Fareeda (فريدة)

Meaning & Significance

Meaning: Unique, rare pearl, one of a kind

Gender: girl

Origin: Arabic

Pronunciation: fa-REE-da

Historical Significance

Fareeda is a variant spelling of Farida — from root ف ر د, uniqueness. A farida is a priceless gem with no equal. Borne by a Queen of Egypt, an Abbasid court figure, and a modern Pakistani rights activist. Queen Farida of Egypt (Fareeda variant): Born Safinaz Zulficar in Alexandria, she became Queen of Egypt as the first wife of King Farouk I, reigning 1938–1948. She was renamed Farida (Fareeda) upon entering the royal family. An accomplished painter and patron of the Egyptian Red Crescent Society. She bore three daughters — Princess Ferial, Fawzia and Fadia. Her grace and dignity during and after her difficult marriage made her one of the most admired women of 20th-century Egypt and the Arab world. Fareeda — Abbasid musician (Farida al-Saghir): A gifted court musician of Turkic origin in the Abbasid caliphate, known as Farida or Fareeda al-Saghir (the younger). She performed in the courts of Caliphs al-Wathiq and al-Mutawakkil in Samarra. Al-Mutawakkil married her, making her one of his favoured companions. Her story is preserved in Abu al-Faraj al-Isfahani's Kitab al-Aghani — one of the most comprehensive records of Abbasid cultural history, documenting her as a uniquely talented and irreplaceable (farida) artist. Fareeda Kokikhel Afridi (shahida): A Pakistani women's rights activist and lawyer from the Khyber tribal region who was martyred in 2012 while defending the rights of women in one of Pakistan's most challenging environments. She trained and mobilised hundreds of women for legal education and civic participation. Her sacrifice embodies the meaning of her name — she was truly unique and priceless, irreplaceable in her service to justice and Muslim women's empowerment.