Which leader of the Nation of Islam gave Muhammad Ali his name?

Elijah Muhammad gave Muhammad Ali his name.

Ali was born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. and joined the Nation of Islam in the early 1960s. After Clay defeated Sonny Liston for the world heavyweight championship in February 1964, Elijah Muhammad, the Nation of Islam’s leader, announced that the new champion would be known as Muhammad Ali.

Before receiving the name, Clay briefly used “Cassius X,” following the Nation of Islam practice of rejecting inherited surnames that members associated with enslavement. Elijah Muhammad’s bestowal of a completed Islamic name was unusual and represented a special mark of honor within the movement.

Malcolm X helped introduce Clay to the Nation of Islam but did not give him the name. Wallace Fard Muhammad founded the movement’s original organization, while Elijah Muhammad led it from 1933 until 1975. Ali later moved away from the Nation of Islam and became associated with Sunni Islam.