7 weirdest naming traditions from around the world
6/18/2018
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Not every culture in the world uses given names and surnames. As it turns out, one person's name can consist of more than 6 words! Find out about the strangest and most interesting naming traditions from around the globe.
#1 In Korea, the family name comes first
Kim Jong-Un’s last name is Kim. Jong-Un is his given name. The Korean given names often consist of two parts. Interestingly, the two-part given names can't be shorten in a conversation - you should call a person named Jin Pin "Jin Pin", not just "Jin".
#2 The Russians have a middle name based on the father's given name
The given name comes first. For every name, there is a variety of forms that can express different emotions. For example, you can express affection for Maria by calling her Mashenka. There is also a short neutral form for every name: Maria - Masha, Aleksander - Sasha, Natalia - Natasha. Some Russian names have more than 15 forms!
The second name is a patronymic. It's formed from the father's full given name by using special endings - "-ich" and "-evich" for males and "-ovna" and "-evna" for females. Alexander's daughter Maria is Maria Aleksandrovna. His son Sergey is Sergey Aleksandrovich. Calling someone by their given name + patronymic name shows respect for the person.
The family names take on a feminine ending for women. Mikhail Sidorov's wife Anastasia is Anastasia Sidorova.
The second name is a patronymic. It's formed from the father's full given name by using special endings - "-ich" and "-evich" for males and "-ovna" and "-evna" for females. Alexander's daughter Maria is Maria Aleksandrovna. His son Sergey is Sergey Aleksandrovich. Calling someone by their given name + patronymic name shows respect for the person.
The family names take on a feminine ending for women. Mikhail Sidorov's wife Anastasia is Anastasia Sidorova.
#3 Spanish children are usually given two surnames
Spanish-speaking people's first surname is their father's family name. It's followed by the second surname, the mother's family name. In everyday life, some people choose only one surname, but it's up to them.
#4 The Icelanders' surnames are mostly patronymics
Matronymics are also used sometimes. Icelandic women rarely adopt their husbands' family names.
If a man named Jón Einarsson has a son named Ólafur, the son's last name will be Jónsson, literally indicating that Ólafur is the son of Jón (Jóns + son). His daughter Sigríður's last name will be Jónsdóttir. This name means "Jón's daughter" (Jóns + dóttir).
If a man named Jón Einarsson has a son named Ólafur, the son's last name will be Jónsson, literally indicating that Ólafur is the son of Jón (Jóns + son). His daughter Sigríður's last name will be Jónsdóttir. This name means "Jón's daughter" (Jóns + dóttir).
#5 The Japanese surname comes first
We all know the famous writer Haruki Murakami, but, according to the Japanese tradition, his name should read Murakami Haruki. Anyway, a lot of Japanese names are rearranged today to sound more comfortable for English speakers.
#6 The naming system of Arabic countries is very complicated
A name may consist of a nickname, the place of birth, the father's name, the family name, and the pesonal title. Just take a look at the full name of a famous Persian mathematician, astronomer, and poet Omar Khayyam.
#7 Until the 1950s, Hungarian women adopted their husbands complete names
Traditionally, if Szendrey Júlia married Petőfi Sándor, she would become Petőfi Sándorné ("-ne" meaning "Mrs"). Today women usually adopt only the family name (Petőfi Júlia) or just keep their maiden names.
What is your full name? Have you ever heard about these naming systems before? Which one seems the weirdest to you?
We are waiting for your response!
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46 Comments
Doris Dallaire
Good information and very interesting. Thank you for posting.
John Donaghue
Very interesting indeed. Fascinating information
Julie Allen
Sn Upadhyaya, There are a lot of countries in the World, can't have all of them. Perhaps you could have mentioned them in yo comment as many of us read them.
Julie Allen
Jacqui Halvorson, Nowhere did it say people from Persia (now Iran) speak Arabic. It does say "The naming system of Arabic countries is very complicated". Iran is considered an Arabic country.
Jacqui Halvorson
People from Persia/Iran speak Farsi, not Arabic!!
Peter de Boer
That answers a lot of questions. Thankyou.
David Mcclure
James Neeley Sr., I understand that in parts of S Ireland only given names where used… no family names
Judy King
Arabic naming seems the strangest to me
Sn Upadhyaya
You have not mentioned about writing of names & surnames in India.We have different methods according to regions.You are always talking of other countries except India.
David Holmes
Very interesting, thank you.
Fred Zeb Fudpucker
cwisconsin, I DO! I've picked some of these over the years because I find it very interesting. Also in travelling from the USA to Germany for a project several years before I retired, I found it interesting that in business conversations, the Germans called everyone by their last names and during introductions, that was all they gave. Typically, our people give both first and last and expect to be called by their first name or a diminutive (I am James but have always gone by Jim.
In Mexico, we called each other by first names. Japanese called me Jim because they had difficulties with Harrier (no offence, they just have few double "rr"s in their names, I guess.)
James Neeley Sr.
MacName
McName
O'Name
Are parent surnames
Perhaps from a rule by an Irish long who wanted to know by name who were his enemy's offspring.
FitzName indicates a Norman father.
Kelly vs Kelley
Kelly would indicate a protestant ancestry
Kelley a Catholic ancestry.
Thus: names aid bigotry.
Penny Penkala
Arab names are weird but pretty. I wonder about McDowell. Does it mean son of Dowell
Henk Sanders
In Ghana the people have in addition to there given names, the day on which they were born, as one of their names. (eg. one born on a Wednesday, will have Kwame as one of his names.)
Linda Evers
One of my grandmother's had ten Christian names - Beatrice Margaret Ada Georgina Selina Ruth Alma Mabel Adeline Augustine!!! We grandchildren found it dad imaging and learned the list off by heart - I've never forgotten them
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