Shabazz (name)

Shabazz (Arabic: شَبَازّ, romanizedShabāzz) is the name of a legendary Black architect whose tribe, according to the doctrine of the Nation of Islam (NOI), founded the populations of Africa. It is similar to the Persian name Shahbaz.

Malcolm X adopted the name upon joining the NOI. Born Malcolm Little, he was signing letters as "Malachi Shabazz" by 1949, before taking the name "Malcolm X". After returning from his pilgrimage to Mecca, he finally adopted the title and name El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, seen as symbolic of his spiritual journey to Orthodox Islam. The surname was borne by his wife Betty Shabazz and his children and has also been adopted by unrelated persons.