Is It Permissible to Change My Name to Abu-So-and-So If I’m Not a Parent?

Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad

Question

Is it halal to be named ‘Abu-something’ if you are not a parent? For example, can you be named Abu Musa even though you aren’t a parent? Also, is it halal to change your name?

Answer

Yes, it is permissible to change your name, and also permissible to be named Abu Musa, or Abu-something else, even if you are not a parent. Our mother ‘Aisha (Allah be pleased with her), had no children, and she was nicknamed Umm ‘Abdullah, after her nephew’s name.

Please see more details here:

Should I Change My Name If It Is Not Arabic?
Is it Necessary to Change One’s Name after Becoming Muslim?

May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.

[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria for two years where she studied aqida, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Masters in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.