Citizendia

"Last name" redirects here. For the song, see Last Name. " Last Name " is a song composed by Country pop singer Carrie Underwood, Hillary Lindsey and Luke Laird

A family name or last name is a type of surname and part of a person's name indicating the family to which the person belongs. A surname is a name added to a Given name and is part of a Personal name. A personal name is the Proper name identifying an individual Person. The use of family names is widespread in cultures around the world. Each culture has its own rules as to how these names are applied and used.

In many cultures (notably most European, North American, and South American countries) the family name is typically the last part of a person's name. In some other cultures, the family name comes first. The latter is often called the Eastern order because Europeans are most familiar with the examples of China, Korea, Japan and Vietnam. A personal name is the Proper name identifying an individual Person. Personal Names in Chinese culture follow a number of conventions different from those of personal names in Western cultures. A Korean name consists of a Family name followed by a Given name, as used by the Korean people in both North Korea and South Korea in modern times usually consist of a Family name ( Surname) followed by a Given name. Vietnamese names generally consist of three parts a Family name, a Middle name, and a Given name, used in that order Because the family name is normally given last in English-speaking societies, the term last name is commonly used for family name.

Family names are most often used to refer to a stranger or in a formal setting, and are often used with a title or honorific such as Mr., Mrs., Ms., Miss, Dr., and so on. A title is a prefix or suffix added to a person's name to signify either veneration an official position or a professional or academic qualification An honorific is a word or expression that conveys esteem or respect when used in addressing or referring to a person Mrs (UK or Mrs (USA is an English honorific used for women, usually for those who are married and who do not have a title that would take Ms (UK or Ms (USA (mɪz or /məz/ is an English honorific used with the last name or full name of a Woman. Doctor ( gen: doctoris) means teacher in Latin. The word is originally an Agentive noun of the verb docēre ('teach' Generally the given name, Christian name, first name, forename, or personal name is the one used by friends, family, and other intimates to address an individual. It may also be used by someone who is in some way senior to the person being addressed.

Traditional Arab naming practices indicate familial relationships, but names indicating these relationships are not inherited in the manner that the term family name implies. Old Arabic names are based on a long naming system most Arabs do not simply have given / middle / Family names but a full chain of names

Contents

Research on individual names

Onomastics is the study of proper names of all kinds, including family names. Onomastics or onomatology is the study of proper Names of all kinds and the origins of names A one-name study is a collection of vital and other biographical data about all persons worldwide sharing a particular surname. A one-name study is a collection of vital and other biographical data about all persons worldwide sharing a particular Surname. The Guild of One-Name Studies is a major UK-based organization in this field.

History

The oldest use of family or surnames is unclear. Surnames have arisen in cultures with large, concentrated populations where single names for individuals became insufficient to identify them clearly. In many cultures, the practice of using additional descriptive terms in identifying individuals has arisen. These identifying terms or descriptors may indicate personal attributes, location of origin, occupation, parentage, patronage, adoption, or clan affiliation. Often these descriptors developed into fixed clan identifications which became family names in the sense that we know them today.

In China, according to legend, family names originated with Emperor Fu Xi in 2852 BC. [1] His administration standardised the naming system in order to facilitate census-taking, and the use of census information. The surnames "Zhu" "Lee" "Chung," and "Chang" are most popular in Taiwan, and/or China. In Japan family names were uncommon except among the aristocracy until the 19th century.

In Ancient Greece, during some periods, it became common to use one's place of origin as a part of a person's official identification. [2] At other times, clan names and patronymics ("son of") were also common. For example, Alexander the Great was known by the clan name Heracles and was, therefore, Heracleides (as a supposed descendant of Heracles) and by the dynastic name Karanos/Caranus, which referred to the founder of the dynasty to which he belonged. Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' In Greek mythology, Heracles or Herakles ("glory of Hera " or In none of these cases, though, were these names considered formal parts of the person's name, nor were they explicitly inherited in the manner which is common in many cultures today. They did, however, survive with a vengeance as clan names as 'Greeks' or 'Hellenes' or 'Minoans', as opposed to the toponimic 'The Sea Peoples' used by the Egyptians, or 'Ionians', which is one of the names still used for the Greeks today by Arab-speaking people as 'Younanis'.

In the Roman Empire, the bestowal and use of clan and family names waxed and waned with changes in the various subcultures of the realm. At the outset, they were not strictly inherited in the way that family names are inherited in many cultures today. Eventually, though, family names began to be used in a manner similar to most modern European societies. With the gradual influence of Greek/Christian culture throughout the Empire, the use of formal family names declined. [3] By the time of the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century, family names were uncommon in the Eastern Roman (i. e. Byzantine) Empire. In Western Europe where Germanic culture dominated the aristocracy, family names were almost non-existent. They would not significantly reappear again in Eastern Roman society until the 10th century, apparently influenced by the familial affiliations of the Armenian military aristocracy. [3] The practice of using family names spread through the Eastern Roman Empire and gradually into Western Europe although it was not until the modern era that family names came to be explicitly inherited in the way that they are today.

In the case of England, the most accepted theory of the origin of family names is to attribute their introduction to the Normans and the Domesday Book of 1086. The Normans were the people who gave their names to Normandy, a region in northern France. The Domesday Book (ˈduːmzdeɪ bʊk also known as Domesday, or Book of Winchester) was the record of the great survey As such, documents indicate that surnames were first adopted among the feudal nobility and gentry, and only slowly spread to the other parts of society. Some of the early Norman nobility arriving in England during the Norman Conquest differentiated themselves by affixing 'de' (of) in front of the name of their village in France. This is what is known as a territorial surname, a consequence of feudal landownership. In medieval times in France, those distinguishing themselves by this manner indicated lordship, or ownership, of their village. But some early Norman nobles in England chose to drop the French derivations and simply call themselves after the name of their new English holdings.

During the modern era, many cultures around the world adopted the practice of using family names, particularly for administrative reasons, especially during the imperialistic age of European expansion and particularly from the 17th to 19th centuries]] onwards. Notably examples include the Netherlands (1811), Japan (1870s), Thailand (1920), and Turkey (1934). Nonetheless, their use is not universal: Icelanders, Tibetans, Burmese, and Javanese do not use family names.

By language

English-speaking countries

In Britain, hereditary surnames were adopted in the 13th and 14th centuries, initially by the aristocracy but eventually by everyone. By 1400, most English and Scottish people had acquired surnames, but many Scottish and Welsh people did not adopt surnames until the 17th century, or even later. The English people (from the adjective in Englisc) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to England who predominantly speak English The Scots people ( Scots Gaelic: Albannaich) are a Nation and an Ethnic group indigenous to Scotland. Henry VIII (1509 - 1547) ordered that marital births be recorded under the surname of the father. [4]

Most surnames of British origin fall into seven types:

The original meaning of the name may no longer be obvious in modern English (e. g. , a Cooper is one who makes barrels, and the name Tillotson is a matronymic from a diminutive for Matilda). A much smaller category of names relates to religion, though some of this category are also occupations. The names Bishop, Priest, or Abbot, for example, may indicate that an ancestor worked for a bishop, a priest, or an abbot, respectively, or possibly took such a role in a popular religious play (see pageant play).

In the Americas, the family names of many African-Americans have their origins in slavery. Many of them came to bear the surnames of their former owners. Many freed slaves either created family names themselves or adopted the name of their former master. Others, such as Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X, changed their name rather than live with one they believed had been given to their ancestors by a slave owner.

In England and cultures derived from there (though not in Scotland and France, for example), there has long been the patriarchal tradition for a woman to change her surname upon marriage from her birth name to her husband's last name. The name at birth is the name a child is given by his or her Parents according to a generally universal custom, and legal requirement to file a form of Birth From the first known instance of a woman keeping her birth name, Lucy Stone in the 19th century, there has been a general increase in the rate of women keeping their original name. Lucy Stone ( August 13, 1818 &ndash October 19, 1893) was a prominent American Suffragist. This has gone through periods of flux, however, and the 1990s saw a decline in the percentage of name retention among women. As of 2004, roughly 60% of American women automatically assumed their husband's surname upon getting married. Even in families where the wife has kept her birth name, parents often choose to give their children their father's family name. In English-speaking countries, married women are traditionally known as Mrs [Husband's full name].

In the Middle Ages, when a man from a lower status family married an only daughter from a higher status family, he would often take the wife's family name. In the 18th and 19th centuries in Britain, bequests were sometimes made contingent upon a man changing (or hyphenating) his name, so that the name of the testator continued. A testator is a person who has written and executed a last will and testament that is in effect at the time of his/her death It is rare but not unknown for English-speaking men to take the name of their wives, whether for personal reasons or as a matter of tradition (such as among Canadian aboriginal groups, especially the matrilineal Haida and Kwakiutl); it is increasingly common in the United States, a married couple may choose a new last name entirely. First Nations is a term of Ethnicity that refers to the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis people Matrilineality is a system in which lineage is traced through the mother and maternal ancestors The Haida (19th C-early 20th C Indigenous nation of the west coast of North America. The term Kwakiutl was usually applied to a group of indigenous peoples of northern Vancouver Island, Queen Charlotte Strait and the Johnstone Strait This has become more widely popular in Southern California since the election of Antonio Villaraigosa as Los Angeles mayor.

As an alternative, both spouses may adopt a double-barrelled name. In English-speaking and some other Western countries a double-barrelled name is a Family name with two parts which may or may not be joined with a hyphen for example For instance, when John Smith and Mary Jones marry each other, they may become known as John Smith-Jones and Mary Smith-Jones. However, some consider the extra length of the hyphenated names undesirable. A spouse may also opt to use his or her birth name as a middle name. An additional option is the adoption of a last name derived from an aesthetically pleasing combination of the prior names, such as "Simones". Some couples keep their own last names but give their children hyphenated or combined surnames.

In some jurisdictions, a woman's legal name used to change automatically upon marriage. That change is no longer a requirement, but women may still easily change to their husband's surname. Men can easily change their surname upon marriage with the federal government, through the Social Security Administration, but may face difficulty on the state level in some states. In some places, civil rights lawsuits or constitutional amendments changed the law so that men could also easily change their married names (e. g. , in British Columbia and California). [4] (Note: many Anglophone countries are also common-law countries. )

Many people choose to change their name when they marry, while others do not. There are many reasons why people maintain their surname. One is that dropped surnames disappear throughout generations, while the adopted surname survives. Another reason is that if a person's surname is well known due to his or her particular family's heritage or prominence, he or she may choose to keep his or her birth surname. Yet another is the identity crisis people may experience when giving up their surname. People in academia, for example, who have previously published articles in academic journals under their birth name often do not change their surname after marriage, in order to ensure that they continue to receive credit for their past and future work. This practice is also common among physicians, attorneys, and other professionals, as well as celebrities for whom continuity is important. Though the practice of women maintaining their surname after marriage is increasing, it has not caught on in the general population and there is great peer pressure for women to change their names. Practices among same-sex married couples do not at this point follow any discernible pattern, with some choosing to share surnames, while others do not.

In Southern Gospel and folk music, families often perform together as groups. When female artists in these genres marry, they usually adopt double-barrelled surnames if the husband comes from a noted musical family as well (e. g. Allison Durham Speer, Kelly Crabb Bowling), or simply continue to go by their birth names if the husband is not from such a family (e. The Crabb Family is a Grammy -nominated Dove Award -winning Southern Gospel family group from Beaver Dam Kentucky. g. Karen Peck, Libbi Perry, Janet Paschal). Karen Peck and New River is a Southern Gospel band based in Gainesville GA. The Perrys are a professional Southern Gospel Quartet based in Gallatin TN. Janet Paschal (born October 18 1956 in Reidsville, North Carolina) is a Contemporary Christian and Southern gospel vocalist and performer

Spelling of names in past centuries is often assumed to be a deliberate choice by a family, but due to very low literacy rates, the reality is that many families could not provide the spelling of their surname, and so the scribe, clerk, minister, or official would write down the name on the basis of how it was spoken, or how they heard it. This results in a great many variations, some of which occurred when families moved to another country (e. g. Wagner becoming Wagoner, or Whaley becoming Whealy). With the increase in bureaucracy, officially-recorded spellings tended to become the standard for a given family.

Spanish-speaking countries

For more details on this topic, see Spanish naming customs. In most Spanish -speaking countries people have two surnames.

In medieval times, a patronymic system similar to the one still used in Iceland emerged. For example, Álvaro, the son of Rodrigo would be named Álvaro Rodríguez. His son, Juan, would not be named Juan Rodríguez, but Juan Álvarez. Over time, many of these patronymics became family names and are some of the most common names in the Spanish-speaking world. Other sources of surnames are personal appearance or habit, e. g. Delgado ("thin") and Moreno ("tan"); occupations, e. g. Molinero ("miller"), Reyes ("King") and Guerrero ("warrior"); and geographic location or ethnicity, e. g. Alemán ("German").

However, nowadays in Spain and in many Spanish-speaking countries (former Spanish colonies, e. g. Philippines, Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Venezuela), most people have two family names, although in some situations only the first is used. The first family name is the paternal one, inherited from the father's paternal family name. The second family name is the maternal one, inherited from the mother's paternal family name. (As an example, Mexican boxer Marco Antonio Barrera's full name is Marco Antonio Barrera Tapia, though Barrera is the only one used in general conversation. Marco Antonio Barrera Tapia (born January 17, 1974 in Mexico City) is a Mexican professional boxer. In Spain, a new law approved in 1999 allows an adult to change the order of his/her family names, and parents can also change the order of their children's family names if they agree (if one of their children is at least 12 years old they need his/her agreement too). [5] (Link in Spanish)

Depending on the country, the family names may or may not be linked by the conjunction y ("and"), i ("and", in Catalonia), de ("of") and de la ("of the", when the following word is feminine). Catalonia (Cataluña Catalunya Aranese: Catalonha) is an Autonomous Community in the northeast part of Spain. However, in many South American countries, people have now adopted the English-speaking custom of having a single family name (e. g. , in Argentina). For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. Sometimes a new father transmits his complete family name by creating a new one, combining his two family names, e. g. , the paternal surname of the son of Javier (given name) Reyes (paternal family name) de la Barrera (maternal surname) may become the new paternal surname Reyes de la Barrera.

At present in Spain, women upon marrying keep their own two family names. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. In certain rare situations, especially the nobility, she may be addressed as if her maternal surname had been replaced with her husband's paternal surname, often linked with de. For example, a woman named Ana García Díaz, upon marrying Juan Guerrero Macías, could be called Ana García de Guerrero. This custom, begun in medieval times, is decaying and only has legal validity in Mexico, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Peru and Panama. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. The Dominican Republic ( Spanish: República Dominicana;) is a nation located in the Caribbean region and shares the island of Hispaniola with For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Ecuador topics. Guatemala (República de Guatemala) is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west the Pacific Ocean to the southwest Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. Panama, officially the Republic of Panama (República de Panamá) is the southernmost country of Central America. In Mexico, when women get married they keep their first family name followed by "de" and then the husband's last name. For example María Martínez López when married to Josué Vásquez Hernández would then be María Martínez de Vásquez. In Peru and the Dominican Republic, women normally conserve all family names after getting married. For example, if Rosa María Pérez Martínez marries Juan Martín De La Cruz Gómez, she will be called Rosa María Pérez Martínez de De La Cruz, and if the husband dies, she will be called Rosa María Pérez Martínez Vda. de De La Cruz (Vda. is the abbreviation for Viuda, "widow" in Spanish). In Ecuador, a couple can choose the order of their children's surnames. Most choose the traditional order (e. g. , Guerrero García in the example above), but some invert the order, putting the mother's paternal surname first and the father's paternal surname last (e. g. , García Guerrero from the example above). Such inversion, if chosen, must be maintained for all the children.

In Argentina only one family name, the father's paternal family name, is commonly used and registered, as in English-speaking countries (the real reason why many Argentinians [but by no means all, a large proportion of them use two as per Spanish usage] use one last name is because a large proportion of the dominant class come from Italian ascent, and therefore follow the conventions of this country). For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. Women, however, do not change their family names upon marriage and continue to use their birth family names instead of their husband's family names.

French-speaking countries

For more details on this topic, see French name etymology.

France

For more details on this topic, see French name. This article describes the conventions for using people's names in France, including the norms of custom and practice as well as the legal aspects

Belgium

For more details on this topic, see Wallonian name.

Canadian

For more details on this topic, see Canadian name. French-speaking societies have many similarities to English-speaking ones in the way family names are used

German-speaking countries

For more details on this topic, see German family name etymology. German family names were introduced during the late Middle Ages in the German language area

There are about 1,000,000 different family names in German. German family names most often derive from given names, occupational designations, bodily attributes or geographical names. Hyphenations notwithstanding, they mostly consist of a single word; in those rare cases where the family name is linked to the given names by particles such as von or zu, they usually indicate noble ancestry. Nobility is a government-privileged title which may be either hereditary (see Hereditary titles) or for a lifetime An ancestor is a Parent or ( recursively) the parent of an ancestor (i Not all noble families used these names (see Riedesel), while some farm families, particularly in Westphalia, used the particle von or zu followed by their farm or former farm's name as a family name (see Meyer zu Erpen). Riedesel is a German family name that began to appear in legal documents in the early 1200s.

Family names in German-speaking countries are usually positioned last, after all given names. There are exceptions, however: In parts of Austria and the Alemannic-speaking areas, the family name is regularly put in front of the first given name. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich Alemannic German ( Alemannisch) is a group of Dialects of the Upper German branch of the Germanic language family. Also in many - especially rural - parts of Germany, to emphasize family affiliation there is often an inversion in colloquial use, in which the family name becomes a possessive: Rüters Erich, for example, would be Erich of the Rüter family. Rural areas can be large and isolated (also referred to as "the country" and/or "the countryside over the course of time

In Germany today, upon marriage, both partners can choose to keep their birth name or one of them can adopt a hyphenated name of their birth names (the latter case is forbidden for both partners and for the last names of children), or one of them can switch to their partner's name (if the partner keeps it). After that, they must decide on one family name for all their future children, by pretty much the same rules. (German name)
Changing one's family name for reasons other than marriage, divorce or adoption is only possible in Germany if the applicant can prove that they suffer extraordinarily due to their name. German names consist of one or several Vornamen ( Forenames and a Nachname ( Familienname, Family name)

Portuguese-speaking countries

Further information: Portuguese name

In the case of Portuguese naming customs, the main surname (the one used in alphasorting, indexing, abbreviations, and greetings), appears last (reverse the order of Spanish surnames). A typical Portuguese name is composed of one or two Given names and two family names. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula.

Each person usually has two family names: the first is the maternal family name; the last is the paternal family name. A person can have up to six names (two first names and four surnames — he or she may have two names from the mother and two from the father).

In ancient times a patronymic was commonly used — surnames like Gonçalves ("son of Gonçalo"), Fernandes ("son of Fernando"), Nunes ("son of Nuno"), Soares ("son of Soeiro"), Sanches ("son of Sancho"), Henriques ("son of Henrique") which along with many others are still in regular use as very prevalent family names. A patronym, is a component of a Personal name based on the name of one's father

Brazilians usually call people only by their given names, omitting family names, even in many formal situations (as in the press referring to authorities, e. g. "Former President Fernando Henrique", never Former President Cardoso), or "President Lula" ("Lula" was actually his nickname). A nickname is a Name of an entity or thing that is not its Proper name. When formality or a prefix requires a family name, the given name usually precedes the surname, e. g. João Santos, or Sr. João Santos.

Dutch-speaking countries

For more details on this topic, see Netherlands name etymology. Dutch names consist of one or several Given names and a Surname.

The Netherlands

For more details on this topic, see Dutch name. Dutch names consist of one or several Given names and a Surname.

Belgium

For more details on this topic, see Flanders name. Dutch names consist of one or several Given names and a Surname.

South Africa

For more details on this topic, see Afrikaner name.

By country

Armenia

Armenian surnames almost always have the ending (Armenian: յան) transliterated into English as -yan or -ian (spelled -ean (եան) in Western Armenian and pre-Soviet Eastern Armenian, of Parthian origin, presumably meaning "son of"), though names with that ending can also be found among Persians and a few other nationalities. Suffixes and prefixes Typical Armenian last names ( Family names) end with the originally Persian suffix -ian -yan or sometimes -jan The Armenian language (hy հայերեն լեզու hajɛɹɛn lɛzu —, conventional short form) is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian The Parthian language, also known as Arsacid Pahlavi, is a now-extinct ancient Northwestern Iranian language spoken in Parthia, a region of northeastern Armenian surnames can derive from a geographic location, profession, noble rank, personal characteristic or personal name of an ancestor. Armenians in the diaspora sometimes adapt their surnames to help assimiliation. In Russia, many have changed -yan to -ov (or -ova for women). In Turkey, many have changed the ending to -oglu (also meaning "son of"). In English and French-speaking countries, many have shortened their name by removing the ending (for example Charles Aznavour). Charles Aznavour OC ( Armenian: Շառլ Ազնավուր born Shahnour Varenagh Aznavourian (Շահնուր Վաղինակ Ազնավուրյան In ancient Armenia, many noble names ended with the locative -t'si (example, Khorenatsi) or -uni (Bagratuni). The Bagratuni or Bagratid royal dynasty of Armenia (Բագրատունյաց Արքայական Տոհմ or Bagratunyac Arqayakan Tohm) is a royal family Several modern Armenian names also have a Turkish suffix which appears before -ian/-yan: -lian denotes a placename; -djian denotes a profession. Some Western Armenian names have a particle Der, while their Eastern counterparts have Ter. This particle indicates an ancestor who was a priest (Armenian priests can choose to marry or remain celibate, but married priests cannot become bishop). Thus someone named Der Bedrosian (Western) or Ter Petrosian (Eastern) is a descendent of an Armenian priest. The convention is still in use today: the children of a priest named Hagop Sarkisian would be called Der Sarkisian.

Azerbaijan

Traditional Azeri surnames usually end with "-lı", "-lu", (Turkic for 'with' or 'belonging to'), "-oğlu", "-qızı" (Turkic for 'son of' and 'daughter of'), "-zade"(Persian for 'born of'). Some Iranian Azerbaijanis use suffixes such as '-pour' or '-zadeh' meaning 'born of' with their father's name but it is more usual for them to use the name of the city they or their ancestors lived in (e. g. Tabrizpour for those from Tabriz) or their occupation (e. g. Damirchizadeh for blacksmiths).

However, following the occupation of Azerbaijan by the Red Army, the coutry became part of the Soviet Union. As a result, Azeri people were forced to abandon their traditional Azeri surname suffixes which were then replaced by Russian "-ov", "-yev" for men and "-ova", "-yeva" for women.

In 1991, Azerbaijan gained its independence from the Soviet Union. Since then, more and more Azeris are switching back to their original surnames.

Finland

Main article: Finnish name

Finland has two predominant surname traditions: the West Finnish and the East Finnish. In Finland, a person must have a Surname and 1–3 first names Surnames are inherited patrilineally while first names are usually chosen by person's parents East Finnish Culture and Dialect are chiefly vested in the Savonians and the Karelians. Until the early 20th Century, Finland was a predominantly agrarian society and the names of West Finns were based on their association with a particular area, farm, or homestead, e. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture The terms Finns and Finnish people ( Finnish: suomalaiset, Swedish: finländare) are used in English to A farm is an area of land including various structures devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food ( Produce, Grains, or Livestock A smallholding is a Farm of small size Often too small to be efficient the utility of smallholdings varies from place to place g. Jaakko Jussila ("Jaakko from the farm of Jussi"). On the other hand, the East Finnish surname tradition dates back to 13th century. There, the Savonians pursued slash-and-burn agriculture which necessitated moving several times during a person's lifetime. Slash and burn consists of cutting and burning of Forests or Woodlands to create fields for Agriculture or Pasture for Livestock, or This in turn required the families to have surnames, which were in wide use among the common folk as early as in the 13th century. By the mid-16th century, the East Finnish surnames had become hereditary. Typically, the oldest East Finnish surnames were formed from the first names of the patriarchs of the families, e. g Ikävalko, Termonen, Pentikäinen. In the 16th, 17th and 17th centuries, new names were most often formed by adding the place name of the former or current place of living (e. g. Puumalainen < Puumala). Puumala is a municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of the Southern Savonia In the East Finnish tradition, the females carried the family name of their fathers in female form (e. g. Puumalatar < Puumalainen). By 19th century, this practice fell into disuse due to the influence of West-European surname tradition.

In Western Finland, the agrarian names dominated, and the last name of the person was usually given according to the farm or holding they lived on. In 1921, surnames became compulsory for all Finns. Year 1921 ( MCMXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1921 calendar of the Gregorian calendar At this point, the agrarian names were usually adopted as surnames. A typical feature of such names is the addition of prefixes Ala- (Sub-) or Ylä- (Up-), giving the location of the holding along a waterway in relation of the main holding. (e. g. Yli-Ojanperä, Ala-Verronen)

A third, foreign tradition of surnames was introduced in Finland by the Swedish-speaking upper and middle classes which used typical German and Swedish surnames. By custom, all Finnish-speaking persons who were able to get a position of some status in urban or learned society, discarded their Finnish name, adopting a Swedish, German or (in case of clergy) Latin surnames. In the case of enlisted soldiers, the new name was given regardless of the wishes of the individual. The allotment system (indelningsverket ruotujakolaitos was a system used in Sweden for keeping a trained army at all times

In the late 19th and early 20th century, the overall modernization process and especially, the political movement of fennicization caused a movement for adoption of Finnish surnames. Fennicization or Finnicization (Fennicisation/Finnicisation is the changing of one's personal names from other languages (usually Swedish) into Finnish At that time, many persons with a Swedish or otherwise foreign surname changed their family name to a Finnish one. The features of nature with endings -o/ö, -nen (Meriö < Meri "sea", Nieminen < Niemi "point") are typical of the names of this era, as well as more or less direct translations of Swedish names (Paasivirta < Hällström). [5]

In the 21st century Finland, the use of surnames follows the German model. German names consist of one or several Vornamen ( Forenames and a Nachname ( Familienname, Family name) Every person is legally obliged to have a first and last name. At most, three first names are allowed. The Finnish married couple may adopt the name of either spouse, or either spouse (or both spouses) may decide to use a double barrelled name. In English-speaking and some other Western countries a double-barrelled name is a Family name with two parts which may or may not be joined with a hyphen for example The parents may choose either surname or the double barrelled surname for their children, but all siblings must share the same surname [6]. All persons have the right to change their surname once without any specific reason. A surname that is un-Finnish, contrary to the usages of the Swedish or Finnish languages or is in use by any person resident in Finland cannot be accepted as the new name, unless valid family reasons or religious or national customs give a reason for waiving this requirement. However, persons may change their surname to any surname that has ever been used by their ancestors, if they can prove such claim. [7] Some immigrants have had difficulty naming their children, as they must choose from an approved list based on the family's household language.

In the Finnish language, the root of the surname can be modified by consonant gradation regularly when inflected to a case. Consonant gradation is a type of Consonant mutation, in which consonants alternate between various "grades" In contrast, first names do not undergo qualitative gradation (e. g. Hilta - Hiltan), only quantitative gradation (Mikko - Mikon).

Georgia

Main article: Georgian surnames

Most eastern Georgian surnames end with the suffix of "-shvili", Georgian for "child" or "offspring". Most Georgian Surnames are derived either from Patronymics or less frequently from Toponyms with addition of various suffixes Georgia ( საქართველო, Sakartvelo) is a Transcontinental country in the Caucasus region situated at the dividing line between Western Georgian surnames most commonly have the suffix "-dze", Georgian for "son". Megrelian surnames usually end in "-ia" or "ua". Mingrelian, or Megrelian (მარგალურ ნინა margalur nina; მეგრული ენა megruli ena) is a Language Other location-specific endings exist: In Svaneti "-iani", meaning "belonging to", or "hailing from", is common. Svaneti or Svanetia ( Suania in ancient sources (სვანეთი Svaneti) is a historic province in Georgia, in the northwestern part of In the eastern Georgian highlands common endings are "uri" and "uli". Some noble family names end in "eli", meaning "of (someplace)". Nobility is a government-privileged title which may be either hereditary (see Hereditary titles) or for a lifetime In Georgian, the surname is not normally used as the polite form of address; instead, the given name is used together with a title. Georgian (ka ქართული ენა kartuli ena) is the Official language of Georgia, a country in the Caucasus. For instance, Eduard Shevardnadze is politely addressed as bat'oni Edvardi "Mr. Eduard Amvrosiyevich Shevardnadze (ედუარდ შევარდნაძე ɛduɑrd ʃɛvɑrdnɑdzɛ (born 25 January 1928 in Mamati, Lanchkhuti Eduard".

Greece

Greek surnames are most commonly patronymics. Occupation, characteristic or ethnic background and location/origin-based surnames names also occur; they are sometimes supplemented by nicknames.

Commonly, Greek male surnames end in -s, which is the common ending for Greek masculine proper nouns in the nominative case. The nominative case is a Grammatical case for a Noun, which generally marks the subject of a Verb, as opposed to its object or other Exceptionally, some end in -ou, indicating the genitive case of this proper noun for patronymic reasons. In Grammar, the genitive case or possessive case (also called the second case) is the case that marks a Noun as modifying another

Although surnames are static today, dynamic and changing patronym usage survives in middle names in Greece where the genitive of father's first name is commonly the middle name.

Because of their codification in the Modern Greek state, surnames have Katharevousa forms even though Katharevousa is no longer the official standard. Katharevousa (Καθαρεύουσα, lit "the purified one" is a form of the Greek language conceived in the early 19th century by Greek intellectual Thus, the Ancient Greek name Eleutherios forms the Modern Greek proper name Lefteris, and former vernacular practice (prefixing the surname to the proper name) was to call John Eleutherios as Leftero-giannis.

Modern practice is to call the same person Giannis Eleftheriou: the proper name is vernacular (and not Ioannis), but the surname is an archaic genitive.

Female surnames, are most often in the Katharevousa genitive case of a male name. Katharevousa (Καθαρεύουσα, lit "the purified one" is a form of the Greek language conceived in the early 19th century by Greek intellectual In Grammar, the genitive case or possessive case (also called the second case) is the case that marks a Noun as modifying another This is an innovation of the Modern Greek state; Byzantine practice was to form a feminine counterpart of the male surname (e. g. masculine Palaiologos, Byzantine feminine Palaiologina, Modern feminine Palaiologou).

In the past, women would change their surname when married, to that of their husband (again in genitive case) signifying the transfer of "dependence" from the father to the husband. In earlier Modern Greek society, women were named with -aina as a feminine suffix on the husband's first name: "Giorgaina", "Mrs George", "Wife of George". Nowadays, a woman's surname does not change upon marriage, though she can use the husband's surname socially. Children usually receive the paternal surname, though in rare cases, if the bride and groom have agreed before the marriage, the children can receive the maternal surname.

Some surnames are prefixed with Papa-, indicating ancestry from a priest, i. e. . "Papadopoulos", the "son of the priest (papas)". Others, like Archi- and Mastro- signify "boss" and "tradesman" respectively. This article is about the skilled manual worker meaning of the term for other uses see Tradesperson (disambiguation A tradesman is a skilled manual worker

Prefixes such as Konto-, Makro-, and Chondro-, describe body characteristics, such as "short", "tall/long" and "fat". "Gero-" and "Palaio-" signify "old" or "wise".

Other prefixes include Hadji- which was an honorific deriving from the Arabic Hadj or pilgrimage, and indicate that the person had made a pilgrimage (in the case of Christians to Jerusalem) and Kara- which is attributed to the Turkish word for "black" deriving from the Ottoman Empire era. Hajji (الحجّي al-ḥağğī Hadžija Pilgrim) or El-Hajj, is an honorific title given to a Muslim person who has successfully completed The Hajj (حج is a pilgrimage to Mecca (Makkah It is the largest annual pilgrimage in the world The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish

Arvanitic surnames are also common. Arvanitika or Arvanitic ( Albanian: Arbërisht, Greek: αρβανίτικα arvanitika) is the variety of Albanian For example, the Arvanitic word for "brave" or "pallikari" (in Greek) being "çanavar" or its shortened form "çavar" was pronounced "tzanavar" or "tzavar" giving birth to traditional Arvanitic family names like "Tzanavaras" and/or "Tzavaras". [8]

Most Greek patronymic suffixes are diminutives, which vary by region. The most common Hellenic patronymic suffixes are:

Others, less common are:

The suffix -idis(often transliterated -ides in English and French languages) is the oldest in use. Zeus, for example was also referred to as Cronides ("son of Cronus"). Zeus (zjuːs in Greek: nominative: Zeús /zdeús/ genitive: Diós; Modern Greek /'zefs/ in Greek mythology Zeus (zjuːs in Greek: nominative: Zeús /zdeús/ genitive: Diós; Modern Greek /'zefs/ in Greek mythology Cronus or Kronos, ( Ancient Greek Κρόνος Krónos) was the leader and the youngest of the first generation of Titans, divine descendants

Hungary

Further information: Hungarian name, Hungarian name order

In Hungarian, like Asian languages but unlike most other European ones (see French and German above for exceptions), the family name is placed before the given names. Hungarian ( magyar nyelv) is a Uralic language (more specifically a Ugric language) unrelated to most other languages in Europe. Hungarian ( magyar nyelv) is a Uralic language (more specifically a Ugric language) unrelated to most other languages in Europe. This usage does not apply to non-Hungarian names, for example "Tony Blair" will remain "Tony Blair" when written in Hungarian texts.

Names of Hungarian individuals, however, appear in Western order in English writing.

Iceland

For more details on Naming conventions of Iceland, see Icelandic name. Icelandic names differ from most Western Family name systems by being Patronymic (and sometimes Matronymic) in that they reflect the immediate

In Iceland, most people have no family name; a person's last name is most commonly a patronymic, i. Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland ( A patronym, is a component of a Personal name based on the name of one's father e. derived from the father's first name. For example, when a man called Karl has a daughter called Anna and a son called Magnús, their full names will typically be Anna Karlsdóttir ("Karl's daughter") and Magnús Karlsson ("Karl's son"). The name is not changed upon marriage.

India

Main article: Indian family name

India is a country with numerous distinct cultures and language groups within it. Indian family names are based on a variety of systems and Naming conventions, which vary from region to region Thus, Indian surnames, where formalized, fall into seven general types. And many people from the southern states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala do not use any formal surnames, though most have one.

In Northern India, most of the people have their family name after the given names, there as in Southern India, the given names come after the family name.

The convention is to write the first name followed by middle names and surname. It is common to use the father's first name as the middle name or last name even though it is not universal. In some Indian states like Maharashtra, official documents list the family name first, followed by a comma and the given names. Maharashtra ( Marathi: mahārāṣṭra, IPA) is a state located on the western coast of India.

It is customary for wives to take the surname of their husband after marriage. In modern times, in urban areas at least, this practice is not universal. In some rural areas, particularly in North India, wives may also take a new first name after their nuptials. Children inherit their surnames from their father.

In some parts of Southern India, no formal surname is used, because the family has decided to forgo its existing clan name. There has been a minor reversal of this trend in the recent times. This practice is prevalent in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Tamil Nadu ( Tamil:, Country of the Tamils, t̪ɐmɨɻ n̪aːɽɯ is one of the 28 states of India. Kerala ( Malayalam: {{Kerala in Malayalam}}; For example, people from the kongu vellala gounder community of Tamilnadu have in general two titles: the caste title Gounder and the clan name, example Perungudi. Nowadays it is common for people not to use any of these titles. So a Konguvel, son of Shanmuganathan, of say Erode, would call himself Konguvel Shanmughanathan, instead of the traditional Erode Perungudi Konguvel Gounder. This practise is of very recent origin though. Wife or child takes the given name of the husband or father (Usha married Satish, and may therefore be called Usha Satish or simply S. Usha). In many communities, especially Christian, names are formed by the given name as the first name, the family name and house name as the middle name(s) and the father's/husband's given name as the last name. Thus, the last name changes with each generation. The house name would also change as generations move out of their consanguineal family homes with the changing ownership of property upon the death of the patriarch.

Jains generally use Jain, Shah, Firodia, Singhal or Gupta as their last names. Jainism, traditionally known as Jain Dharma / Shraman Dharma (जैन धर्म is an ancient religion of India. Shah is an Iranian term for a Monarch (leader that has been adopted in many other languages Emperor Agrasen and Queen Madhavi ruled Agroha around 3200 BC Sikhs generally use the words Singh ("lion") and Kaur ("princess") as surnames added to the otherwise unisex first names of men and women, respectively. It is also common to use a different surname after Singh in which case Singh or Kaur are used as middle names (Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Surinder Kaur Badal). Montek Singh Ahluwalia (born November 24, 1943) has been a key figure in India 's economic reforms from the early 1980s onwards The tenth Guru of Sikhism ordered (Hukamnama) that any man who considered himself a Sikh must use Singh in his name and any woman who considered herself a Sikh must use Kaur in her name. A Hukamnama refers to a hymn from the Guru Granth Sahib which is given as an order to Sikhs or a historical order given by one of the Guru's of Sikhism. Other middle names or honorifics that are sometimes used as surnames include Kumar, Dev, Lal, and Chand.

The modern day spellings of names originated when families translated their surnames to English, with no standardization across the country. Variations are regional, based on how the name was translated from the local language to English in the 18th, 19th or 20th centuries during British rule. Therefore, it is understood in the local traditions that Agrawal and Aggarwal represent the same name derived from Uttar Pradesh and Punjab respectively. Similarly, Tagore derives from Bengal while Thakur is from Hindi-speaking areas. The officially-recorded spellings tended to become the standard for that family. In the modern times, some states have attempted at standardization, particularly where the surnames were corrupted because of the early British insistence of shortening them for convenience. Thus Bandopadhyay became Banerji, Mukhopadhay became Mukherji, Chattopadhyay became Chatterji etc. This coupled with various other spelling variations created several surnames based on the original surnames. The West Bengal Government now insists on re-converting all the variations to their original form when the child is enrolled in school. West Bengal ( Bengali: পশ্চিমবঙ্গ Poshchim Bônggo poʃtʃim bɔŋgo is a state in eastern India.

Some parts of Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal, Myanmar, and Indonesia have similar patronymic customs as that of India. Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj Nepal (नेपाल) is a Landlocked country in South Asia. Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia.

Indonesia

Indonesians comprise more than 300 ethnic groups. Not all of these groups traditionally have surnames. Nonetheless, Indonesians are well aware of the custom of family names, which is known as "Marga", or "Fam", and such names have become a specific kind of identifier. People can tell what a person's heritage is by his or her surname.

Javanese people are the majority in Indonesia, and most do not have any surname. Java (Jawa is an Island of Indonesia and the site of its Capital city Jakarta. There are many individuals who have only name, such as "Suharto" and "Sukarno". Suharto, also spelled Soeharto (June 8 1921 &ndash January 27 2008 was an Indonesian military leader and the second President of Indonesia, holding Sukarno ( June 6, 1901 – June 21, 1970) was the first President of Indonesia. These are not only common with the Javanese but also with ethnic groups who do not have the tradition of surnames. If, however, they are Muslims, they might opt to follow Arabic naming customs. Old Arabic names are based on a long naming system most Arabs do not simply have given / middle / Family names but a full chain of names

Scotland and Ireland

For more details on this topic, see Irish name. A formal Irish-language name consists of a Given name and a Surname, as in English

Many surnames in Ireland of Gaelic origin derive from ancestors' names, nicknames, or descriptive names. Irish (ga ''Gaeilge'' is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish. A nickname is a Name of an entity or thing that is not its Proper name. In the first group can be placed surnames such as McMurrough and McCarthy, derived from patronymics, or O'Brien and O'Grady, derived from ancestral names.

Gaelic surnames derived from nicknames include Ó Dubhda (from Aedh ua Dubhda - Aedh (pronounced Hugh), the dark one), O'Doherty (from dochartaigh, "destroyer" or "obtrusive"), Garvery (garbh, "rough" or "nasty"), Manton (mantach, "toothless"), Bane (bán, "white", as in "white hair"), Finn (fionn, "fair", as in "fair hair"), and Kennedy (cinnéide, "ugly head"). Dowd is a derivation of an ancient Surname which was once common in Ireland but is now quite rare Doherty Clan (Clann Ua Dochartaigh is an Irish clan based in County Donegal in the north of the island of Ireland.

In contrast to England, very few Gaelic surnames are derived from placenames or venerated people/objects. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Among those that are included in this small group, several can be shown to be derivations of Gaelic personal names or surnames. One notable exception is Ó Cuilleáin or O'Collins (from cuileann, "Holly") as in the Holly Tree, considered one of the most sacred objects of pre-Christian Celtic culture. O'Collins is a common anglicized Surname of two ancient families of Irish origin the O'Cuilleain (O'Collins and the O'Coilean (O'Collins Holly ( Ilex) is a Genus of about 600 Species of Flowering plants in the family Aquifoliaceae, and the only Another is Walsh (Irish: Breatnach), meaning Welsh. Irish (ga ''Gaeilge'' is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish. The Welsh people ( Welsh: Cymro ("Welshman" Cymraes ("Welsh woman" Cymry ("Welshmen/women" Cymry

In areas where certain family names are extremely common, extra names are added that sometimes follow this archaic pattern. In Ireland, for example, where Murphy is an exceedingly common name, particular Murphy families or extended families are nicknamed, so that Denis Murphy's family were called The Weavers and Denis himself was called Denis "The Weaver" Murphy. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Denis Murphy may refer to Denis Murphy (Irish musician, Irish traditional musician from the Sliabh Luachra area Denis Murphy (Queensland (See also O'Hay. Hayes is a common English language Surname. In the United States Census 1990, Hayes was the 100th most common surname recorded )

For much the same reason, nicknames (e. g. the Fada Burkes, "the long/tall Burkes"), father's names (e. g. John Morrissey Ned) or mother's maiden name (Kennedy becoming Kennedy-Lydon) can become colloquial or legal surnames. The Irish family of de Courcy Ireland became so-named to distinguish them from their cousins who moved to France in the 17th and 18th centuries.

In addition to all this, Irish speaking areas still follow the old tradition of naming themselves after their father, grandfather, great-grandfather and so on. Examples include Mike Bartly Pat Reilly ("Mike, son of Bartholomew, son of Pat Reilly"), John Michel John Oge Pat Breanach ("John, son of Michael, son of young John, son of Pat Breanach"), Tom Paddy-Joe Seoige ("Tom, son of Paddy-Joe Seoige"), and Mary Bartly Mike Walsh ("Mary, daughter of Bartly, son of Mike Walsh"). Sometimes, the female line of the family is used, depending on how well the parent is known in the area the person resides, e. g. Paddy Mary John ("Paddy, son of Mary, daughter of John"). A similar tradition continues even in English-speaking areas, especially in rural districts.

Some Irish surnames can be mistaken for non-Irish. Anglicization of many surnames has been so thorough that bona-fide Irish names such as Crockwell and Harrington appear to be English. Other Irish names can appear to be German (Bruder), Italian (Costello), or even Polish (Comiskey).

Surname prefixes

Iranian/Persian

Persian personal names may have single or multiple surname elements and appear on title pages as follows:

Affixes are:

i, ian, deh, dust, fard, far, ju, iya, nia, nizhad (or nejad), oo, par, parast, pour, rad, vand, vard, yar, zadeh, zad, zand

Sometimes name of cities or towns are attached as the last word in the family name such as: Tehrani, Shirazi, Esfahani, Tabrizi, Zanjani, Angurani, Samani, Farahani

Some common Persian last names are: Afsar, Agassi, Alivandi, Alizadeh, Amanpour, Ansari, Anvari, Ariani, Arki, Ashtari, Azria, Bahari, Bahrami, Bakhtiari, Bateni, Bozorgi, Dashti, Ebadi, Emami, Fakoor, Farahani, Feiz, Firozi, Gharani, Gharibpour, Ghasemi, Hosseini, Kalbasi, Karimi, Kashani, Kiyanfar, Kiyanpour, Loghmani, Mehranzadeh, Mirzapour, Motallebzadeh, Najafi, Nakhudeh, Niyazfar, Omidifar, Ovisi, Rabiee, Rahimi, Rastinpour, Rezaei, Rouzrokh, Samani, Sarafpour, Sattari, Soltanzadeh, Souriani, Talebi, Teymourian, Yazdani, Zahedi, Zandi, Zandipour, Esfahani, Milani, Shirazi and Tehrani. Esfahān or Isfahan (historically also rendered as Ispahan or Hispahan, Old Persian: Aspadana, Middle Persian: Spahān Milani is a surname and may refer to Abbas Milani (born 1949 Iranian-American historian Aureliano Milani (1675-1749 Italian painter Shiraz ( شیراز Shīrāz) is the fifth most populated city in Iran and the capital of Fars Province. Tehran (or Teheran) ( Persian: تهران Tehrān) is the capital and largest City of Iran, and the administrative center of

Most, but not all last names that end in "ian" and sometimes "yan" are traditionally Persian last names. Armenian last names can also contain ian, but does not mean that they have to be Persian however they still hold the Persian suffix, "ian". This is the same for "-stan" which is a Persian noun-maker suffix used for country names such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, etc. which comes from Persian meaning "land" or "province" (Ostan in Persian). Iran is subdivided into thirty provinces ( Persian: استان ostān, plural استان‌ها ostānhā) each governed from a local center

In the old traditional Persian culture the wife did not take on the husband's surname. Although she kept her name, her husband's surname was used when she was referred to or addressed directly in a formal setting.

Italy

See also: Category:Italian surnames
Main article: Italian name#Surnames

Italy has around 350,000 surnames. A name in Italian consists of a Given name ( nome) and a Surname ( cognome) Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Most of them derive from the following sources: patronym or ilk (e. A patronym, is a component of a Personal name based on the name of one's father Ilk is a Village in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county in the Northern Great Plain Region of eastern Hungary. g. Francesco di Marco, "Francis, son of Mark" or Eduardo de Filippo, "Edward belonging to the family of Philip"), occupation (e. Eduardo De Filippo, often called simply Eduardo ( 24 May, 1900 - 31 October 1984) was an Italian actor playwright screenwriter g. Enzo Ferrari, "Enzo the Smith"), personal characteristic (e. Enzo Anselmo "the Commendatore" Ferrari ( February 20, 1898 &ndash August 14, 1988) was an Italian car driver and entrepreneur g. nicknames or pet names like Dario Forte, "Darius the Strong"), geographic origin (e. g. Elisabetta Romano, "Elisabeth from Rome") and objects (e. g. Carlo Sacchi, "Charles Bags"). The two most common Italian family names, Russo and Rossi, mean the same thing, "Red", possibly referring to a hair color that would have been very distinctive in Italy.

Both Western and Eastern orders are used for full names: the given name usually comes first, but the family name may come first in formal or administrative settings; lists are usually indexed according to the last name.

Women usually keep their surname when married but may also be addressed with the surname of the husband, especially when they become widows. WIDOW is a full-length Album recorded by British rock band Ritual released in 1983 Sometimes both surnames are written (the proper first), usually separated by in (e. g. Giuseppina Mauri in Crivelli). A woman using only her birth surname may add a giovane to the name (e. g. Mauri giovane) to indicate clearly that it is not her husband's name.

In a recently proposed law, a child may receive the surname of either the mother or the father.

Lithuania

Lithuanian names follow the Slavic distinction between male and female suffixes of names, although the details are different. Male surnames usually end in -as, -is, -ius, or -us, whereas the female versions change these suffixes to -aitė, -ytė, -iūtė, and -utė respectively (if unmarried) or -ienė (if married). Some Lithuanians have names of Polish or Baltic origin, which are made to conform to Lithuanian by changing the final -ski to -skas, such as Jablonskas, with the female version being -skienė.

Malta

Due to different cultures that had their impacts on the Maltese archipelago, several surnames were acquired.

Sicilian and Italian surnames are common due to the close vicinity to Malta. Sicilian (scn '''''lu sicilianu''''' lingua siciliana, also known as Siculu or Calabro-Sicilian) is a Romance language. Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. Examples include Bonello, Camilleri, Cauchi, Chetcuti, Dalli, Darmanin, Farrugia, Giglio, Gauci, Delicata, Licari, Magri, Rizzo, Schembri, Tabone, Troisi, Vassallo, etc. Gauci is a common Surname that originated in Italy, and is now found mainly in Malta due to the immigration (and also exile of large numbers of people

English surnames exist due to Malta forming a part of the British Empire in the 19th century and most of the 20th. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Examples include Bickle, Haidon, Harmsworth, Atkins, Mattocks, Martin, Wallbank, Smith, Jones, Sixsmith, Woods, Turner, Henwood.

Semitic surnames are common, due to the early presence of Eastern and Southern Mediterranean people in Malta. Siculo Arabic (or Sicilian Arabic) was a variety of Arabic spoken in Sicily and Malta between the ninth and the fourteenth centuries Examples include Sammut, Zammit, Said, Borg, Xuereb, Xerri, Grixti, Xriha, although the last three are also written in a Italianized form, i. e. Scerri, Griscti, Sciriha, due to Maltese being written in the Italian alphabet in the 19th century.

Spanish surnames exist too. Two common surnames are Calleja and Galdes and less common surnames are Enriquez, Herrera, Guzman, Inguanez, Carabez. A variant of Galdes exists and is Galdies, with only one family possessing it.

Such as Papagiorcopoulo, Dacoutros, Vasilopoulos, Vasilis, Trakosopoulos

Such as Depuis, Montfort. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people

Zerafa

Surnames from foreign countries from Middle Ages include German ones such as von Brockdorff, Engerer, Hyzler, Schranz, Craus, Fenech

The Jews have also left a relic of their presence on the island with the surnames of Abela, Ellul, Azzopardi and Cohen. Currently spoken languages Arabic Arabic is the language of 55% of Algeria's population particularly Algerian Arabic spoken by 50 % in addition The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Azzopardi is a Maltese Surname derived from the Hebrew A Safardi, which means a "a Jew coming from Spain "

Some Maltese women, in order to preserve a rare surname from becoming extinct after marriage, add their maiden surname to their husband's. Sometimes, it becomes a sign of social status. These include: Spiteri-Gonzi, Fleri Soler, Mifsud-Bonnici, Sammut-Alessi, Sammut-Testaferrata, Cachia-Zammit, Caruana Curran, Vella-Maistre, Zarb Cousin, Fenech-Adami, Borg Olivier, Sant Fournier.

The few original Maltese surnames are those which show places of origin, for example, Chircop (Kirkop), Lia (Lija), Balzan (Balzan), Valletta (Valletta), Sciberras (Xebb ir-Ras Hill, on which Valletta was built) and possibly Curmi from Qormi. Kirkop (Chircop is a small Village south of Malta. It is home of the STMicroelectronics plant whose production accounts for 60% of the exports in Malta Lija or Lia is a small village located approximately in the centre of Malta with 2779 inhabitants residing in it (Nov 2005 For the international Balzan prize and its donator Eugenio Balzan see Balzan Prize Balzan (or Ħal-Balzan, pronounced bal-tsan Valletta ( Belt Valletta or Città Umilissima) is the capital city of Malta. Qormi or Città Pinto (Ħal Qormi ħal ʔormiis a city in Malta with a population of 16576 (as of November 2005 which makes it the third largest

The village of Munxar, Gozo is characterised by the majority of its population having one from two surnames, either Curmi or de Brincat. Munxar or Monsciar is a village which lies on the southern side of Gozo Island, Malta, close to the village of Sannat. Gozo ( Għawdex) is an Island of the Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea, the island is part of the Southern European In Gozo, the surname Bajada is also very common.

Recently, due to asylum seekers from third world countries, new family names have been created. An example is Nwoko, following the naturalisation of footballer Chucks Nwoko. Chucks Kaejtan Nwoko (born November 21, 1978 in Lagos, Nigeria) is a professional footballer currently playing for Maltese Football Others include Okoh, Ohaegbu, Yekoko, Stefanov, Bogdanovic, Giorev, Mohammed, Abu Shala, Abu Shamala.

Women take a man's surname upon marriage, and their name is written as: Maria Borg née Zammit in official documents, but only as Maria Borg in informal scenarios. However some celebrities retain their old name as a stage name. Generally children take the surname of their father, but some are given the name of their mother, either alone or combined to their father's.

The custom to address a family is to use the initial and surname of the male and refer also to the family. For example, if a letter is sent to a person named David Saliba and his family, one writes Mr. and Mrs. D. Saliba.

Except for the new surnames from foreign countries, and sometimes the long, combined and rare ones, generally the Maltese people do not give a lot of importance to the origins of their surnames, and cohabit hand in hand.

Some examples of surnames from Malta are:

Mongolia

Main article: Mongolian name

Mongolians do not use surnames in the way that most Westerners, Chinese or Japanese do. This article refers to personal naming customs in Mongolia. Inner Mongolian customs are similar but do display some differences Since the socialist period, patronymics - then called ovog, now called etsgiin ner - are used instead of a surname. A patronym, is a component of a Personal name based on the name of one's father If the father's name is unknown, a matronymic is used. A matronymic is a Personal name based on the name of one's mother The patro- or matronymic is written before the given name. Therefore, if a man with given name Tsakhia has a son, and gives the son the name Elbegdorj, the son's full name is Tsakhia Elbegdorj. Very frequently, the patronymic is given in genitive case, i. In Grammar, the genitive case or possessive case (also called the second case) is the case that marks a Noun as modifying another e. Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj. However, the patronymic is rather insignificant in everyday use and usually just given as initial - Ts. Elbegdorj. People are normally just referred to and addressed by their given name (Elbegdorj guai - Mr. Elbegdorj), and if two people share a common given name, they are usually just kept apart by their initials, not by the full patronymic.

Since 2000, Mongolians have been officially using clan names - ovog, the same word that had been used for the patronymics before - on their IDs. Many people chose the names of the ancient clans and tribes such Borjigin, Besud, Jalair, etc. Borjigin (plural Borjigit or Borjigid; Khalkha Mongolian: Боржигин Borjigin;; Manchu:) were the imperial Clan Also many extended families chose the names of the native places of their ancestors. Some chose the names of their most ancient known ancestor. Some just decided to pass their own given names (or modifications of their given names) to their descendants as clan names. Some chose or other attributes of their lives as surnames. Gürragchaa chose Sansar (Cosmos). Jügderdemidiin Gürragchaa (Жүгдэрдэмидийн Гүррагчаа born December 5, 1947) was the first Mongolian and the second Asian Clan names precede the patronymics and given names, i. e. Besud Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj. [9] In practice, these clan names seem to have had no really significant effect, and are not even included in Mongolian passports.

Pakistan

Main articles: Pakistani name and List of Pakistani family names

Pakistani surnames are basically divided in three categories: Arab naming convention, tribal names and ancestral names. See also List of Pakistani family names In Pakistan, as in other Muslim countries the use of Family names is not as prominent as in Western See also Pakistani name Pakistani surnames are basically divided in three categories Arab naming convention, tribal names and ancestral Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and See also List of Pakistani family names In Pakistan, as in other Muslim countries the use of Family names is not as prominent as in Western

Muslim surnames include those of Arab heritage, e. The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding g. Shaikh, Siddiqui, Abbasi, Syed, Farooqi, Osmani, Alavi, Hassani, Hussaini, and Suhrawardi. Sheikh, also rendered as Sheik, Cheikh, Shaikh, and other variants ( Arabic:, shaykh Siddiqui, (also rendered as Siddiqi, Siddiquee, Siddighi, Seddighi or Siddiquie) ( Arabic: صدیقی is a Muslim Abbasi (عباسی is a prominent Muslim family name Origin The name denotes descent from Abbas ibn Abd-al-Muttalib, the paternal uncle of Prophet Farooqui ( فاروقي) (also spelt as Farooqi, Faruki, Farouki or Faruqi) is a distinct Muslim family name or surname For the Article on General MAG Osmani see Muhammad Ataul Gani Osmani Osmani or Usmani or Othmani or Uthmani (عثمانی The surname Alavi (often spelled as Alvi) (علوي signifies ancestry from Hazrat Ali ibn Abi Talib (علي بن أﺑﻲ طالب the fourth Caliph

Khan is the most common surname in Pakistan, India and Afghanistan indicating Pashtun ancestry and Muslim rajputs. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, Pashtuns ( Pashto: پښتون Paṣtūn, Paxtūn, also rendered as Pushtuns, Pakhtuns, Pukhtuns) also called

Family names indicating Turkish heritage include Mughal, Kayani , Chughtai , Mirza, Baig or Beg, Pasha, and Barlas. The Turkic peoples are Eurasian peoples residing in northern central and western Eurasia who speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family Chughtai is a family name in portions of Asia, Middle East and the associated diaspora that claims descent from Chagatai Khan (the second son of The title Mirza ( is used for a member of a Royal family or a member of the highest Aristocracy, as well as children of a Sayyida mother Baig or Beg or Begg ( Turkic: Beg, Persian: بیگ is a Turkic family name Pasha or pacha, formerly bashaw, (paşa پاشا ( Persian: پاشا ( Armenian: Փաշա was a high rank in the Ottoman Empire The Barlas ( Chagatay / - Barlās; also Berlas or Birlas) were a Turkicized Mongolian ( Turko-Mongol) nomadic confederation

People claiming Indian ancestry include those with family names Barelwi, Lakhnavi, Delhvi, Bilgrami etc. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Barelwi or Barelvi ( Hindi: बरेलवी Urdu: بریلوی is a movement of Sunni Sufism in South Asia that was founded by

People claiming Iranian ancestry include those with family names Agha, Firdausi, Ghazali, Hamadani, Isfahani, Kashani, Kermani, Khorasani, Mir, Montazeri, Nishapuri, Noorani, Qizilbash, Saadi, Sabzvari, Shirazi, Sistani, Yazdani, Zahedi, and Zand. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Hakīm Abū l-Qāsim Firdawsī Tūsī ( more commonly transliterated as Ferdowsi, (935&ndash1020 was a highly revered Persian Poet. Abū Ḥāmid Muḥammad ibn Muḥammad al-Ghazālī (1058-1111 ( ابو حامد محمد ابن محمد الغزالی or امام محمد غزالی was born and died Kashani may refer to Ayatollah Abol-Ghasem Kashani, Iranian cleric involved in the Mossadegh era politics Ghiyatheddin Jamshid Kashani Kermani or Kirmani (کرمانی ( Urdu: کرمانی) is a family name indicating ancestry from the city of Kerman, Iran. Mir (Мир which can mean both Peace and World, and was the name given to peasant communes in pre-revolutionary Russia was a Soviet (and Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri (حسین علی منتظری styled His Honourable Eminence, (born in 1922 was one of the leaders of the Islamic Qizilbash or Kizilbash ( Nastaliq: قزلباش - Qizilbāš; Ottoman Turkish for "Red Heads" is a name given to a wide Sabzwari ( Persian: سبزواری) is a family name that denotes people from Sabzwar, a city in Iran Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Husaini al-Sistani Arabic: السيد علي الحسيني السيستاني Persian: سید علی For others see the Yazdan disambiguation page. Yazdani is a Persian word meaning divine

Tribal names include Abro Afaqi, Afridi, Amini, Ashrafkhel, Awan, Bajwa, Baloch, Barakzai, Baranzai, Bhatti, Bhutto,Ranjha, Bijarani, Bizenjo, Brohi, Bugti, Butt, Detho, Gabol, Ghaznavi, Ghilzai, Gichki, Jakhrani, Jamali, Jamote, Janjua, Jatoi,|Jutt]] Joyo, Junejo, Karmazkhel, Kayani, Khan, Khar, Khattak, Khuhro, Lakhani, Leghari, Lodhi, Magsi, Malik, Mandokhel(MAYO, Marwat, Mengal, Mughal , Palijo, Paracha,Panhwar, Popalzai, Qureshi, Rabbani, Raisani, Rakhshani, Soomro, Sulaimankhel, Talpur, Talwar, Thebo, Yousafzai, and Zamani. Abro ( Urdu: ابڑو) is a Jamot tribe one of major tribes settled in Bolan and Naseerabad division of Balochistan Bajwa (ਬਾਜਵਾ (बाजवा (باجوہ is a Jat Gotra or clan The Baloch ( بلوچ; alternative transliterations Baluch Balouch Bloach Balooch Balush Balosh Baloosh Baloush) are an Iranian people inhabiting Bārakzai (singular Bārakzay) is a common ethnic name among the Pashtuns of Afghanistan and western Pakistan and among the Baloch Baranzai (بارانزیis a Pashtun tribe in the North West Frontier Province and a Baloch tribes in Balochistan and Iran. Bhati / Bhatti (भाटी (Bhati ਭੱਟੀ (Bhatti / भटटी بھٹی is a Rajput Caste and is one of the largest tribes among Rajputs Bhutto ( Sindhi: ڀُٽو Urdu:) is a Sindhi samat tribe settled in Sindh, Pakistan. For 1970 Hindi movie of same name and characters see Heer Raanjha Heer Ranjha (ਹੀਰ ਰਾਂਝਾ ہیر رانجھا hīr rāñjhā) is one Bizenjo (بزنجو is a Baloch tribe in Balochistan. This tribe is mainly located in Awaran District. Bugti (بگتی is a Baloch tribe located in Balochistan. They are divided into four clans Rahijas Kalpars Marri - Bugtis Gabol ( Balochi: گبول literally Aggressor or Chauvinist) is a Baloch tribe settled in the Balochistan, For Mahmud Ghaznavi please see Mahmud of Ghazni Description Ghaznavi (غزنوی is the name given to a Pakistani missile The Ghilzais (also known as Khiljis or Ghaljis) are a large Pashtun Tribe located mainly in southeastern Afghanistan, between Gichki ( Baluchi: گچکی) There are different historical explainations of their origin Jakhrani ( Urdu: جکھرانی is a Baloch tribe in Sindh and Balochistan Pakistan. Jamali ( جمالی) is the name of a Baloch tribe in Balochistan and Sindh provinces of Pakistan. The Jamot' ( Urdu: جاموٹ) is a tribe in Balochistan and Sindh provinces of Pakistan. Jatoi ( Urdu: جتوئی) is the name of a Baloch tribe in Sindh, Pakistan. Joyo ( Urdu: جویو) is the name of a Sindhi tribe in Sindh, Pakistan. Junejo (جونیجو is the name of a Sindhi tribe in Sindh, Pakistan and in some parts of India mostly in Rajasthan. Khan ( Nasta`liq: خان is a Surname from Asia The name dates back to the 10th century CE KHAR is a commercial Adult standards music Radio station in Anchorage Alaska, broadcasting on 590 AM. Khattak or Khatak ( Urdu: خٹک) is a Pashtun tribe Khattak tribe is concentrated in North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan Leghari (لغاری لغاري also spelt as "Laghari" in Sindh is a Baloch tribe living in Balochistan, Sindh and Punjab provinces Lodhi (or Lodi; Pashto Urdu: لودھی   is a Pashtun tribe most likely a sub-group of the larger Ghilzai The Magsi ( Urdu: مگسی) are a Baloch tribe of Balochistan and Sindh province of Pakistan. Malik (ملك) as an Arabic word meaning " king " It has been adopted in various other mainly Asian languages for their ruling princes and to The Mandokhel or Mando Khel ( Urdu: مندو خیل are a Pashtun tribe of Pakistan and southern Afghanistan. Marwat مروت, a well known branch of Pashtun tribe The clan is named after 'Marwat' who was the great grandson of Ibrahim Lodhi or Lodi (second son of Prince The Mengal ( Balochi: مینگل) are a tribe with about 250000 people in Balochistan Pakistan. The Palijo ( Urdu: پلیجو) are Sindhi tribe in of Sindh province Pakistan. Panhwar or Panwar ( پنہوار) are a Sindhi tribe in Sindh, Pakistan. Popalzai or Popalzay is a tribal name of the Pashtun clan that is part of the larger Durrani (formerly called Abdali) tribe Quraishi (also rendered as Qureshi, Qoraishi, Koraishi or Kureishi) (قریشی is an Arab family name Raisani is a BRAHOI ( BALOCH) tribe in Balochistan, Pakistan. Soomro ( Sindhi: سومرو) is the name of a Sindhi tribe in Sindh, Pakistan. Talpur ( Sindhi: ٽالپور ( Urdu: تالپور is a Baloch tribe and is settled in Sindh and Punjab provinces of Pakistan A talwar, talwaar, or tulwar is a type of Sword, equivalent to the European Sabre (or Saber) originating in medieval South The Yūsufzai (also Youssofzay, Yousafzai, Esapzey, Yousufi, or Yūsufi) ( Urdu: یوسف زئی) are one of

In Pakistan the official paperwork format regarding personal identity is as follows;

So and so, son of so and so, of such and such caste and religion and resident of such and such place. For example, Amir Khan s/o Fakeer Khan, caste Mughal Kayani or Chauhan Rajput, Follower of religion Islam, resident of Village Anywhere, Tehsil Anywhere, District.

A large number of Rajput converts to Islam have retained their surnames such as Chauhan ,Rathore, Parmar, Bargujar, etc. Rajput constitute one of the major Hindu Kshatriya groups from India For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. A surname is a name added to a Given name and is part of a Personal name. Origins According to the Rajput bards Chauhan is one of the four Agnikula or 'fire sprung' clans who were created by the Gods in the anali kund or 'fountain Early history Based on "khyats" (traditional accounts written in seventeenth century it is surmised that the Rathores and Rathods were originally feudatories of the Paramara (also known as Parmara and Parmar) is the name of a prominent Arya Agnivanshi Rajput clan of medieval India, which ruled The Bargujar is one of the most ancient Suryvanshi Kshatriya race of India.

The Philippines

Until the middle of the 19th century, there was no standardization of surnames in the Philippines. There were native Filipinos without surnames, others whose surnames deliberately did not match that of their families, as well as those who took certain surnames simply because they had a certain prestige, usually ones dealing with the Roman Catholic religion, such as de los Santos and de la Cruz.

In 1849, Governor-general Narciso Clavería y Zaldúa decreed an end to these arbitrary practices, the result of which was the Catálogo Alfabético de Apellidos ("Alphabetical Inventory of Surnames"). The Catálogo alfabético de apellidos (Alphabetical Catalog of Surnames is a book of Surnames published in the Philippines in the mid-19th century The book contained many words coming from Spanish and the Philippine languages such as Tagalog and many Basque surnames, such as Zuloaga or Aguirre.

In practice, the application of this decree varied from municipality to municipality. Some municipalities received only surnames starting with a particular letter. For example, the majority of residents of the island of Banton in the province of Romblon have surnames starting with F such as Fabicon, Fallarme, Fadrilan, and Ferran. Thus, although there perhaps a majority of Filipinos have Spanish surnames, such a surname does not always indicate Spanish ancestry.

The vast majority of Filipinos follow a naming system which is the reverse of the Spanish one. Children take the mother's surname as their middle name, followed by their father's as their surname; for example, a son of Juan de la Cruz and his wife Maria Agbayani may be David Agbayani de la Cruz. Women take the surnames of their husband upon marriage; so upon her marriage to David de la Cruz, the full name of Laura Yuchengco Macaraeg would become Laura Yuchengco Macaraeg de la Cruz.

There are other sources for surnames. Many Filipinos also have Chinese-derived surnames, which in some cases could indicate Chinese ancestry. Many Hispanicised Chinese numerals and other Hispanicised Chinese words, however, were also among the surnames in the Catálogo Alfabético de Apellidos. For those whose surname may indicate Chinese ancestry, analysis of the surname may help to pinpoint when those ancestors arrived in the Philippines. A hispanicised Chinese surname such as Cojuangco suggests an 18th-century arrival while a Chinese surname such as Lim suggests a relatively recent immigration. Some Chinese surnames such as Tiu-Laurel are composed of the immigrant Chinese ancestor's surname as well as the name of that ancestor's godparent on receiving Christian baptism.

In the predominantly Muslim areas of the southern Philippines, adoption of surnames was influenced by connexions to that religion, its holy places, and prophets. As a result, surnames among Filipino Muslims are largely Arabic-based, and include such surnames as Hassan and Haradji.

There are also Filipinos who, to this day, have no surnames at all, particularly if they come from indigenous cultural communities.

Unique Spanish family names in the Philippines

Prior to the establishment of the Philippines as a US territory during the earlier part of the 20th century, Filipinos usually followed Iberian naming customs. However, upon the promulgation of the Family Code of 1987, Filipinos begin to adopt the American system of using their surnames.

A common Filipino name will consist of the given name (mostly 2 given names are given), the initial letter of the mother's maiden name and finally the father's surname (i. e. Lucy Anne C. de Guzman). Also, women are allowed to retain their maiden name or use both her and her husband's surname, separated by a dash. This is common in feminist circles or when the woman hold a prominent office (e. g. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Miriam Defensor-Santiago). Maria Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (born Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal on April 5 1947 is a Filipina Politician. In more traditional circles, especially those who belong to the prominent families in the provinces, the custom of the woman being addressed as Mrs. Husband's Full Name is still common.

For widows, who chose to marry again, two norms are in existence. For those who were widowed before the Family Code, the full name of the woman remains while the surname of the deceased husband is attached. That is, Maria Andres, who was widowed by Ignacio Dimaculangan will have the name Maria Andres viuda de Dimaculangan. If she chooses to marry again, this name will still continue to exist while the surname of the new husband is attached. That, if Maria marries Rene de los Santos, her new name will be Maria Andres viuda de Dimaculangan de los Santos.

However, a new norm is also in existence. The woman may choose to use her husband's surname to be one of her middle names. Thus, Maria Andres viuda de Dimaculangan de los Santos may also be called Maria A. D. de los Santos.

Children will however automatically inherit their father's surname if they are considered legitimate. If the child is born outside wedlock, the mother will automatically pass her surname to the child, unless the father gives a written acknowledgment of paternity. The father may also choose to give the child both his parents' surnames if he wishes (that is Gustavo Paredes, whose parents are Eulogio Paredes and Juliana Angeles, while having Maria Solis as a wife, may name his child Kevin S. Angeles-Paredes.

In some Tagalog regions, the norm of giving patronyms, or in some cases matronyms, are also accepted. These names are of course not official, since family names in the Philippines are inherited. It is not uncommon to refer to someone as Juan anak ni Pablo (John, the Son of Pablo) or Juan apo ni Teofilo (John, the grandson of Theophilus).

Romania

In Romania, like in most of Europe, a child inherits his father's family name, and a wife takes her husband's last name. Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania There are however exceptions and social pressure to follow this tradition is not particularly strong in most families.

Until the 19th century, the names were primarily of the form "[given name] [father's name] [grandfather's name]". The few exceptions are usually famous people or the nobility (boyars). The name reform introduced around 1850, had the names changed to a western style, most likely imported from France, consisting of a given name followed by a family name.

As such, the name is called prenume (French prénom), while the family name is called nume or, when otherwise ambiguous, nume de familie ("family name"). Although not mandatory, middle names (Romanian numele mic, literally, "small name") are common.

Historically, when the family name reform was introduced in the mid 19th century, the default was to use a patronym, or a matronym when the father was dead or unknown. A patronym, is a component of a Personal name based on the name of one's father A matronymic is a Personal name based on the name of one's mother The typical derivation was to append the suffix -escu to the father's name, e. g. Anghelescu ("Anghel's child") and Petrescu ("Petre's child"). (The -escu seems to come both from Old Slavonic -ьскъ and/or from Latin -iscum, thus being cognate with Italian -esco and French -esque. ) The other common derivation was to append the suffix -eanu to the name of the place of origin, especially when one came from a different region, e. g. Munteanu ("from the mountains") and Moldoveanu ("from Moldova"). These uniquely Romanian suffixes strongly identify ancestral nationality.

There are also descriptive family names derived from occupations, nicknames, and events, e. g. Botezatu ("baptised"), Barbu ("bushy bearded"), Prodan ("foster"), Bălan ("blond"), Fieraru ("smith"), Croitoru ("taylor").

Romanian family names remain the same regardless of the sex of the person.

Although given names appear before family names in most Romanian contexts, official documents invert the order, ostensibly for filing purposes. Correspondingly, Romanians often introduce themselves with their family names first, especially in official contexts, e. g. a student signing a test paper in school.

Romanians bearing names of non-Romanian origin often adopt Romanianised versions of their ancestral surnames, such as Jurovschi for Polish Żurowski, which preserves the original pronunciation of the surname through transliteration. In other cases, as with Romanians of Hungarian origin, these changes were often mandated by the state, as was the practice during the period of communist rule[10].


By region

Cultures of China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam

Further information: Chinese surname, Korean family name, Japanese name, and Vietnamese name

In Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese cultures, the family name is placed before the given names. Chinese family name is one of the hundreds or thousands of Family names that have been historically used by Han Chinese and Sinicized Chinese ethnic A Korean name consists of a Family name followed by a Given name, as used by the Korean people in both North Korea and South Korea in modern times usually consist of a Family name ( Surname) followed by a Given name. Vietnamese names generally consist of three parts a Family name, a Middle name, and a Given name, used in that order China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Korea is a geographic area composed of two sovereign countries a civilization and a former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. Vietnam (ˌviːɛtˈnɑːm Việt Nam) officially So the terms "first name" and "last name" are generally not used, as they do not in this case denote the given and family names.

Chinese family names have many types of origins, dating back as early as pre-Qin era:

In history, some changed their surnames due to a naming taboo (from Zhuang 莊 to Yan 嚴 during the era of Liu Zhuang 劉莊) or as an award by the Emperor(Li was often to senior officers during Tang Dynasty). Naming taboo is a cultural taboo against speaking or writing the given names of exalted persons in China and neighboring nations in the ancient Chinese cultural sphere Family background Then-Liu Yang was born in 28 to Emperor Guangwu and his first love Consort Yin Lihua. The Tang Dynasty ( Middle Chinese: dhɑng (June 18 618&ndashJune 4 907 was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by

In modern days, some Chinese adopt a Western given name in addition to their original given names, e. g. Lee Chu-ming (李柱銘) adopted the Western name Martin, which can often be used as a nickname of Chu-ming. The adopted Western name can be put in front of their Chinese name, e. g. Martin LEE Chu-ming. Martin Lee QC SC JP ( Chinese 李柱銘 Pinyin: Lǐ Zhùmíng born June 8, 1938) was the founding chairman In addition, many people with Chinese names have non-Chinese first names which are commonly used. Sometimes, the Chinese name becomes used as a "middle name", e. g. Martin Chu-ming Lee, or even used a "last name", e. g. Lee Chu-ming Martin. Chinese names used in Western countries may be rearranged when written to avoid misunderstanding, e. g. cellist Yo-Yo Ma. This is an Anglicized version of the Chinese name "Ma Yo-yo" the family name is " Ma " However, some well-known Chinese names remain in the traditional order even in English literature, e. g. Mao Zedong, Yao Ming(Note that the name on the back of Yao Ming's NBA jersey is "Yao," rather than "Ming," as the former is his family name). Mao Zedong ( 26 December 1893 – 9 September 1976) was a Chinese Military and political leader who led Yao Ming ( born September 12 1980 is a Professional basketball player who plays for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA

Vietnamese and Korean names are generally stated in East Asian order (family name first) even when writing in English.

In English writings originating from non-English cultures (e. g. English newspapers in China), the family name is often written with all capital letters to avoid being mistaken as a middle name, e. g. Laurence Yee-ming KWONG or using small capitals, as Laurence KWONG Yee-ming or with a comma, as AKUTAGAWA, Ryūnosuke to make clear which name is the family name. (March 1 1892 - July 24 1927 was a Japanese writer active in Taishō period Japan Such practice is particularly common in mass-media reporting international events like the Olympic Games. The Olympic Games is an international Multi-sport event established for both summer and winter games The CIA World Factbook stated that "The Factbook capitalizes the surname or family name of individuals for the convenience of [their] users who are faced with a world of different cultures and naming conventions". For example, Leslie Cheung Kwok Wing might be mistaken as Mr. Leslie Cheung Kwok-Wing ( September 12, 1956 – April 1, 2003) nicknamed elder brother (哥哥 was an Actor and Musician Wing by readers unaware of Chinese naming conventions.

Vietnamese family names present an added complication. Like Chinese family names, they are placed at the beginning of a name, but unlike Chinese names, they are not usually the primary form of address. Rather, people will be referred to by their given name, usually accompanied by an honorific. For example, Phan Van Khai is properly addressed as Mr. Phan Văn Khải (born December 25, 1933) is a former prime minister of Vietnam. Khai, even though Phan is his family name. This pattern contrasts with that of most other East Asian naming conventions.

In Japan, the civil law forces a common surname for every married couple, unless in a case of international marriage. In most cases, women surrender their surnames upon marriage, and use the surnames of their husbands. However, a convention that a man uses his wife's family name if the wife is an only child is sometimes observed. A similar tradition called ru zhui (入贅) is common among Chinese when the bride's family is wealthy and has no son but wants the heir to pass on their assets under the same family name. The Chinese character zhui (贅) carries a money radical (貝), which implies that this tradition was originally based on financial reasons. This disambiguation page differentiates the various historical uses of the term radical in the context of Chinese characters All their offspring carry the mother's family name. If the groom is the first born with an obligation to carry his own ancestor's name, a compromise may be reached in that the first male child carries the mother's family name while subsequent offspring carry the father's family name. The tradition is still in use in many Chinese communities outside of mainland China, but largely disused in China because of social changes from communism. Mainland China, Continental China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term synonymous with the area that is under the jurisdiction Due to the economic reform in the past decade, accumulation and inheritance of personal wealth made a come back to the Chinese society. It is unknown if this financially motivated tradition would also come back to mainland China.

In Korean and Chinese cultures (including Hong Kong, Singapore, and non-aboriginal Taiwan), women keep their own surnames, while the family as a whole is referred to by the surnames of the husbands. Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders Singapore Taiwan ( Taiwanese: Tâi-oân/Tāi-oân (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣 is an Island in East Asia.

In Hong Kong, some women would be known to the public with the surnames of their husbands preceding their own surnames, such as Anson Chan Fang On Sang. Anson Maria Elizabeth Chan Fang On Sang GBM GCMG (hon CBE JP ( (born 17 January 1940 was a member of the Legislative Anson is an English given name, On Sang is the given name in Chinese, Chan is the surname of Anson's husband, and Fang is her own surname. A name change on legal documents is not necessary.

In Macau, some people have their names in Portuguese spelt with some Portuguese style, such as Carlos do Rosario Tchiang. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Macau topics. Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal.

Chinese women in Canada, especially Hongkongers in Toronto, would preserve their maiden names before the surnames of their husbands when written in English, for instance Rosa Chan Leung, where Chan is the maiden name, and Leung is the surname of the husband. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Hongkongers usually refers to residents of Hong Kong, and not Ethnicity or Nationality, i Toronto (təˈrɒntoʊ colloquially pronounced or) is the largest city in Canada and is the provincial capital of Ontario

In Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese, surnames are predominantly monosyllabic (written with one character), though a small number of common disyllabic (or written with two characters) surnames exists (e. This article is mainly about the spoken Korean language See Hangul for details on the native Korean writing system Vietnamese ( tiếng Việt, or less commonly Việt ngữ) formerly known under French colonization as Annamese ( see Annam) A Chinese character, also known as a Han character ( is a Logogram used in writing Chinese (hanzi Japanese ( A Chinese compound surname ( literally "double surname" is a Chinese surname using more than one character g. the Chinese name Ouyang, the Korean name Jegal and the Vietnamese name Phan-Tran).

Many Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese surnames are of the same origin, but simply pronounced differently and even transliterated differently overseas in Western nations. This article is mainly about the spoken Korean language See Hangul for details on the native Korean writing system Vietnamese ( tiếng Việt, or less commonly Việt ngữ) formerly known under French colonization as Annamese ( see Annam) For example, the common Chinese surnames Chen, Chan, Chin, Cheng and Tan, the Korean surname Jin, as well as the Vietnamese surname Trần are often all the same exact character 陳. The common Korean surname Kim is also the common Chinese surname Jin, and written 金. The common Mandarin surnames Lin or Lim (林) is also one and the same as the common Cantonese or Vietnamese surname Lam and Korean family name Lim(written/pronounced as Im in South Korea). This article is a technical description of the Phonetics and Phonology of Korean. Interestingly, there are people with the surname of Hayashi(林) in Japan too.

Scandinavia

In Scandinavia family names often, but certainly not always, originate from a patronymic. Terminology and usage As a cultural term "Scandinavia" has no official definition and is subject to usage by those who identify with the culture in question as well In Sweden, the patronymic ending is -son, e. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. g. Karlsson ("Karl's son"). In Denmark and Norway, the corresponding ending is -sen, as in Karlsen. The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Names ending with dotter/datter (daughter), such as Olofsdotter, are rare but occurring, and only apply to females. Today, the patronymic names are passed on similarly to family names in other Western countries, and a person's father doesn't have to be called Karl if he or she has the surname Karlsson.

Before the 19th century there was the same system in Scandinavia as in Iceland today. Noble families, however, as a rule adopted a family name, which could refer to a presumed or real forefather (e. g. Earl Birger Magnusson Folkunge ) or to the family's coat of arms (e. In modern Swedish, Folkung has two meanings which appear to be opposites The Medieval House of Bjelbo in Sweden, which produced A coat of arms or armorial bearings (often just arms for short in European tradition is a design belonging to a particular person (or group of people g. King Gustav Eriksson Vasa). Gustav I, born Gustav Eriksson (Colloquial 15th century Upplandic Gösta Jerksson) and later known as Gustav Vasa (12 May 1496 – 29 September The House of Vasa ( Swedish: Vasaätten, Polish: Waza) was the Royal House of Sweden In many surviving family noble names, such as Silfversparre ("silver-sparrow") or Stiernhielm ("star-helmet"), the spelling is obsolete, but since it applies to a name, remains unchanged.

Later on, people from the Scandinavian middle classes, particularly artisans and town dwellers, adopted names in a similar fashion to that of the nobility. Family names such as the Swedish Bergman, Holmberg, Lindgren, Sandström and Åkerlund were quite frequent and remain common today. The same is true for similar Norwegian and Danish names.

Even more important a driver of change was the need, for administrative purposes, to develop a system under which each individual had a "stable" name - a name that followed the person from birth till the end. In the old days, people would be known by their name, patronymic and the farm they lived at. This last element would change if a person got a new job, bought a new farm, or otherwise came to live somewhere else. (This is part of the origin, in this part of the world, of the custom of women changing their names upon marriage. Originally it indicated, basically, a change of address, and there are numerous examples of men doing the same thing). The many patronymic names may derive from the fact that people who moved from the country to the cities, also gave up the name of the farm they came from. As a worker, you passed by your father's name, and this name passed on to the next generation as a family name. Einar Gerhardsen, the Norwegian prime minister, used a true patronym, as his father was named Gerhard Olsen (Gerhard, the son of Ola). (10 May 1897 &ndash 19 September 1987 was a Norwegian politician from the Labour Party of Norway. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional This article is about the government position For other uses see Prime Minister (disambiguation. Gerhardsen passed his own patronym on to his children as a family name. This has been common in many working class families. Working class is a term used in academic Sociology and in ordinary conversation to describe depending on context and speaker those employed in specific fields or types The tradition of keeping the farm name as a family name got stronger during the first half of the 20th century in Norway.

These names often indicated the place of residence of the family. For this reason, Denmark and Norway have a very high incidence of names derived from those of farms, many signified by the suffixes like -bø, -rud, -stuen, -løkken or even more predominantly -gaard -- the modern spelling is gård in Danish and has changed to gard in Norwegian, but as in Sweden, archaic spelling persists in surnames. The most well-known example of this kind of surname is probably Kierkegaard (original meaning: the farm located by the Church or also churchyard and cemetery [although this is unlikely in the context] which, with kierke, actually includes two archaic spellings), but many others could be cited. Søren Aabye Kierkegaard (ˈsœːɐn ˈkʰiɐ̯kəˌɡ̊ɒˀ in Danish Anglicized as;) It should also be noted that, since the names in question are derived from the original owners' domiciles, the possession of this kind of name is no longer an indicator of affinity with others who bear it.

In many cases, names were taken from the nature around them. In Norway, for instance, there is an abundancy of surnames based on coastal geography, with suffixes like -strand, -øy, -holm, -vik, -fjord or -nes. A family name such as Dahlgren is derived from "dahl" meaning valley and "gren" meaning branch; or similarly Upvall [6] meaning "upper-valley"; It depends on the Scandinavian country, language, and dialect.

Basque Country

For more details on this topic, see Basque surnames. Basque surnames on the whole are easily identifiable reasonably well documented and follow a small number of set patterns

Slavic countries

Slavic countries are noted for having masculine and feminine versions for many (but not all) of their names. Most of their surnames have suffixes which are found to varying degrees over the different nations. (Of course, many other names do not have suffixes at all. )

Note: the following list does not take regional spelling variations into account.

If the name has no suffix, it may or may not have a feminine version. Sometimes it has the ending changed (such as the addition of -a). In the Czech Republic and Slovakia, suffixless names are feminized by adding -ová, but this is not done in neighboring Poland.

Czechia

Names of Czech people consist of given name (rodné jméno) and surname (příjmení). Czechs (Češi ˈt͡ʃɛʃɪ archaic Čechové) are a western Slavic people of Central Europe, living predominantly in the Czech Republic A surname is a name added to a Given name and is part of a Personal name. Usage of the second or middle name is not common. Females' names are usually derived from males' ones by a suffix -ová (Nováková) or -á for names being originally adjectives (Veselá), sometimes with a little change of original name's ending (Sedláčková from Sedláček or Svobodová from Svoboda). Women change their family names when they get married. Deriving women's names from foreigners' names is often problematic since foreign names do not suit Czech language rules. Czech (ˈʧɛk čeština ˈʧɛʃcɪna in Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers it is the majority language in the

The family names are usually nouns (Svoboda, Král, Růžička), adjectives (Novotný, Černý, Veselý), verbs in a past tense of the third person (Pospíšil) or they mean nothing particular (Dvořák, Beneš). In Grammar, an adjective is a word whose main syntactic role is to modify a Noun or Pronoun, giving more information about the For English usage of verbs see the wiki article English verbs. There is also a couple of names with more complicated origin which are actually complete sentences (Skočdopole, Hrejsemnou or Vítámvás). The most common Czech family name is Novák / Nováková.

Russia

A full Russian name consists of personal (given) name, patronymic, and family name (surname). The Russian people (Русские— Russkie) are an East Slavic Ethnic group, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries

Most Russian family names originated from patronymics, that is, father's name usually formed by adding the adjective suffix -ov(a) or -ev(a)). Contemporary patronymics, however, have a substantive suffix -ich for masculine and the adjective suffix -na for feminine.

For example, the proverbial triad of most common Russian surnames follows:

Feminine forms of these surnames have the ending -a:

Such a pattern of name formation is not unique to Russia or even to the Eastern and Southern Slavs in general; quite common are also names derived from professions, places of origin, and personal characteristics, with various suffixes (e. g. -in(a) and -sky (-skaia)).

Professions:

Places of origin:

Personal characteristics:

A considerable number of “artificial” names exists, for example, those given to seminary graduates; such names were based on Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church or Christian virtues. The feast of the Resurrection of Jesus, called Pascha (Easter is the greatest of the feasts of the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Great Orthodox Feasts:

Christian virtues:

Many freed serfs were given surnames after those of their former owners. For example, a serf of the Demidov family might be named Demidovsky, which translates roughly as "belonging to Demidov" or "one of Demidov's bunch". History The Demidov (Деми́довы family also Demidoff, were probably the richest Russian people after the Tsar in the late

Grammatically, Russian family names follow the same rules as other nouns or adjectives (names ending with -oy, -aya are grammatically adjectives), with exceptions: some names do not change in different cases and have the same form in both genders (for example, Sedykh, Lata).

Poland

Main articles: Polish surnames and Polish name

In Poland and most of the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, surnames first appeared during the late Middle Ages. A Polish personal name, like names in most European cultures consists of two main elements imię, or the Given name, followed by nazwisko A Polish personal name, like names in most European cultures consists of two main elements imię, or the Given name, followed by nazwisko Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, officially the Commonwealth of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania also known as the Most Serene Republic They initially denoted the differences between various people living in the same town or village and bearing the same name. The conventions were similar to those of English surnames, using occupations, patronymic descent, geographic origins, or personal characteristics. Thus, early surnames indicating occupation include Karczmarz ("innkeeper"), Kowal ("blacksmith"), and Bednarczyk ("young cooper"), while those indicating patronymic descent include Szczepaniak ("Son of Szczepan), Józefowicz ("Son of Józef), and Kaźmirkiewicz ("Son of Kazimierz"). Similarly, early surnames like Mazur ("the one from Mazury") indicated geographic origin, while ones like Nowak ("the new one"), Biały ("the pale one"), and Wielgus ("the big one") indicated personal characteristics.

In the early 16th century, ( the Polish Renaissance), toponymic names became common, especially among the nobility. The Renaissance in Poland (Odrodzenie literally 'Rebirth' lasted from the late 15th century to the late 16th century and is widely considered to be the Golden Age of Polish culture Szlachta ( refers to the noble class in the Kingdom of Poland, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (since 1569 semi-federal semi-confederal Initially, the surnames were in a form of "[first name] de ("z", "of") [location]". Later, most surnames were changed to adjective forms, e. g. Jakub Wiślicki ("James of Wiślica") and Zbigniew Oleśnicki ("Zbigniew of Oleśnica"), with masculine suffixes -ski, -cki, -dzki and -icz or respective feminine suffixes -ska, -cka, -dzka and -icz on the east of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Wiślica Silesian Voivodeship Wiślica is a Village in Busko County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, in south-central Poland. Oleśnica (Oels or Öls) is a Town in the Trzebnickie Hills in southwestern Poland with 38900 inhabitants (1995 In Grammar, a suffix (also postfix, ending) is an Affix which is placed at the end of a word The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, officially the Commonwealth of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania also known as the Most Serene Republic Names formed this way are adjectives grammatically, and therefore change their form depending on gender; for example, Jan Kowalski and Maria Kowalska collectively use the plural Kowalscy.

Names with masculine suffixes -ski, -cki, and -dzki, and corresponding feminine suffixes -ska, -cka, and -dzka became associated with noble origin. Many people from lower classes successively changed their surnames to fit this pattern. This produced many Kowalskis, Bednarskis, Kaczmarskis and so on. Today, although most Polish speakers do not know about noble associations of -ski, -cki, -dzki and -icz endings, such names still sound somehow better to them.

A separate class of surnames derive from the names of noble clans. Szlachta ( refers to the noble class in the Kingdom of Poland, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (since 1569 semi-federal semi-confederal These are used either as separate names or the first part of a double-barrelled name. In English-speaking and some other Western countries a double-barrelled name is a Family name with two parts which may or may not be joined with a hyphen for example Thus, persons named Jan Nieczuja and Krzysztof Nieczuja-Machocki might be related. Similarly, after World War I and World War II, many members of Polish underground organizations adopted their war-time pseudonyms as the first part of their surnames. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Polish Underground State (Polskie Państwo Podziemne also known as Polish Secret State) refers to all underground resistance organizations in Poland during A pseudonym is a fictitious alternative to a person's legal name (see Alias) Edward Rydz thus became Marshal of Poland Edward Śmigły-Rydz and Zdzisław Jeziorański became Jan Nowak-Jeziorański. Marshal of Poland ( Marszałek Polski) is the highest rank in the Polish Army. Edward Rydz-Śmigły ( pronounced rɨts ɕmigwɨ sometimes Edward Śmigły-Rydz ( March 11 1886 Jan Nowak-Jeziorański (October 3 1914 Berlin – January 20 2005 Warsaw) was a Polish Journalist, Writer, Politician

South Slavs

Surnames of some South Slavic groups such as Serbs, Croats, Montenegrins, and Bosniaks traditionally end with the suffixes "-ić" and "-ović" (often transliterated to English and other western languages as "ic", "ich", "ovic" or "ovich") which are a diminutive indicating descent i. The South Slavs are a southern branch of the Slavic peoples that live in the Balkans mainly throughout the former Yugoslavia (meaning "Land of Serbs ( Serbian: Срби Srbi) are a South Slavic people living in the Balkans and Central Europe, mainly in Serbia, Croats (Hrvati are a South Slavic people mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries Montenegrins ( Serbian: Црногорци/ Crnogorci) are a South Slavic people closely akin to the Serbs, associated to Montenegro The Bosniaks or Bosniacs (Bošnjak pl Bošnjaci bɔ'ʃɲaːt͡si are a South Slavic people living mainly in Bosnia and Herzegovina ("Bosnia" e. "son of. "

Noted exception from patronymic rule was a family name of prominent 19th century Serbia family Babadudić from Baba (literally, granny) Duda.

In some cases family name was derived from a profession (e. g. blacksmith - "Kovač" → "Kovačević").

In general family names in all of these countries follow this pattern with some family names being typically Serbian, some typically Croat and yet others being common throughout the whole linguistic region.

Children usually inherit fathers family name. In older naming convention which was common in Serbia up until mid 19th century a persons name would consist of three distinct parts persons given name, patronymic derived from father's personal name and the family name, as seen in for example in the name of language reformer Vuk Stefanović Karadžić. Serbia (Србија Srbija) officially the Republic of Serbia (Република Србија Republika Srbija) is a Landlocked Country Vuk Stefanović Karadžić ( Serbian Cyrillic: Вук Стефановић Караџић ( November 7, 1787 - February 7, 1864

Official family names do not have distinct male or female forms. Somewhat archaic unofficial form of adding suffixes to family names to form female form exists, with -eva, implying "daughter of" or "female descendant of" or -ka, implying "wife of" or "married to".

Bosniak Muslim names follow the same formation pattern but are usually derived from proper names of Islamic origin, often combining archaic Islamic or feudal Turkish titles i. The Bosniaks or Bosniacs (Bošnjak pl Bošnjaci bɔ'ʃɲaːt͡si are a South Slavic people living mainly in Bosnia and Herzegovina ("Bosnia" e. Mulaomerović, Šabanadžović, Hadžihafisbegović etc.

Also related to Turkish influence is prefix Hadži- found in some family names. Regardless of religion, this prefix was derived from the honorary title which a distinguished ancestor eared by making a pilgrimage to either Christian or Islamic holy places. A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth Hadžibegić, being Bosniak Muslim example.

In Croatia where tribal affiliations persisted longer, Lika, Herzegovina etc. Croatia (Hrvatska ˈxȓvatska officially the Republic of Croatia ( Republika Hrvatska) is a southern Central European country at the crossroads between Lika is a mountainous region in central Croatia, roughly bound by the Velebit mountain from the southwest and the Plješevica mountain from the northeast Herzegovina ( Bosnian, Croatian: Hercegovina, Serbian: Херцеговина) is a traditionally , original family name came to signify practically all people living in one area or holding of the nobles. The Šubić family owned land around the Zrin River in the Central Croatian region of Banovina. The Šubić were one of the twelve tribes which constituted Croatian statehood in the Middle Ages they held the county of Bribir (Varvaria in The surname became Šubić Zrinski, the most famous being Nikola Šubić Zrinski. Nikola Šubić Zrinski or Miklós Zrínyi ( Zrin, 1508 &ndash Szigetvár, September 7 1566) was a Croatian

Due to discriminatory laws in Austro-Hungarian Empire some of Serb families of Vojvodina have discarded suffix -ić in an attempt to mask their ethnicity and avoid heavy taxation. The Autonomous Province of Vojvodina ( Serbian: Аутономна Покрајина Војводина or Autonomna Pokrajina Vojvodina; Hungarian: Vajdaság

Among the Bulgarians, another South Slavic people, the typical surname suffix is "-ov" (Ivanov, Kovachev), although other popular suffixes also exist. The Bulgarians (българи balgari) are a South Slavic people generally associated with the Republic of Bulgaria and the Bulgarian language

In the Republic of Macedonia, the most popular suffix today is "-ski". The Republic of Macedonia (Република

Further information: Bulgarian name

Ukraine and Belarus

Ukrainian and Belarusian names evolved from the same Old East Slavic and Ruthenian language (western Rus’) origins. Compared to other systems the Bulgarian name system can be said to be rather simple Old East Slavic, also known as Old Russian (древнерусский or Old Ruthenian, was a vernacular literary language used from the 10th to the 14th centuries Ruthenian (also Ukrainian and Belarusian names share many characteristics with family names from other Slavic cultures. Most prominent are the shared root words and suffixes. For example, the root koval (blacksmith) compares to the Polish kowal, and the root bab (woman) is shared with Polish, Slovakian, and Czech. Kowalski (feminine Kowalska, plural Kowalscy) is the second most common surname in Poland (139719 The suffix -vych (son of) corresponds to the South Slavic -vic, the Russian -vich, and the Polish -wicz, while -sky, -ski, and -ska are shared with both Polish and Russian, and -ak with Polish.

However some suffixes are more uniquely characteristic to Ukrainian and Belarusian names, especially: -chuk (Western Ukraine), -enko (all other Ukraine) (both son of), -ko (little [masculine]), -ka (little [feminine]), -shyn, and -uk. See, for example, Ukrainian Presidents Leonid Kravchuk, and Viktor Yushchenko, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, or former Soviet diplomat Andrei Gromyko. For hockey player see Igor Kravchuk Leonid Makarovych Kravchuk (Леонід Макарович Кравчук born 10 January 1934) is a Viktor Andriyovych Yushchenko ( Ukrainian: Viktor Andrijovyč Juščenko) (born February 23 1954) is the third and current President of Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko (Аляксандр Рыгоравіч Лукашэнка Aljaksandar Ryhoravič Lukašenka/Alyaksandar Ryhoravich Lukashenka; Александр Andrei Andreyevich Gromyko (Андре́й Андре́евич Громы́ко Андрэй Андрэевіч Грамыка July 2 1989 was a Soviet politician

Burundi/Rwanda

In Burundi and Rwanda, most, if not all surnames have God in it, for example Hakizimana (meaning God cures), Nshimirimana (I thank God) or Havyarimana/Habyarimana (God gives birth). But not all surnames end with the suffix -imana. Irakoze is one of these. (technically meaning Thank God, though it is hard to translate it correctly in English or probably any other languages. )

Eritrea/Ethiopia/Somalia

See also: Habesha name

The patronymic custom in most of Eritrea and Ethiopia gives children the father's first name as their surname. Habesha names ( Eritreans and Ethiopians are constructed in a fashion similar to Arabic name convention Eritrea () ( Ge'ez: ኤርትራ ʾErtrā, Arabic: إرتريا Iritriya) officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in NOTE This intro is the result of careful NPOV work Please do not make potentially controversial edits to it without first discussing on the talk page The family then gives the child its first name. Middle names are unknown. So, for example, a person's name might be Demesie Birhanu. In this case, Demesie is the first name and Birhanu is the surname, and also the first name of the father.

The paternal grandfather's name is often used if there is a requirement to identify a person further, for example, in school registration. Also, different cultures and tribes use as the family's name the father's or grandfather's given name. For example, some Oromos use Warra Ali to mean families of Ali, where Ali, is either the householder, a father or grandfather.

In Ethiopia, the customs surrounding the bestowal and use of family names is as varied and complex as the cultures to be found there. There are so many cultures, nations or tribes, that currently there can be no one formula whereby to demonstrate a clear pattern of Ethiopian family names. In general, however, Ethiopians use their father's name as a surname in most instances where identification is necessary, sometimes employing both father's and grandfather's names together where exigency dictates.

By ethnic group

Jewish

Main article: Jewish name

Jewish names have historically varied, encompassing throughout the centuries several different traditions

Kurdish

The majority of Kurds do not hold Kurdish names because the names have been banned in the countries they primarily live in (namely Iran, Turkey and Syria). For the article on Hebrew given names see Hebrew name. The Jewish name has historically varied encompassing throughout the centuries several different For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية Kurds in these respective countries tend to hold Turkish, Persian or Arabic names, in the majority of cases, forcefully appointed by the ruling governments. [11] Others hold Arabic names as a result of the influence of Islam and Arab culture.

Kurds holding authentic Kurdish names are generally found in Diaspora or in Iraqi Kurdistan where Kurds are relatively free. Iraqi Kurdistan Region ( Kurdish: هه رێمى كوردستان Herêmi Kurdistan, Arabic:إقليم كردستان العراق, Iqlĩm Kurdistãn Traditionally, Kurdish family names are inherited from the tribes of which the individual or families are members. However, some families inherit the names of the regions they are from.

Common affixes of authentic Kurdish names are "i" and "zade".

Some common Kurdish last names, which are also the names of their respective tribes, include Baradost, Barzani, Berwari, Berzinji, Chelki, Diri, Doski, Jaf, Mutki, Rami, Rekani, Rozaki, Sindi, Tovi and Zebari. Other names include Akreyi, Alan, Amedi, Botani, Hewrami, Kurdistani (or Kordestani), Mukri, and Serhati.

Traditionally, Kurdish women did not inherit a man's last name. Although still not in practice by many Kurds, this can be more commonly found today.

Tibet

Tibetan people are often named at birth by the parents, by a local Buddhist Lama or they may request a name from the Dalai Lama. They are often given two names, but they do not have a family name. Therefore all members of the family will have different names eg. Sonam Gyatso, Lhamo Drolma, Tenzin Choden etc. They may change their name throughout life if advised by a Buddhist Lama, for example if a different name removes obstacles. The Tibetans who enter monastic life take a name from their ordination Lama, which will be a combination of the Lama's name and a new name for them.

North Caucasian Adyghe Family Surnames

In the case of Circassians, especially Adyges and Kabardians, hereditary surnames have been borne by people for thousand of years. All Circassian people belong to a Clan.

Most surnames of Adyge origin fall into six types:

"Shogen" comes from the Christian era and "Yefendi" and "Mole" come from the Muslim era.

In Circassian culture, women even when they marry, do not change their surnames. By keeping their surnames and passing that it on to the next generation, children come to distinguish relatives from the maternal side and respect her family as well as those from their father's side.

On the other hand, children cannot marry someone who bears the same surname as they do no matter how distantly related.

In the Circassian tradition, the formula for surnames is patterned to mean “daughter of . . . ”

Abkhaz families follow similar naming patterns reflecting the common roots of the Abkhazian, Adygean and Wubikh peoples.

Circassian family names cannot be derived from women's names and of the name of female ancestors.

See also

References

  1. ^ Serena Seng, The Origin of Chinese Surnames, Genealogy, About. Surname maps are Maps which display and indicate the highest concentration of residents with a particular Surname, or set of surnames Surnames are unique and there are thousands of them all over the world German family names were introduced during the late Middle Ages in the German language area Family name Affixes are a clue for Family name etymology and determining Ethnic origin of a person This is a list of the top 100 most common Chinese surnames according to a study published in 2006 Family history is the systematic narrative and research of past events relating to a specific Family, or specific families A patronym, is a component of a Personal name based on the name of one's father A personal name is the Proper name identifying an individual Person. A nickname is a Name of an entity or thing that is not its Proper name. Legal name is often the Name which an individual is called at birth or which appears on their Birth certificate (see Birth name) or com[1]
  2. ^ Ancient Names - Greek and Roman Names, Ancient / Classical History, About. com[2]
  3. ^ a b Personal Names of the Aristocracy in the Roman Empire During the Later Byzantine Era, The Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc. , retrieved May 20, 2007 [3]
  4. ^ Doll, Cynthia B. Events 325 - The First Council of Nicaea &ndash the first Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church is held Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. , "Harmonizing Filial and Parental Rights in Names: Progress, Pitfalls, and Constitutional Problems", Howard Law Journal, 1992, p. 229.
  5. ^ The whole section is based on the article Paikkala, S. Sukunimet sukututkimuksessa. Retrieved 11-6-2007. (Finnish)
  6. ^ http://www.mol.fi/mol/fi/99_pdf/fi/04_maahanmuutto/07_aineistot_kirjasto/01_esitteet/tasarv/tasarv_eng.pdf
  7. ^ The information here is taken from the Finnish Nimilaki (694/1985) (Name Act). Retrieved 11-6-2007
  8. ^ Tzavaras, Ath. : "Agapite Aderfe Vasileie", Ekdosis Exantas, Athens 1999
  9. ^ [http://www.mongoleiservice.de/mongolei__gesellschaft/mongolei__gesellschaft.html Hans Peter Vietze: Mongolische Namen (in German)
  10. ^ Romanian Uprising and Coup
  11. ^ http://ohchr.org/english/issues/minorities/docs/12/YASA_Kurdish_Centre_for_Legal_Studies_Consultancy.doc

External links

Dictionary

family name

-noun

  1. A surname.
© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
 Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic