Lille: The name Mohamed Salah chose for his third child and why it caused so much controversy? – BBC News Arabic
image source, Rabab Salah, Mohamed Salah’s sister’s Instagram page
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Egyptian national team and Turkish club Trabzonspor star Mohamed Salah has welcomed his third child, a boy he named “Lily” after his two sisters Mecca, born in 2014, and Kian, born in 2020. Rabab Salah, the player’s sister, confirmed the news on her account site at acpan.com. Newborn baby hat with the name “Leil” written in English. Neither Salah nor his family have released a statement on the reason for choosing the name.
After the name choice was confirmed, within hours it became one of the most requested topics among social media users in Egypt.
The meaning of the name
image source, Getty Images
According to Arabic language dictionaries such as Lisan al-Arabi and Dictionary of Meaning, “Night” is an Arabic masculine noun and is defined as the darkness that follows the day and extends from sunset to dawn.
However, some observers were not satisfied with searching in an Arabic dictionary, but instead searched in the archives of Egyptian folklore, where one observer spoke of the origin of the name “Lili” in an Egyptian popular legend about two lovers named “Lili” and “Ain”, as it is the phrase used in the Egyptian popular song “O Night, O Ain”.
Historical sources have not confirmed the origin of this legend, although it is mentioned in several literary works, including a play by the writer Ali Ahmed Bakatiri about a princess named “Ain al-Hayat” and a navigator named “Lily”.
The two names were also associated with a theatrical performance performed by Egyptian artist and dancer Mahmoud Reda as the fisherman “Lylee” against artist Naima Akef as the mermaid “Ain”, according to documentation recorded by the newspaper Akhbar Al-Yum in 1962.
between admiration and wonder
Opinions about the name on social media fell into three main trends.
Several followers were impressed by the name choice and felt it was a natural extension of Salah’s choice of “unfamiliar” Arabic names for his children.
Supporters of this trend saw the player repeat the successful experiment that he started with the names of his daughters Mecca and Kayan, which were rarely used and then became among the most common names in Egypt.
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But the other team treated this name with sarcasm. Some imagined the dialogue if Salah decided to name Lail, using the song “Oh Lail” by the artist Sherin.
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Some even expressed surprise at the choice of name
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Although the group refused to discuss personal choices, such as choosing a baby’s name, via social media, the sentiment was echoed by a number of influencers and celebrities via social media.
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The end of Facebook sharing
Salah and his family are always the subject of discussion
image source, Mohamed Salah’s Instagram page
The controversy over the name “Lille” is not an exception, but an extension of a recurring pattern in which any issue related to Mohamed Salah’s family becomes the subject of public discussion on social media, and even one of the most discussed topics.
In March 2026, a video surfaced showing Mohamed Salah’s daughters, Mecca and Kian, dancing with family members to a popular Egyptian song. The comments were divided between those who described the scene as funny and spontaneous, and others who harshly attacked it, while others wondered if Salah himself was aware of the clip before it went viral.
image source, Google
But the most visible reaction came from the family themselves, as Rabab Salah wrote on Instagram: “My brother and I are in shock over this video. I can’t describe it. Are our daughters sane?” It is unclear whether the intention was to condemn or ridicule the attack.
The issue also resurfaced when Salah announced the name of his second daughter, ‘Kian’, in 2020, with Twitter reacting between praise and criticism.
But perhaps the most notable wave of criticism directed at Salah and his family has been the publication of photos of the family in front of a Christmas tree, as some followers see the celebration of Christmas as a departure from Arabic and Islamic traditions, while others defend it.
image source, Mohamed Salah’s Instagram page