An example is referring to Abu Hurayrah as عبد الرحمن بن صخر, ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Ṣakhr. Instead of his familiar kunyah, a name appears that not every reader will immediately recognize.
Unfamiliar naming uses a less familiar name, kunyah, title or affiliation instead of the narrator’s well-known designation.
If research establishes that he is reliable, the report is reliable; otherwise it is not. An unfamiliar name does not itself mean the person must be unreliable.
1. Kunyah: a designation beginning with Abū or Umm, such as Abū Hurayrah.
2. Title or affiliation: another designation or a name indicating a connection.