Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2017 March 23

= March 23 =

Origin of names: Khalid Masood
What is the origin of these names? Khalid Masood?--Llaanngg (talk) 23:07, 23 March 2017 (UTC)
 * See Khalid and Masoud. - Lindert (talk) 23:22, 23 March 2017 (UTC)
 * Notice that Khalid Masood was from Kent, UK, not from the same place as these names are. His real name was Adrian Elms, but after becoming a Muslim convert he adopted a new one. Converts to Islam are likely to adopt a new one.--Hofhof (talk) 00:31, 24 March 2017 (UTC)


 * I think you mean his birth name was Adrian Elms. People can change their names to whatever they like within certain limits, and their new name is as much their "real" name as their birth name was.  --   Jack of Oz   [pleasantries]  03:45, 24 March 2017 (UTC)
 * I get your point, but his birth name was Adrian Russell Ajao. And he went by several names, including these three and Khalid Choudry too. Don't know which one was the prominent or used daily.--Hofhof (talk) 10:45, 24 March 2017 (UTC)
 * His birth name was Adrian R Elms (probably Adrian Russell Elms), as you can see by searching the freebmd website. At least you can find a registration in Dartford in the first quarter of 1965, consistent with the report that he was born on Christmas Day 1964. His mother married a Mr Ajao a year or so later, so he may well have been brought up as Adrian Ajao. I don't know why the papers are saying this when the birth and marriage records are easy to find. Itsmejudith (talk) 14:46, 24 March 2017 (UTC)
 * I recall Jack Benny once referring to a "Kubelsky" and then adding, "that's my right name, you know." ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 06:04, 24 March 2017 (UTC)
 * Also, some years back, someone found an old driver's license once held by Marilyn Monroe. At the time, she was married to Joe DiMaggio, and the name on the license was "Norma Jean DiMaggio". Then there's sportscaster Jim McKay. His birth name was Jim McManus. In an interview, he said that the mailbox on his farm reads J. McManus, and as far as being addressed, he said, "I'm comfortable with either one." This is in contrast to Muhammad Ali, who publicly rejected his birth name Cassius Clay. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 06:08, 24 March 2017 (UTC)


 * But to answer the question; Khalid '...is a popular Arabic male given name meaning "eternal"' (Google also suggests "immortal"). Masood or Masoud '...is a given name and surname in many countries, meaning "fortunate", "prosperous", or "happy". Although some experts believe that the origin of this name comes from Arab countries, it is a very popular surname in Iran and Turkey'. Alansplodge (talk) 08:52, 24 March 2017 (UTC)
 * D'oh! I've just noticed that User:Lindert has already linked these WP articles. Apologies... Alansplodge (talk) 18:11, 24 March 2017 (UTC)
 * Stage names are a rather different beast to a change of the name you use in your non-professional life or to a legal name change. MChesterMC (talk) 09:12, 24 March 2017 (UTC)