Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2024 February 21

= February 21 =

Muhammad Ali's name
In Muhammad Ali's name, is "Ali" considered a surname? Or is there a different term for it? 2600:1008:B046:1056:B038:B435:B0B:1D6B (talk) 01:00, 21 February 2024 (UTC)


 * Teller officially changed his conventional name (given name, middle name, surname) to the mononym Teller. I don't know in which US State, but I guess each State accepts any names that are officially established in some other State. "Teller" remained his surname; his passport reportedly has NFN for the first-name field, which stands for "No First Name". In my understanding, it has become a practical impossibility to live in the US without a surname. Since Muhammad Ali's brother legally changed his name to Rahaman Ali and Muhammad Ali himself has children named Muhammad Ali, Jr., Laila Ali and Hana Ali, I guess "Ali" is considered their surname. --Lambiam 11:09, 21 February 2024 (UTC)


 * For many of the people on the Muhammad Ali (disambiguation) page, "Muhammad" is of course in honor of the prophet of Islam, while "Ali" is in tribute to Ali ibn Abi Talib. I don't know if that's what motivated the boxer... AnonMoos (talk) 14:39, 21 February 2024 (UTC)
 * As he converted to Islam, I find it likely. 惑乱 Wakuran (talk) 21:12, 21 February 2024 (UTC)
 * He changed his name as he converted to the Nation of Islam . The theology of the Nation of Islam, which holds that there has been a succession of mortal Allahs, the latest of which was Wallace Fard Muhammad, is utter heresy in the eyes of Muslims. In the Islamic conception of God, Allah is eternal, unique and inherently one. --Lambiam 14:23, 22 February 2024 (UTC)