The Most Beautiful Names

The Quran states that Allah's are the finest or most beautiful names.

S 7:180 And Lah’s are the finest names so invoke him by them. And leave those who dispute concerning his names. They will be recompensed for what they used to do.

S 17:110 Say: Invoke Allah or invoke Al-Rahman. Whichever you invoke, his are the finest names. And do not speak loudly in your salat nor be silent therein and seek a way between that.

S 20:8 Allah--there is no god but him. His are the finest names.

S 59:24 He is Allah, the creator, the bari’, the shaper. His are the finest names. What is in the skies and the Earth praises him. And he is the mighty, the wise.

Regarding Al-Rahman, Asbab al-Nuzul says:

(Say (unto mankind): Cry unto Allah, or cry unto the Beneficent…) [17:110]. Said Ibn ‘Abbas: “One night in Mecca, The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, stood up for the night vigil prayer. He kept saying in his prostration: ‘O Beneficent, O Merciful!’ And so the idolaters said: ‘Muhammad used to call unto one Allah; now he is calling unto two gods: Allah and the Beneficent. We do not know of anyone by the name of the Beneficent except the beneficent of al-Yamamah (meaning Musaylimah the liar)’, and so Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse”. Said Maymun ibn Mihran: “At the beginning of revelation, the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give peace, used to write ‘In Thy name, O Allah’ until this verse was revealed (Lo! It is from Solomon, and lo, it is: In the name of Allah the Beneficent, the Merciful) [27:30], after which he always wrote ‘In the name of Allah the Beneficent, the Merciful’. The Arab idolaters then commented: ‘We know this Merciful but who is the Beneficent?’ As a response, Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse”. Said al-Dahhak: “The people of the Book said to the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace: ‘You mention very little the Beneficent and yet Allah mentions this name in the Torah in abundance’. Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse as a response to them”. (And thou (Muhammad), be not loud-voiced in thy worship nor yet silent therein, but follow a way between) [17:110]. Abu ‘Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn Muhammad ibn Yahya informed us> his father> Muhammad ibn Ishaq al-Thaqafi> ‘Abd Allah ibn Muti‘ and Ahmad ibn Mani‘> Hushaym> Abu Bishr> Sa‘id ibn Jubayr> Ibn ‘Abbas who said regarding the words of Allah, exalted is He (And thou (Muhammad), be not loud-voiced in thy worship nor yet silent therein…): “This verse was revealed while the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, was in hiding in Mecca. Whenever the unbelievers heard the Qur’an being recited, they reviled it and reviled the person who had brought it. Hence, Allah, glorious and majestic is He, said to His Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace (And thou (Muhammad), be not loud-voiced in thy worship) i.e. upon reciting the Qur’an in prayer, lest the idolaters hear it and revile the Qur’an, (nor yet silent therein) such that your Companions do not hear you, (but follow a way between)”. https://www.altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo=0&tTafsirNo=86&tSoraNo=17&tAyahNo=110&tDisplay=yes&UserProfile=0&LanguageId=2

The Jalalayn:

The Prophet s would often say ‘O God O Compassionate One’. So they said ‘He Muhammad (s) forbids us to worship more than one god and yet he calls upon another god together with Him God’. The following was then revealed Say to them ‘Invoke God or invoke the Compassionate One that is to say invoke Him by either of these Names or call upon Him by saying ‘O God! O Compassionate One!’ whichever ayyan is conditional; mā is extra in other words whichever of these two Names you invoke is beautiful — this predicate ‘beautiful’ is indicated by the following statement to Him to the One called by these two Names belong the Most Beautiful Names’ these two Names being from among them; and they the other Names are the following as mentioned in hadīth God there is no god except Him the Compassionate the Merciful the King the Holy the Peace the Securer the Controller the Mighty the Compeller the Sublime the Creator the Maker out of nothing the Fashioner the ever Forgiving the Almighty the Bestower the Provider the Deliverer the Knower the Seizer the Extender the Lowerer the Raiser the Glorifier the Abaser the Hearer the Seer the Arbiter the Just the Subtle the Aware the Forbearing the Tremendous the Forgiver the Thankful the High the Great the Preserver the Conserver the Reckoner the Majestic the Generous the Watcher the Responsive the Embracing the Wise the Loving the Glorious the Resurrector the Witnessing the Truth the Guardian the Strong the Firm the Patron the Praiseworthy the Numberer the Initiator the Restorer the Life-giver the Death-maker the Living the Eternal Sustainer the Originator the Magnificent the One the Single the Everlasting Refuge the Powerful the Omnipotent the Advancer the Deferrer the First the Last the Outward the Inward the Ruler Exalted the Benign the Relenting the Avenger the Pardoning the Gentle Master of the Kingdom One of Majesty and Munificence the Equitable the Gatherer the Independent the Availing the Restrainer the Harming the Benefactor the Light the Guiding the Innovator the Enduring the Inheritor the Reasonable the Patient as reported by al-Tirmidhī. God exalted be He says And do not be loud in your prayer when you recite the Qur’ān therein lest the idolaters hear you and curse you as well as the Qur’ān and the One Who has revealed it; nor be silent do not murmur therein so that your companions might be able to hear it and benefit therefrom; but seek between that loudness and silence a middle way. https://www.altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo=0&tTafsirNo=74&tSoraNo=17&tAyahNo=110&tDisplay=yes&UserProfile=0&LanguageId=2

If Allah has the finest or most beautiful names, what about names such as Ella, Antonia or Olivia?

Some of its 'names' are pretty ugly, such as The Arrogant and The Tyrant. See my posts: Al-Mutakabbir

The 99 'Names'