Is it necessary to change the name of the newborn girl (Elena)—which means beautiful or luminous girl—due to its foreign origin, given that naming her with it was not for the sake of seeking blessings from anyone?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
If the meaning of the mentioned name is "beautiful" or "radiant," then there is no objection to naming with it, based on the narrated by Muslim: "He changed the name of 'Asiyah and said, 'You are Jamilah (beautiful).'" A non-Arabic name is permissible as long as it is not repulsive, does not contradict creed and morals, and is not a شعار (symbol or emblem) for non-Muslims. However, it is advisable to change the name to its Arabic equivalent (Jamilah) to avoid imitating people of evil and the potential negative impact of that on the girl.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/115460
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 115460
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy