When Mustafa first sells himself into slavery, the clerk who records the sale asks him his name: “Mustafa ibn Muhammad ibn Abdussalam al-Zamori, I replied, naming myself, my father, my grandfather, and my native town” (82). The clerk enters a single word in his register: Mustafa. Mustafa observes, “It delivered me into the unknown and erased my father’s name” (82).

When Mustafa is baptized as a Christian after being sold to Rodriguez, he’s given the Spanish name Esteban. Mustafa notes that he “entered the church as the servant of God Mustafa ibn Muhammad ibn Abdussalam al-Zamori” but he “left it as Esteban. Just Esteban—converted and orphaned in one gesture” (109). His name signifies his religion, his attachment to previous generations, and the place of his birth. Losing it means losing all these signifiers of identity and belonging. In this moment, he is realizing what he has given up: not only his freedom but also himself.

When Rodriguez sells him to Dorantes, his name is changed again to Estebanico. The author uses very similar language to describe this experience: “I had entered the Casa de Contratación as Esteban, but I left it as Estebanico. Just Estebanico—converted, orphaned, and now dismissed with a boy’s nickname” (149).