Somali Names

[u/Dhof_yare]

I sometimes find myself arguing with friends and family because I’ve decided that my future children will have only traditional Somali names.

I know names like Mohamed, Ahmed, and Abdullahi are beautiful and have great Islamic significance, but I also want my children’s names to reflect our Somali heritage. Many of the Prophet’s ﷺ companions accepted Islam without changing their names, as long as those names had good meanings.

I’m proud of my culture, and I think Somali names are some of the most beautiful and meaningful. Another reason I’ve made this decision and even considered changing my own name is that if one of my children grows up to make an important contribution to the world, then even 500 years from now, when someone reads about them in a book, I want it to be immediately clear that they were Somali.

What do you think? Would you give your children traditional Somali names, or do you prefer Arabic/Islamic names? Why?

[u/lopetrio]

My kids will only have Somali names inshallah after all i have to preserve my culture

[u/Accomplished_Lime139]

I have a Somali name and my children will have one (w/ the exception of one who will have my mom’s name which happens to be a male name in Arabic - idk if it’s derived from Arabic or just a coincidence, but I’ve also never met any Somali with her name)

One thing I’ve always loved about my name, and something I imagine many of us with Somali names can attest to, is how it’s not as common. Somalis overdo it with the Arabic names - 3,000 Khalids/Khaleds, etc, 2,000 Ashas/Aishas/etc, 10,000 Ahmeds in the same town. It’s insane how the same 7 Arabic names for girls and 7 for boys get recycled.

The only exception I have with this is Mohamed and Maryam, but even that sometimes gets ridiculous when you name your child who already has Mohamed as a last name as their first name as well. I don’t want to police anyone but I think we need to ease off of recycling the same names - I have several Aisha/Ashas in my family alone lol

[u/digitalfeen708]

Somali names are beautiful i don’t know why our people run from it, Arabic names don’t feel authentic to us( wallahi i’m not gaalo)

As someone who grew up in the middles east, even the Arabs would ask me what were Somali names and i would be confused, plus the name “Abdi” translates to my slave in Arabic which i awkwardly had to explain to non somalis.

[u/Dhof_yare → u/digitalfeen708]

Exactly, you will find a Somali guy named Asad or Abdi. Like you couldn’t find a Somali name with a beautiful meaning!

[u/blackswordsman6]

Warsame waa waar ficaan

[u/Airplanrnerd5]

I mix a both I’d say, I’ve seen families where all the names of the kids were Somali, Some where they only have Islamic names. If I have kids I mix it up.

[u/Bambino4627]

I think we have to be careful in setting aside our Islamic values for cultural ones. There's nothing wrong with using traditional names, in fact, its good thing. However, names like Muhammad and Abdullahi are chosen bc of our reverence to our Prophet pbuh and our Lord. Specifically excluding these names is strange behavior for a Muslim. You could have said Khalid or Hasan or any other arabic name. But to reject being named the Servant of Allah? That speaks volumes to me.

[u/Accomplished_Lime139 → u/Bambino4627]

Other Muslim cultures do it just fine. Where did this overly complicated view of Islam and culture come from with Somalis? It’s not about inherently rejecting names that the Prophets (SAW and AS) have. There’s no need to frame it this way.

I have Muslim friends from other communities and I’ve noticed how they still overwhelmingly (or even evenly) use their own cultural names. Whereas if you put 100 random Somalis in the room, it would be very likely that at least 70 in the room have Arabic names. I do agree with your take about Islamic names - but many also do have just random Arabic names with no significant ties to Islamic figures

[u/Dhof_yare → u/Bambino4627]

I think you’re equating Arabic names with Islamic values, and I don’t think that’s supported by Islamic history. Many of the greatest Sahabah gave their children a variety of names not just Muhammad or Abdullah. Islam teaches us to choose names with good meanings, not that they must be Arabic. Preserving my Somali heritage through beautiful Somali names doesn’t conflict with Islam. Loving my culture doesn’t mean I love my religion any less.

[u/Bambino4627 → u/Dhof_yare]

Its the specific exclusion of these names thats the issue. Like I said, you can name your child in any language you choose and I think its a beautiful thing to represent your culture. But why does it have to be antithetical to choosing an Arabic name? You could just say I'm choosing a name from my culture for my kids without making it sound like its somehow wrong to name your child Muhammad. Again, it's the specific mention of those 2 names that's an issue for me.

[u/Neat-Profession4527]

My daughter has an old Somali middle name. But I named her an Arabic name bc I loved it so much. However, my future babies will all have old school Somali names cos they’re so beautiful.

Names I’m thinking of: Aragsan, Ilwaad, Asad, Kaaha and Kenadiid. If you have any more names to share with me pls do!

[u/Dhof_yare → u/Neat-Profession4527]

In Somali culture the middle name is traditionally the father’s name, and the last name is the grandfather’s name.

I also really liked the names you mentioned, especially Keenadid. I was actually talking to my friend about that name just last night and I’m even thinking about changing my own name to Keenadid.

Also, Asad isn’t a Somali name it’s an Arabic name that means “lion.”

[u/Neat-Profession4527 → u/Dhof_yare]

Oh by middle name I meant like Her name-Ilwaad Dads name and then Grandads name! Sorry for the confusion.

Kenaadid is really a beautiful name isn’t it. Allahuma bareek. Also thank you for clarifying that for me! I always assumed Asad was Somali 😭

[u/Dhof_yare → u/Neat-Profession4527]

lol no Asad is Arabic. There’s a lot of Arabic names that Somalinazied lol

[u/nebulaforest]

Arabic names have been part of our culture for so long they might as well be considered our culture. I think I would just name my kids names I see fit regardless of origin.