When to name the baby
Both the day of birth and the seventh day are found in the Sunnah. The Prophet ﷺ said of his own son: “A boy was born to me tonight, and I named him after my father Ibrahim” (Sahih Muslim 2315).
He also said that a child is held in pledge for its ‘aqīqah, which is sacrificed on the seventh day, when the child’s head is shaved and the child is named (Sunan Abi Dawud 2838; Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi 1522).
Tahnik
Abu Musa brought his newborn son to the Prophet ﷺ, who named him Ibrahim, softened a date and rubbed it on the baby’s palate, and made dua for blessing (Sahih al-Bukhari 5467). This is called taḥnīk. Families often ask a righteous person to do it.
Names that are encouraged
- ‘Abdullah and ‘Abdur-Rahman, which the Prophet ﷺ called the most beloved names to Allah (Sahih Muslim 2132).
- Other names made of ‘Abd plus a name of Allah, such as ‘Abdul-Karim.
- Names of prophets. The Prophet ﷺ named his son Ibrahim.
- Names of righteous people, such as the Prophet’s family and companions.
- Any name with a good meaning in Arabic or another language.
Names to avoid
- Names with bad meanings. The Prophet ﷺ renamed a woman called ‘Āṣiyah (disobedient) as Jamīlah (beautiful) (Sahih Muslim 2139).
- Names that praise the person’s own piety. Zaynab bint Abi Salamah was first named Barrah (righteous), and the Prophet ﷺ said “Do not claim purity for yourselves” and renamed her Zaynab (Sahih Muslim 2142).
- ‘Abd joined to anything other than Allah, such as “servant of the Prophet”.
- Names that belong only to Allah, such as Al-Khaliq on its own.
Check the meaning
Many names sound beautiful but have meanings parents do not know. Before deciding, look up the Arabic spelling and meaning, and check that the English spelling you choose reads clearly. Names can be spelled in many ways in English, so agree as a family on one spelling for official documents.
After choosing
Use the name kindly and in full. The Prophet ﷺ would sometimes call his companions by affectionate names, but always in a way that honoured them. Teaching children the meaning of their name, and the story behind it, gives them a lifelong reminder.
