Article 45 of the Saudi Civil Status Law
المادة 45 من نظام الأحوال المدنية
The Article prevents two brothers or two sisters by the same father, or a son and his father, from sharing the same name while both are alive, and prevents registering citizens' names that conflict with Sharia.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
لا يجوز اشتراك أخوين أو أختين من الأب أو ابن مع أبيه في اسم واحد إذا كان الاثنان على قيد الحياة، كما لا يجوز بالنسبة للمواطنين تسجيل أسماء مخالفة للشريعة الإسلامية.
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 45 explained in plain English
This Article places two restrictions on choosing a newborn's name when registering him:
- No repeating a name within the same family: two brothers or two sisters by the same father may not bear the same name, nor may a son bear his father's name, provided that both are alive.
- No names contrary to Islamic Sharia: a name contrary to Islamic Sharia may not be registered, and this restriction applies to citizens, as the text provides.
The prohibition in the text is conditional on both holders of the name being alive together, and as to siblings it applies to brothers and sisters by the father, as the text states.
This Article is linked to the procedures for recording a newborn; Article 44 requires hospitals and the bodies where births occur to record births in regular books and notify civil status of them monthly, and choosing the name is part of the data of the newborn's entry, which must respect the two restrictions above.
The text does not set out a list of names that conflict; if a dispute arises about whether a particular name will be accepted, a lawyer who specializes in civil status and personal status cases may be consulted.
Practical example
Khalid had a second child and wanted to name him "Mohammed", although his older living son is also named Mohammed. This is not allowed because they are brothers by the same father and both are alive, so he must choose another name for the newborn.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
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Active contributorFrequently asked questions about Article 45 of the Saudi Civil Status Law
May a newborn be given his brother's name?
Two brothers or two sisters by the same father may not share the same name if both are alive.
May a son be given his father's name?
A son may not share one name with his father if both are alive.
Are there names that are banned in civil status?
Yes. For citizens, names contrary to Islamic Sharia may not be registered, and the text does not set out a list of such names.
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.