On September 16, 2011, Artest's name was officially changed to Metta World Peace. "Metta" was his first name, and "World Peace" was his surname. "Changing my name was meant to inspire and bring youth together all around the world,” World Peace said in a statement released after the name change court hearing. His publicist, Courtney Barnes, said that World Peace chose Metta as his first name because it is a traditional Buddhist word that means loving kindness and friendliness towards all.