Civil Affairs clarifies rules on baby names in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Civil Affairs says there is no fixed list of banned names, but names must meet legal and religious criteria and avoid certain forms.
Key Takeaways
AIA question was submitted to the Ministry of Interior’s Civil Affairs Agency account by a follower, asking: "I named my daughter (Adoul) and it was rejected. Does her name violate legal and religious standards?"
Civil Affairs responded on its X platform page, stating that there is no specific list of approved or banned names, but rather criteria for choosing names.
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Name registration requirements
The agency explained that the requirements for registering names include:
Names commonly used among Arabs and in society, such as (Alwaleed - Al-Anoud), are permitted.
Names with titles (such as "Al-Sayyid") are not allowed.
Compound names, such as (Qamar Al-Zaman), are not permitted.
Additional phrases in the name field (such as "known as ...") are not allowed.
Names that violate Islamic law (such as "Abd Al-Rasool") are prohibited.