Islamic marriage advice and family advice

We named our daughter Kinza; do we have to change it?

There are many kinds of treasure aside from monetary wealth.

There are many kinds of treasure aside from monetary wealth.

Question:

Assalam O Aleikum.

I have an 8 year old daughter. When she was born, we named her Kinza. We found this name in many Islamic books and websites which had a meaning of "hidden treasure", derived from the Arabic word "KANZ" which appears in the Holy Quran (meaning treasure).. However, a few years ago, we read somewhere that the word KANZ actually means the treasure which we keep to ourselves unlawfully and do not pay Zakah on it. It appears in Surah Tawbah, aayas 33 and 34, which say that this KANZ will be heated and your flesh burned with it.

At that time, we changed her name at home to Fatima and started calling her by her new name. However, recently we have seen many people naming their children Kinza and also there are quite a few Islamic books named Kanz-ul-Iman and several others using this word.

This has led us to confusion. We really like the name Kinza and we have been calling her that mostly all her life. Her grandparents and a lot of other people still call her Kinza. She is still named Kinza in her passport and all other documents, so she gets confused when some people call her Kinza and other people call her Fatima.

We want to save our child from this confusion and decide one way or the other if we should officially change her name or not.

We would prefer to keep her name as Kinza but not if it is not a good name Islamically.

Please help on this issue.. Thank you.

- Sister Samra

Wael's Answer:

Dear Sister Samra, As-salamu alaykum,

I discussed this with my parents, who are both native Arabic speakers, and they both commented that the word "kanz" has no negative connotations to them, and that it can also be used to describe someone who is a treasure of knowledge, or who is treasured in love. It's not only about wealth.

Still, I felt that we needed an expert in Islam and Arabic linguistics to answer this question, so I emailed sister Haseeb Shehadah, who is knowledgeable in Islam and is a professor of Semitic languages at the University of Helsinki.

She replied:

"MarHaba. Nothing is wrong with the name "Kinza" if you like it!"

Well. I was hoping for something more authoritative and scholarly, perhaps an explanation of the root word, and how Kinza relates to it.

I did review the use of the word in Surat At-Tawbah. Based on the verses alone, it's hard to say whether the word itself has a negative connotation, or if it's only because of the context. It's being translated into English as "hoard", which does carry an inherently negative connotation, as it implies accumulating wealth for oneself and refusing to share it.

But wait! I went to AlTafsir.com, which is an excellent resource by the way, and was looking at various tafseers of these verses. In a tafseer called "Asbab Al-Nuzul" (Reasons for Revelation) by Al-Wahidi I found the following hadith:

Thawban said: "When the verse (They who hoard up gold and silver"¦) was revealed, the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, said: aMay gold and silver perish!' He was asked: aO Messenger of Allah, which of the riches should we hoard?' He said: aA heart which is grateful, a tongue which remembers Allah and a righteous wife' ".

So here the word "hoard" is being used in a positive context, to refer to good qualities of imaan, and the good of this world.

Based on this, my personal conclusion is that the name is perfectly suitable, there is nothing wrong with it, and you should stick to calling your daughter Kinza.

And Allah knows best.

If any readers have some additional advice for this questioner, I invite you to post your comments below.

(O Allah), Guide us to the straight path; The path of those whom you have favored; Not those with whom you are angry; Nor those who go astray.

Best regards, - Wael Abdelgawad
IslamicAnswers.com Marriage Advice
Zawaj.com Muslim Matrimonial Service


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42 Responses »

  1. assalam-o-alaikum, i wold recommend you to stick to this name, for i'm myself kinza! it's a beautiful name 🙂

  2. Ma As Salam.

    Thank you for wonderful feedback for we too want to name our child (if born female) Kinzaa.

    you may have noticed the change in the spelling. That is my question. Does the meaning change if the Kinza ends with double A. Please advise.

    Hanif.

  3. It's a beautiful name I share it.

  4. my daughter name is kinza afreen this is beautiful name

    • Salam , we named our old baby gurs as "inshirah" at her birth.
      Aa we found meaning as peace , solice , comfort . But she has heslth issues since birth. She has blokage in skull due to which water waa block qnd hefbheadcsized increased due to water pressure. This was by birth isue which was indetified but later , so get operated two times . Then my brother in law whobis Islamic aalim , said indhirah mean to ooen up . This is because if hef name that sye operated. Now my husband indisted to change the name ,

      • As-salamu alaykum sister. I´m sorry to hear about your daughter´s health issues. May Allah heal her and help her.

        Your daughter´s health issues have NOTHING to do with her name. It is a common superstition in the Indian subcontinent that names control one´s destiny in some way. That is NOT true. Our destinies are not controlled by names, birth dates, stars, or anything outside of ourselves, except for Allah the Most High.

        Make dua' for your daughter, and continue to seek the best medical help available. If you wish to change her name you can do so, but it will not affect her health one way or another.

        Wael
        IslamicAnswers.com Editor

  5. my own name is kinza and i know that its a great name at all...
    no need to be afraid...
    even i also searched alot on this name after reading your problem but i came to know that there is nothing wrong in this name and as there is hadith upwards so we can see that kanz isnt used to indicate something wrong...
    well truely when i was born, my father had a profit of alot of money in his job that is why he named me kinza(hidden treasure) and still im too lucky for him...

  6. assalam-o-alaikum

    stick to the name kinza

    mashallah kinza is a beutful name as i myslef am named kinza aswell !!!!!

  7. hi
    i am having a little baby girl two days old ,,,i was thinking to choose this name ..that is so sweet kinza irshad .
    love this nameee...

  8. I love the name Kinza... not just because it's my name but because of its meaning (Hidden Treasure). It has a wonderful meaning, and I would recommend the name, but that doesn't mean you HAVE to use it.

  9. my own name is kinza .kinza is rocking name...love it...<3

  10. My 6 year old is called kinza named after her great aunt. She has at least 6 cousins called kinza. She is a treaure to me. I love the name.

  11. hi !!! MY OWN NAME IS KINZA ITS MEANING IS NICE NO NEED TO BE WORRIED ITS SUCH A NICE NAME 🙂
    🙂

  12. How about the spelling? The source of the name KINZA is the word KANZ. So is there any conflict in pronounciation? Orthe name should b kanza istead of kinza?

  13. kinza is a unique name.....and please don't change your daughter name she is a true treasure for you granted by allah....

  14. kinza is a unique name and i would request you please don't change your daughter's name because she is a true treasure for you granted by allah.....

  15. its a very good name em also kinza..

  16. Salam

    What a great and well-researched answer by brother Wael. People like you and the rest of the people who make this website work are a true asset for this ummah. Masha Allah. Allahumma baarik lahu. JazakAllah khayr.

  17. Assalamu Allaikum Warahamathullahi Va Barakkaathahu

    Dear brother & sister,

    We have been blessed by ALLAHA for a boy baby.
    Shall I choose this name "KINZA" for my boy baby? OR its only for girl baby?

    - Kaleelahamadh S.

    Waallaikum Assalam.

    • Salaams,

      I have only heard of this name in relation to girls. However, I wouldn't be surprised if there were a masculine version of it, as there are with many Islamic names. You might want to ask a shaykh who knows Arabic very well how you could name a son something that says "treasure".

      -Amy
      IslamicAnswers.com Editor

    • The name Kinza suits only for girls as it ends with 'ah' in Arabic, كنزه

  18. Aslamualikum,, kindly clear the difference between KINZA and KANZA,,

  19. My Name is Kinza and I love it 🙂

  20. Actually my name is Kanza and people mistake me for kinza. So if you are thinking of naming her then name her right. Its kanza not kinza. As in the quran. Also a name bears a great influence or significance on a persons life.

    Regards.

  21. my name is kinza. and its vry unique name ..
    I love my beautiful name :-:*:*:*

  22. salam my name was kinza than people said its not the correct word now some people call me kanza..im realllyy confused:((
    also i have read kanz word in surah kahaf 18:82
    kindly explain this as soon as possible.
    your answer really helped me jazakALLAh but i dont understand the part that is kinza and kanza same words with different prounciation? or in surah tawbah the word is kanz?

    • I don't know about surat but my name is also kinza and all i know is that its different from kanza its meaning is intelligent

  23. kinza is very unique and beautiful name,everybody like my name and i also like my name........i thank my czn and parents for kept my name

  24. Hy.... I had the same confussion with this name becuz my maths eacher told me this thing... My parents were also affraid... but i like this name...... as far as i ave searched the meaning of kinza is intelligent but u all r saying treasure plz do cnfrm it.... But after all both meanings r good and i m feeling proud of my name

  25. heyyyy/..... its me kinza my name is owsome relly i m very intelegent nd good looking

  26. Hi! Kinza is a wonderful name and mostly people remember me as-"the treasure of knowledge". Don't listen to those who misinterpret it. It has a beautiful meaning and you should treasure it just just as you your daughter-I'm sure. It is also not healthy for your daughter to be having identity changes at such a young age. Inshallah you will make the right choice for both your daughter and yourself.

  27. Assalam alaikum,

    i want to change my son name the name is SYED KAAMIL HUSSAIN TO KINZA pls advice me any god name with meaning, and pls send me a meaning of KINZA and any good name.

    KARIM

    • Brother, Syed Kaamil Hussain is a good name. Why do you want to change it?

      The only problem I see with that name is that if your name is really Karim, then your son's name should be Syed Karim Hussain.

      Wael
      IslamicAnswers.com Editor

      • Assalam alaikum , thank u you asked why I want to change my son name his full name is K. Syed kaamil hussain because he is not listening any body word in school and house he is very noty and he is not listening teachers word. So I am fearing he should spoil his name in school and in our family members. So pls kindly suggest me a name which I mentioned previously in mail name is kayan and kinza meaning and pls suggest any good name with meaningful . as soon as possible waiting for u reply. And one more thing I have to tell me the baby girl has born to me. I just some which I chosen for the baby girl NUHA and HANA So I want to name pls suggests me a good name for her also . I am very grate thankful for you.

  28. My name is kinza and there nothing wrong with it...a perfect name !

  29. I love my Name Kinza ''' I rock it

  30. Tell me what's the meaning of name " taha"

  31. Hi...
    Is Aameen name is good for baby girl.
    Can u please tell me whether this name has good meaning or does it has any bad imoact on baby future or life....

  32. my daughter name is inaya i need to changed it

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