Must I Change My Name If It Has Non-Islamic Origins?
Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick
Question
My name resembles that of a Greek goddess but is spelled differently and has other cultural meanings. Is it obligatory to change my name if it’s linked to a non-Islamic origin?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate
Allah (Most High) says:
“Call upon them by (the names of) their fathers; it is more just in the sight of Allah…” [Quran, 33:5]
May Allah bless you for your concern with what is pleasing to Him. Names carry meaning and symbolism, but not every name with a non-Islamic origin is impermissible.
The General Ruling
In Islam, it is not obligatory to change your name unless:
- It has a bad or offensive meaning (e.g., names implying servitude to other than Allah);
- It is a name exclusive to another religion’s rituals or beliefs;
- It contradicts Islamic values in meaning or connotation.
Please visit these related answer:
Simply resembling a non-Islamic name in sound or origin does not make a name impermissible—especially if it has another cultural meaning or is spelled and used differently.
Prophetic Practice
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) only changed names that carried problematic meanings, such as names of arrogance or polytheism. He did not require every companion with a pre-Islamic name to change it.
Advice
If your name does not promote un-Islamic beliefs and carries a neutral or positive meaning in your culture, it is not obligatory to change it. However, if you personally feel uneasy or wish to adopt a name that more clearly reflects your Islamic identity, doing so is recommended but not required.
And Allah knows best.
[Shaykh] Irshaad Sedick
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Shaykh Irshaad Sedick was raised in South Africa in a traditional Muslim family. He graduated from Dar al-Ulum al-Arabiyyah al-Islamiyyah in Strand, Western Cape, under the guidance of the late world-renowned scholar Shaykh Taha Karaan (Allah have mercy on him), where he taught.
Shaykh Irshaad received Ijaza from many luminaries of the Islamic world, including Shaykh Taha Karaan, Shaykh Muhammad Awama, Shaykh Muhammad Hasan Hitu, and Mawlana Abdul Hafeez Makki, among others.
He is the author of the text “The Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal: A Hujjah or not?” He has been the Director of the Discover Islam Centre, and for six years, he has been the Khatib of Masjid Ar-Rashideen, Mowbray, Cape Town.
Shaykh Irshaad has fifteen years of teaching experience at some of the leading Islamic institutes in Cape Town). He is currently building an Islamic podcast, education, and media platform called ‘Isnad Academy’ and has completed his Master’s degree in the study of Islam at the University of Johannesburg. He has a keen interest in healthy Prophetic living and fitness.
