudden insight. It is sometimes confused with Lama/Lamiya (Arabic for “dark, beautiful lips”), but the etymologies are distinct.

The name also appears in the Horn of Africa: Oromo Lemma/Lamma (often spelled Lema) is a well-established masculine name meaning “twin” or “paired.” Variants and related forms include Lema, Lem'a, Lemma, Lamma, and, by confusion, Lama/Lamiya. Diminutives such as Lem or Lemi occur. Outside these traditions, Lema is known as a Spanish and Galician surname (“motto”), which has occasionally influenced modern given-name use.