Every Indian baby names website I visited gives "Ameer" as being a boy's name of Arabic derivation, meaning "prince" or "rich".
In the database of names for this site, the alternate transliteration of "
Amir" is listed. (Click on the blue link).
"
Amira" is also listed as the feminine version of the name.
Seeing as how Mr. Rushdie's book is set in an alternate universe, with popular musicians' names being all mixed up, I wouldn't be surprised that he's given a masculine name to a female character.
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Nanaea