TheIslamic State of Iraq and the Levant, often abbreviated as "ISIL" and pronounced as such — is a militantIslamist terrorist group. It is also known as theIslamic State of Iraq and Syria or theIslamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham, abbreviated as "ISIS"^[a] or sometimes simplified asIslamic State (IS) only — which has caused name changes to distinguish other entities from the group.

• Version 0.3 ofLinux distributionelementary OS — originally to be named as Isis but was renamed after a Norse goddessFreya.^[1]
• A mobile banking app previously known as ISIS changed its name toSoftcard in 2014, stating "We have no desire to share a name with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and our hearts go out to those affected by this violence".^[2]
• In 2015, theUniversity of Arkansas decided to rename its course registration system from "Integrated Student Information System" to "UAConnect".^[3]National University of Singapore andDunman High School in Singapore made similar changes to their similarly-named systems.^[4]
• Tufts University andUniversity of Massachusetts Lowell renamed its online information system from the "Intercampus Student Information System" (ISIS) to the "Student Information System" (SIS) with only the initial letter "I" being omitted.^[5]
• In 2016, theUniversity of Economics, Prague decided to rename its online information system from ISIS to InSIS (Integrovaný Studijní Informační Systém).^[6]
• Also in 2016,Cornell University's Isis2 Distributed Computing Library was renamed "Vsync" to eliminate any suggestion of connections to the Islamic terrorist group.^[7]
• Other universities that have renamed their software includeKansas State University,^[8] theUniversity of Iowa,^[9] andJohns Hopkins University.^[10][11]

• In 2013, a Belgian chocolate manufacturer previously known as Italo Suisse changed its name to ISIS. But in 2014 — it changed the name again toLibeert after a decline in sales, mainly in theAnglophone world. The company was founded in 1923 and had only been called ISIS for a year.^[12]
• A British private equity firm changed its name from ISIS Equity Partners toLivingbridge to distance itself from the group.^[13]
• In 2014, a Chicago business owner renamed her store from ISIS to My Sister's Circus after people began taking pictures of her store's sign and harassing her sales staff.^[14]
• InQueens, New York, the owner of ISIS Nails renamed the salon Bess Nails and Spa because of harassment. The salon's revenue had declined by approximately 30 percent.^[15]
• In 2015, Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc. — a pharmaceutical company based inCalifornia, originally named after an Ancient Egyptian goddess. After observing relevant drop in stock and to avoid confusion, the company finally decided to change its name toIonis Pharmaceuticals.^[16]
• Automobile performance part manufacturer ISIS Performance changed its name to ISR Performance after using it for six years to remove the negative connotation with its name. The change took place on November 17, 2015.^[17][18]
• TheDanish dessert company ISIS changed their name to EASIS, citing the "political connotations"^[19] of their name would have on primarily export markets.^[19]
• An Australian fit-out and refurbishment company changed its name to SHAPE, to coincide with the "best interests" of those involved with their business.^[20]
• In June 2016,Finnish translation agency Isis Translations changed its name to Pauhu Ltd. to avoiddenial of service attacks and problems with bank andPayPal payments.^[21]

• In 2014, an organisation inNova Scotia that aimed on assimilating immigrants — previously known as Immigrant Settlement and Integration Services (ISIS), changed its name to Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS). Its main concern about the former name was its appropriateness towards clients from Iraq and Syria, where ISIL/ISIS particularly operative in Iraq and Syria.^[22]
• The Daughters of Isis, a black women's Masonic auxiliary, changed their name to theImperial Court in 2014. The Egyptian goddess continues to be their symbol.^[23]
• A language school inOxford — named Isis afterthe city's stretch of theRiver Thames, became the Oxford International Education Group (OIEG) in April 2015. Staff said that recruiting from the Middle East was made difficult by the name, and that people searching for their website may be put at risk.^[24]
• In 2016, theAssociation for Information Systems (AIS) changed the pronunciation of its abbreviation of theInternational Conference on Information Systems (ICIS) premier conference to "I-see-IS".^[25]
• In 2016, an international non-profit organisation that responsible for online database of wild animals under human care — previously known as International Species Information System (ISIS), changed its name toSpecies360.^[26]

• The formerISISInterCity train of the Hungarian national railway companyMÁV-START — originally named after an Ancient Egyptian goddess — was renamed toÍzisz on 31 August 2015, reflecting the Hungarian spelling of the same word.^[27][28] The train was further renamed toBorostyánkő (lit. "amber" in Hungarian) on 13 December 2015, distancing it completely from its original name.[29]

• TheFX animated seriesArcher — first aired in 2009, revolves around the fictional International Secret Intelligence Service (ISIS). In 2014, the sixth season of the show began with the characters being told that they now work for theCIA. Merchandise based on the fictional ISIS was withdrawn.^[30]
• A French rock band changed their name from Isis Child to Angel's Whisper as the attention on ISIL had overshadowed them on search engines.^[31] An Americanband named Isis, which was disbanded in 2010, changed their Facebook name to "Isis the band" to avoid confusion. Some fans suggested that the band should change their name completely.^[32]
• In December 2015, the name of the spaceship browser in the online multiplayer video gameEVE Online was changed from "Interbus Ship Identification System" (ISIS) to "Ship Tree".^[33]
• Japanese light novel, manga, anime seriesInfinite Stratos also sometimes sparked controversy^{[example needed]} because its abbreviated name was "IS" — which sometimes confused with the Islamic State.
• In themultiplayer online battle arena video gameSmite, developerHi-Rez Studios renamed the playable goddess Isis to original Ancient Egyptian name, Eset — citing concerns of demonetization on video platforms.^[34]

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• An Australian woman who named her daughter Isis after the ancient Egyptian goddess stated it caused a rift in her family because the name is "now synonymous with terrorism and evil". An American woman named Isis initiated an online petition for the media to stop referring to ISIL as ISIS.^[35]
• In April 2015, theWorld Meteorological Organization removedIsis from its list for the2016 Pacific hurricane season, replacing it with "Ivette".^[36]

• The British television seriesDownton Abbey featured a dog named Isis after the ancient Egyptian goddess, (named in commemoration of the shooting location ofHighclere Castle, which happened to be thecountry seat of theEarls of Carnarvon, given the5th Earl's seminal role in financing theexcavation of Tutankhamun's tomb) who became ill withcancer in the show around the same time as other entities sought to distance themselves from ISIL/ISIS. The dog was ultimately replaced with a new one, this time named Tiye, after the eponymousqueen of Egypt. While the show's primary directorJulian Fellowes acknowledged the connection,^[37] lead actorHugh Bonneville (who plays the role of the dog's owner) repudiated claims that the dog was being killed off due to its name, saying "Anyone who genuinely believes the series five storyline (1924) involving the animal was a reaction to recent world news is a complete berk."^[38]ITV called the name an "unfortunate coincidence".^[38]

• Names of the Islamic State
• The Isis, an alternative name for theRiver Thames
• The Isis Magazine

• Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
• Naming controversies

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