Did You Know Why Malcolm X Rejected His Surname And Chose “X”?

Malcolm X changed his surname from Little to “X” because he believed his original African family name had been taken away during slavery.

Born Malcolm Little on May 19, 1925, in Omaha, Nebraska, he later became one of the most influential figures in the Black liberation movement in the United States.

Malcolm believed that many Black Americans carried European surnames because their ancestors had been enslaved and forced to take the names of slave owners.

For him, the name Little was a reminder of a painful history in which enslaved Africans lost not only their freedom but also parts of their identity, culture and family history.

He therefore chose the letter “X” to represent his unknown African surname. He did not know what his ancestors had been called before slavery, so he used “X” as a symbol of the name he believed had been taken from them.

Malcolm adopted the name after joining the Nation of Islam while serving a prison sentence. Other members of the organisation also used “X” to represent the African names they believed their families had lost.

His decision was not simply about changing his name. It was a way of rejecting the identity imposed on his ancestors and recognising his African roots.

In simple terms, Malcolm X chose “X” because he believed that “Little” was a name connected to slavery, while “X” represented the African identity his family had lost.

In 1964, after leaving the Nation of Islam and making a pilgrimage to Mecca, he adopted the Muslim name El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz. However, he remained widely known as Malcolm X.

He was assassinated in New York City on February 21, 1965, at the age of 39.

Today, his name remains a symbol of Black identity, dignity and the struggle to reclaim a history that slavery had attempted to erase.