Names of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant

The name of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant has been subject of debate and controversy since 2013.

In Arabic language, the jihadist group known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant has called itself ad-Dawlah al-Islāmiyah (الدولة الإسلامية‎) since June 2014. Before it was known under the name ad-Dawlah al-Islāmiyah fī 'l-ʿIrāq wa-sh-Shām (الدولة الإسلامية في العراق والشام‎), which it adopted in April 2013.

The literal translation of their previous name resulted in confusion, resulting in both ISIS and ISIL, two acronyms based on different literal translations of the name into English. Apart from these, an Arabic-derived acronym, Daesh or Da'ish gained traction well beyond Arabic-speaking parts of the world. Finally, the group's current name caused controversy due to its English translation as Islamic State (IS) and as a result, both the previous acronyms are still widely used, or a qualifier is often added to the IS name, such as "self-styled Islamic State".

Originating in Iraq, the group underwent various previous name changes, and since 2006 had been known as Islamic State of Iraq (ISI), a name which had failed to gain any traction, as the group had failed to gain or hold any significant territory as ISI, and thus widespread confusion over what to call them was largely absent. Confusion began when the group gained further territory and changed its name to ad-Dawlah al-Islāmiyah fī 'l-ʿIrāq wa-sh-Shām in April 2013 as it expanded into Syria. It then changed to ad-Dawlah al-Islāmiyah in June 2014 as part of a desire to re-establish a caliphate. The rendering of the Arabic name in English varies, due to imprecise translation.

The parallel use of both ISIS and ISIL as acronym originated from uncertainty in how to translate the Arabic word "ash-Shām" (or "al-Sham") in the group's April 2013 name, which can be translated variously as "the Levant", "Greater Syria", "Syria" or even "Damascus". This led to the widely used translations of "Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant", "Islamic State in Iraq and Syria" or "Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham". "The Levant" generally refers to at least part or all of Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Palestine/Israel and Lebanon, though its definition varies.

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