A baby boy, born in University Hospital Leipzig (UKL) in eastern Germany, was named Yahya Sinwar, the hospital announced on social media on Monday morning.
However, no one on UKL's staff noticed that the baby appeared to be named after former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, the architect of the October 7 massacre, who the IDF killed in October 2024.
A screenshot of the social media post showed what appeared to be a hospital staff member having drawn a heart over the "i" in Sinwar. UKL later removed the post from social media and issued a public apology after facing a backlash.
Jewish-German rapper Ben Salamo brought the name to the public's attention, saying: "Should it be allowed in Germany to name your child after a terrorist and mass murderer?" in a post on his personal Instagram, German outlet Bild noted.
German parents can grant any name they wish upon birth, but all names must later be approved by the registry office to ensure that it appears on the population register, according to the Jewish-German outlet Judische Allgemeine.
The report added that it was highly unlikely that the name "Yahya Sinwar" would appear on the finalized birth certificate.
The Leipzig registry office told the Jewish outlet that "A first name must not endanger the child's welfare, be insulting, or obviously unsuitable. Names associated with extremist, anti-constitutional, or violent content or individuals can also be rejected.”
If parents and the registry office disagree on whether the child's name is appropriate, it escalates to a court decision, the Jewish outlet added. Other names which have caused disputes before being banned range from "Adolf" to "Superman," Judische Allgemeine's report noted. Other banned names include "Satan" and "McDonald," Ynet reported.
"In this case, the person posting was not aware that the name is currently associated with a well-known political figure involved in an extremely sensitive geopolitical context," UKL spokesperson Jörn Glasner told Bild.
“We understand that today’s post has triggered negative associations for some people,” UKL was cited by Judische Allgemeine as saying. “We would like to express our apologies if anyone felt hurt or provoked by the post. We take all feedback seriously and will review our internal processes to handle such matters more sensitively in the future.”
UKL shared a post on Instagram following the backlash and retraction, as seen by The Jerusalem Post.
“Today, like every day, we published the first names of newborns on our obstetrics channel. A name was mentioned that currently has a political context and has caused irritation or incomprehension among some users," the statement continued." We would like to clarify: The first names are published exclusively at the request or with the consent of the parents, without evaluation or selection by us."
"None of the names will be editorially commented on or politically classified. We understand that today's post has evoked negative associations in some people. We would like to expressly apologize if anyone felt hurt or provoked by the post," UKL added.
UKL clarified that it does not vet or filter babies' names and shares them only with parental consent, according to Jordanian outlet Roya News.
Hamas, via its official news agency SAFA, responded to the event on Thursday.
"What was meant as a simple gesture to welcome new life turned into a battleground of outrage, with pro-Israel voices in Germany accusing the hospital of 'glorifying terror,' the group wrote.
"As Palestinians face vilification across Western media and political spaces, such moments reflect deeper tensions over identity, bias, and the limits of tolerance," they claimed.
"In Gaza, children are being buried with no names at all. In Germany, a newborn’s name becomes cause for scandal. The world’s moral compass seems hopelessly skewed," the terror group stated.
'Yahya' growing in popularity as British boys name
The name “Yahya” entered the top 100 baby boys’ names list in the United Kingdom in 2024, seeing a larger increase in popularity than any other boy’s name in the same year. This was revealed by the Office for National Statistics’ report on names for baby boys in England and Wales 2024 report, released July 31.
According to the list, the name Yahya is ranked at number 93, having jumped 33 points since 2023, with a total of 583 baby boys given the name across the UK.
While Yahya – the Arabic name for John the Baptist – is not uncommon in the Muslim world, many have commented on its surge in popularity following the October 7, 2023, massacre orchestrated by Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
While The Jewish Chronicle noted that there is no “definite correlation” between the increase in newborns being named Yahya and support for Yahya Sinwar, others quipped that it would be as if the name “Adolf” had gained popularity in Britain in the 1940s.
Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.