diff --git a/django/core/management/commands/makemigrations.py b/django/core/management/commands/makemigrations.py
index ea90467d22..cdccb8e9b3 100644
--- a/django/core/management/commands/makemigrations.py
+++ b/django/core/management/commands/makemigrations.py
@@ -61,6 +61,8 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
         self.merge = options['merge']
         self.empty = options['empty']
         self.migration_name = options['name']
+        if self.migration_name and not self.migration_name.isidentifier():
+            raise CommandError('The migration name must be a valid Python identifier.')
         check_changes = options['check_changes']
 
         # Make sure the app they asked for exists
diff --git a/docs/ref/django-admin.txt b/docs/ref/django-admin.txt
index 168f476eeb..f7fa7777e6 100644
--- a/docs/ref/django-admin.txt
+++ b/docs/ref/django-admin.txt
@@ -756,7 +756,8 @@ Enables fixing of migration conflicts.
 
 .. django-admin-option:: --name NAME, -n NAME
 
-Allows naming the generated migration(s) instead of using a generated name.
+Allows naming the generated migration(s) instead of using a generated name. The
+name must be a valid Python :ref:`identifier <python:identifiers>`.
 
 .. django-admin-option:: --check
 
diff --git a/tests/migrations/test_commands.py b/tests/migrations/test_commands.py
index 33b85578af..816abea65a 100644
--- a/tests/migrations/test_commands.py
+++ b/tests/migrations/test_commands.py
@@ -1352,6 +1352,11 @@ class MakeMigrationsTests(MigrationTestBase):
             self.assertIn("dependencies=[\n('migrations','0001_%s'),\n]" % migration_name_0001, content)
             self.assertIn("operations=[\n]", content)
 
+    def test_makemigrations_with_invalid_custom_name(self):
+        msg = 'The migration name must be a valid Python identifier.'
+        with self.assertRaisesMessage(CommandError, msg):
+            call_command('makemigrations', 'migrations', '--name', 'invalid name', '--empty')
+
     def test_makemigrations_check(self):
         """
         makemigrations --check should exit with a non-zero status when