balkis
|bal-kis|
/bælˈkɪs/ or /bælˈkiːs/ or /bɪlˈkiːs/
Queen of Sheba; female proper name
Etymology
'Balkis' originates from Arabic, specifically the name 'Bilqīs' (بلقيس), used in Islamic literature and later popular transliterations into European languages.
'Balkis' as an English/Latin-script form was influenced by Arabic 'Bilqīs'; the figure appears earlier in the Hebrew Bible as the unnamed 'queen of Sheba' and later traditions (Jewish, Christian, Islamic, and Ethiopian) assigned and adapted the name in various forms.
Initially it referred specifically to the legendary/semilegendary Queen of Sheba; over time the form 'Balkis' has also become a female given name and a literary/cultural reference.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a traditional name (variant spellings: Balqis, Bilqis, Bilquis) given in Islamic and later traditions to the Queen of Sheba, a legendary/semilegendary monarch who visited King Solomon.
In many Arabic poems, Balkis is portrayed as a wise and powerful queen who met Solomon.
Synonyms
Noun 2
a female given name used in some Muslim and Arabic-speaking communities, derived from the traditional name of the Queen of Sheba.
Her daughter is named Balkis after the legendary queen.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/05 19:52