diff --git a/activemodel/lib/active_model/validations/validates.rb b/activemodel/lib/active_model/validations/validates.rb
index 0132f68282efd204bde0e5c920105568d49fdbbd..172ca70c1982a4f5f2bec349fb078be550db4298 100644
--- a/activemodel/lib/active_model/validations/validates.rb
+++ b/activemodel/lib/active_model/validations/validates.rb
@@ -84,7 +84,6 @@ def validates(*attributes)
         validations = defaults.slice!(:if, :unless, :on, :allow_blank, :allow_nil)
 
         raise ArgumentError, "You need to supply at least one attribute" if attributes.empty?
-        raise ArgumentError, "Attribute names must be symbols" if attributes.any?{ |attribute| !attribute.is_a?(Symbol) }
         raise ArgumentError, "You need to supply at least one validation" if validations.empty?
 
         defaults.merge!(:attributes => attributes)
@@ -118,4 +117,4 @@ def _parse_validates_options(options) #:nodoc:
       end
     end
   end
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+end
diff --git a/activemodel/test/cases/validations/validates_test.rb b/activemodel/test/cases/validations/validates_test.rb
index 3a9900939e425619f6a1d9559f300b9546b1a190..431d2fd6230825fc4090aec906dc32cd52ccceb9 100644
--- a/activemodel/test/cases/validations/validates_test.rb
+++ b/activemodel/test/cases/validations/validates_test.rb
@@ -21,6 +21,17 @@ def test_validates_with_built_in_validation
     assert_equal ['is not a number'], person.errors[:title]
   end
 
+  def test_validates_with_attribute_specified_as_string
+    Person.validates "title", :numericality => true
+    person = Person.new
+    person.valid?
+    assert_equal ['is not a number'], person.errors[:title]
+
+    person = Person.new
+    person.title = 123
+    assert person.valid?
+  end
+
   def test_validates_with_built_in_validation_and_options
     Person.validates :salary, :numericality => { :message => 'my custom message' }
     person = Person.new