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53-497: Davies is a patronymic Welsh surname meaning "son of David". It is the second most common surname in Wales , a rank it shares with " Williams ", and the eighth most common surname in England , where many people have Welsh ancestry. It is particularly widespread in southwest England , especially Cornwall , and in the areas of northwest England that are near the border with Wales . In

106-525: A family name. Someone called "Ramazan Rahim Ali Manji" might call his son "Karim Ramazan Rahim Manji" and his granddaughter might be called "Zahra Karim Ramazan Manji". Indians in Singapore and Malaysia, particularly those of Tamil descent, often continue the patronymic tradition. This entails having a single given name, followed by son/daughter of, followed by their father's name. In Malaysia , Singapore and Brunei , ethnic Malays and Indians generally follow

159-412: A man named Adamu Abdulkabiru Jibril — whereby "Adamu" would be his given first name, "Abdulkabiru" would be his father's given name as a patronymic middle name, and "Jibril" would be his hereditary family surname. Other people hyphenate their surname to include a patronymic, in which case the example would be named Adamu Abdulkabiru-Jibril with "Abdulkabiru-Jibril" acting as his surname. Using patronymics as

212-1061: A more complex history. Both Greek words had entered Latin, and, from Latin, French. The English form patronymic was borrowed through the mutual influence of French and Latin on English. In many areas around the world, patronyms predate the use of family names . Family names in many Celtic , Germanic , Iberian , Georgian , Armenian and Slavic languages originate from patronyms, e.g. Wilson (son of William ), FitzGerald (son of Gerald ), Powell (from "ap Hywel "), Fernández (son of Fernando ), Rodríguez (son of Rodrigo ), Andersson or Andersen (son of Anders , Scandinavian form of Andrew ), Carlsen (son of Carl ), Ilyin (of Ilya ), Petrov (of Peter ), Grigorovich (son of Grigory , Russian form of Gregory ), Stefanović (son of Stefan , little Stefan), MacAllister (from "mac Alistair", meaning son of Alistair , anglicized Scottish form of Alexander ) and O'Conor (from "Ó Conchobhair", meaning grandson/descendant of Conchobhar ). Other cultures which formerly used patronyms have switched to

265-473: A person is usually two but officially registered with three names. The person's given name comes first, followed by their father's given name and (optionally, for official purposes) their grandfather's name last. For example, a person named Lemlem Mengesha Abraha has Lemlem as her given name, Mengesha (from her father's name) Abraha (grandfather's name). The grandfather's name is usually only added in official documents and not used in everyday life. The father's name

318-468: A social justice movement aimed at eliminating caste-based discrimination . Traditionally, many Indian states used patronyms or surnames to reflect familial heritage and caste, but Tamil Nadu's system intentionally disrupts this structure. In this system, individuals often use their father's given name as an initial or surname. For example, "R. Karthik" signifies Karthik, son of Rajesh, with "R" representing his father's name. Unlike other Indian states, where

371-457: A woman takes her husband's given name as her middle name – her new middle name is no longer a patronymic. East Slavic naming customs are similar, except that the suffix -yevich , -yevna , or something similar is used in a Russian language patronymic. Indians of the Muslim Isma'ili sect also have patronymic middle names that use the father's first name and the grandfather's first name plus

424-425: Is patronymic , but as a noun this exists in free variation alongside patronym . The first part of the word patronym comes from Greek πατήρ patēr ' father ' ( GEN πατρός patros whence the combining form πατρο- patro -); the second part comes from Greek ὄνυμα onyma , a variant form of ὄνομα onoma 'name'. In the form patronymic , this stands with the addition of the suffix -ικός ( -ikos ), which

477-511: Is "Mohamed Ibrahim Ahmed", and Mohamed Ibrahim Ahmed's son Ali is "Ali Mohamed Ibrahim". The naming convention used in Eritrea and Ethiopia does not have family names and surnames. A person is referred to by a single name: this is always the person's given name. Ethiopians and Eritreans use a naming pattern very similar to the Arab naming pattern, but with one exception: no suffix or prefix. The full name of

530-488: Is Ravichandran, prefers to be known as "R. Ashwin" or " Ravichandran Ashwin ." This choice is particularly relevant in sports commentary, where players are often referred to by their surnames. Since it would be incorrect to call him by his father’s name alone, Ashwin uses his given name in conjunction with his father's name. There is also a growing trend in Tamil Nadu to expand initials in ways that align with how names sound in

583-728: Is alternatively written as Hisham b. al-Kalbi . However, the pronunciation bin is dialectal and has nothing to do with either the spelling or pronunciation in Classical Arabic. The word Abu ( Aba or Abi in different grammatical cases) means "father of", so Abu ʿAli is another name for ʿAmr . In Northwest Africa , the patronymic is romanized as ben , reflecting local pronunciation . See for example Ahmed Ben Bella ( أحمد بن بلّة ) and Ben Ali ( بن علي ). In medieval times, an illegitimate child of unknown parentage would sometimes be termed ibn Abihi , "son of his father" (notably Ziyad ibn Abihi .) In

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636-474: Is common in parts of India . For example, if a father is named Ramprasad Sachin Pandey (a masculine name), he might name his son Sunil Ramprasad Pandey, who in turn might name his son Sanjeev Sunil Pandey. As a result, unlike surnames, patronymics will not pass down through many generations. In Tamil Nadu and some parts of Kerala and South Karnataka , patronymy is predominant. This is a significant departure from

689-499: Is given from the father's family. For example, if the father's name is Boggi Sinaga who married Moetia Siregar then all children will be given the family's name of Sinaga. In Sunda, a similar cultural rule is used to that of the Batak. The family's name for Sunda is -Wijaya, but that is not true for all Sundanese families. The use of patronymics was introduced in Armenia by Russians during

742-492: Is named Hayder, the son of Karrar, the grandson of Hussein, and from the family of Mousawi (This is the surname given to the offspring of the Imam Musa al-Kazim ). In Saudi Arabia, naming conventions are similar to Iraq's but family names are used much more often. Gerald Gerald is a masculine Germanic given name meaning "rule of the spear" from the prefix ger- ("spear") and suffix -wald ("rule"). Variants include

795-453: Is not considered a middle name but a last name, without it being a family name or surname. Women do not take their husband's last name. They continue to go independently by their given name, followed by their father's name, and then their grandfather's name, even after marriage. In both Ethiopia and Eritrea, a person is always addressed by their first name; for example Mrs. Lemlem or Dr. Lemlem. Some Kenyan communities used patronyms. As of 2010,

848-558: Is referred to by his given name, Annadurai, underscoring the unique flexibility and personalization that Tamil Nadu's naming conventions allow. This evolution in Tamil naming practices highlights both the influence of social justice reforms and the cultural adaptability within the state. While Tamil Nadu has largely moved away from caste-based surnames, the naming system retains a focus on individual identity, free from rigid lineage-based structures, distinguishing it from other Indian states. While

901-521: Is very common in parts of Mozambique. Although the practice is not universal, patronymic naming has been documented in the Zambezia province. Although not as prominent as during the pre-colonial period, some Nigerians (particularly in the North) continue using patronymics — either as a middle name, as the first part of a hyphenated surname, or as a surname. An example of the use of patronymic middle names would be

954-516: The Kingdom of Dyfed , a medieval Welsh kingdom located in modern-day Carmarthenshire ; however, the origin of the kingdom's name is itself disputed, with the most commonly accepted theories being that it was founded by the powerful Irish Déisi dynasty in the third century or that it otherwise derives from the name of the Demetae people. "Dyfed" as a surname and the related forename " Dafydd " appear from

1007-686: The Qur'an , Jesus ( Isa in Arabic) is consistently termed Isa ibn Maryam – a matronymic (in the Qur'an, Jesus has no father ; see Jesus in Islam ). An Arabic patronymic can be extended as far back as family tree records will allow: thus, for example, Ibn Khaldun gave his own full name as Abd ar-Rahman ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn Muhammad ibn Jabir ibn Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn ʿAbd ar-Rahman ibn Khaldun . Patronymics are still standard in parts of

1060-527: The Seediqs often get to choose which parent's name goes after their own. Mongol people 's names are preceded by the name of their father and possessive marker; both son and daughter are patronymics. Many indigenous ethnic groups in Yunnan , such as Yi , Hani , Jingpo , Jino , Derung , Nu , Wa , Hmong and Yao , use a son-father patronymic naming system ( 亲子连名制 ). Historically, Naxi and Bai have also used

1113-495: The grammatical case of the noun) is the equivalent of the "-son" suffix discussed above, and bint ( بنت ) means "daughter of". Thus, for example, Ali ibn ʿAmr means "Ali son of ʿAmr". In Classical Arabic, the word ibn is written as bn between two names, since the case ending of the first name then supplies a vowel. Ibn is often written as b. , and bint as bt. , in name formulas rendered from Arabic into Roman characters . Thus Hisham ibn al-Kalbi

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1166-681: The 12th century, with the latter generally translated into English as "David". The second theory about the origin of "Davies" contends that it may derive directly from the Hebrew name " David ", which is also the name of Wales' patron saint . Patronymic Patronymics are used, by custom or official policy, in many countries worldwide, although elsewhere their use has been replaced by or transformed into patronymic surnames . Examples of such transformations include common English surnames such as Johnson (son of John). The usual noun and adjective in English

1219-444: The Arab world, notably Saudi Arabia and Iraq (in the case of Iraq, with ibn or bint omitted.) However, some of the Arab world has switched to a family name system. As in English, the new family names are sometimes based on what was formerly a patronymic. The form most used in the Arab world is the usage of both the patronymic and a family name, often using both the father's and paternal grandfathers given name in sequence after

1272-795: The Arabic patronymic naming system of given name + bin/binti or son of/daughter of (often abbreviated SO/DO) + father's name . Non-Muslim indigenous Malaysians in Sarawak use the "anak" in place of bin/binti or SO/DO, "anak" being the Malay word for "child", while non-muslim indigenous Malaysians in Sabah may use "bin" or "binti". However, not all Malays use patronymics, in Thailand they have adopted surnames, while in Indonesia they do not usually have either. Singaporean Indians use

1325-506: The Madras High Court recently directed the removal of community and caste names from government school names across the state. This move aligns with the state's long-standing policies to reduce caste-based distinctions in public life, including naming practices. The court’s decision reflects the state’s dedication to social justice by eliminating caste markers, particularly in institutions that shape young minds. This legal step ensures that

1378-719: The Soviet Union in 1991 there was a massive decline in the use of Russified patronymics; nowadays few Armenians use patronymics outside of official contexts. Many Armenian surnames were once patronymics first used by distant ancestors or clan founders. These are characterized by the suffix "-ian" in Western Armenian, often transliterated as "-yan" in Eastern Armenian. These are appended to the given name, i.e. Kardash ian , Asdvadzadour ian , Tank ian , Hagop ian , Khachadour ian , Mardiros ian , Bedros ian , Sarkiss ian , etc. Note that

1431-441: The Tamil language. For example, some choose to expand names phonetically, such as " Pala. Karuppiah " instead of "P. Karuppiah," or " Pa. Ranjith " rather than "P. Ranjith," to reflect a closer approximation of the name in Tamil. In the academic and professional world, scientists like M. Annadurai expand their names to "Mayilsami Annadurai," though it would be inappropriate to address him by his father's name, Mayilsami. Instead, he

1484-605: The United States, the variant " Davis " is much more common. In the United Kingdom, the surname is usually pronounced the same as "Davis" ( DAY -vis ). This pronunciation is also used by many other English-speaking countries, though it sometimes competes with DAY -veez , which is common in the United States to distinguish it from "Davis". There are two main theories concerning the surname's origin, though neither have been proven. The first theory states that it may stem from

1537-677: The abbreviations s/o (son of) or d/o (daughter of), while Malaysian Indians typically use the respective Malay variations "anak lelaki" (abbreviated a/l ) or "anak perempuan" (abbreviated a/p ). In some cases, individuals may opt to omit the patronymic indicator and abbreviate the patronymic for ease of usage. For example, a former deputy minister of Malaysia Pathmanaban a/l Kunjamboo was more commonly referred to as K. Pathmanaban and veteran Singaporean politicians Shanmugam Kasiviswanathan and Suppiah Dhanabalan went by K. Shanmugam and S. Dhanabalan respectively. The individual may opt not to include "son of" or "daughter of" in their legal name, as in

1590-490: The case of Shanmugam and Dhanabalan. In Brunei , the ruling family of the monarch uses given name + ibni + father's name instead of using bin/binti. In Indonesia, there are a number of ethnic groups with different naming systems. The Batak of North Sumatra (Sumatra Utara) give every child the family's name. Sometimes the family's name is prefixed by Huta-, Batu-, etc., but most use Si-, such as Sitanggang, Sihombing, Sibutar-butar, Sinaga, or Sitohang. The family's name

1643-486: The caste system is not perpetuated through the education system, aligning with the larger movement that has shaped Tamil Nadu's approach to names and identity over the past century. This final ruling serves as an important reminder of the state's commitment to dismantling caste-based identity and promoting a more egalitarian social structure, further cementing Tamil Nadu's unique position in its approach to names, identity, and social justice. In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana,

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1696-720: The exception of the upper and some middle-class families). After surnames were commonly adopted in Azerbaijan in the 1920s, patronymics still remained parts of full names, i.e. Sardar Ilyas oğlu Aliyev ("Sardar Aliyev, son of Ilyas"). Nowadays in Azerbaijan, patronymics sometimes replace surnames in unofficial use. Normally in such case, they are spelled as one word (i.e. Eldar Mammadoğlu , Sabina Yusifqızı ). Many Azeri surnames are also derived from Persian-style patronymics ending in -zadeh ( Kazimzadeh , Mehdizadeh , etc.). They are found among both Caucasian and Iranian Azeris. However, unlike

1749-478: The former, Azeris in Iran do not generally use patronymics in oglu / qizi . Azeri patronymics are not to be confused with Turkish surnames in -oğlu and Greek surnames in -ογλού ( -oglou ), which do not have specific female versions and do not reflect names of fathers. A common feature of historical Semitic names is use of a patronymic system. Since ancient times, men and women have been named using this system. This

1802-404: The full name is R. Nikhilesh and is seldom expanded, even in official records. Only if absolutely necessary, such as when applying for an Indian passport, which does not usually allow initials, is the initial expanded and the name rendered in reverse order as "Nikhilesh Rajaraman" or sometime in the original order as "Rajaraman Nikhilesh". Some families follow the tradition of retaining the name of

1855-429: The hometown, the grandfather's name, or both as initials. The celebrated Indian English novelist R. K. Narayan 's name at birth was Rasipuram Krishnaswami Ayyar Narayanaswami, which was shortened at the behest of his writer friend Graham Greene . Rasipuram is a toponym , and Krishnaswami Ayyar is a patronym. In Tamil Nadu, the patronymic naming convention diverges significantly from other regions of India, influenced by

1908-555: The introduction of the European-style surname system but still remains part of traditional cultural practices, particularly in the case of chieftains and royalty where reciting lineages forms a part of many ceremonial occasions. Atayal people 's given names are followed by the name of their father; both son and daughter use patronymics. Amis people 's sons’ given names are also followed by their father's name, while daughters’ given names are followed by their mother's name. By contrast,

1961-502: The more widespread style of passing the father's last name to the children (and wife) as their own. In Iceland , family names are unusual; Icelandic law favours the use of patronyms (and more recently, matronyms) over family names. Traditionally Muslim and non-Arabic speaking African people, such as Hausa and Fulani people, usually (with some exceptions) follow the Arab naming pattern. The word or phrase meaning "son of" is, however, omitted. As such, Mohamed son of Ibrahim son of Ahmed

2014-576: The name-in-religion of their father. For example, the son of Ter (Reverend) Bartev would change his last name to Ter Bartevian. In Azeri , patronymics are formed through -oğlu (sometimes transliterated as ogly ) for males and qızı (often transliterated as gizi or kizi ) for females. Before the late 19th–early 20th century, patronymics were used as an essential part of a person's full name, i.e. Sərdar İlyas oğlu ("Sardar, son of Ilyas") and Mina Nebi qızı ("Mina, daughter of Nabi"), since surnames were mostly non-existent before Sovietization (with

2067-433: The naming pattern is a family name, given name and caste name in that order, but sometimes the caste name is omitted. If a name appears like Alugupally Sudhir Reddy, Alugupally is the family name, Sudhir is the given name and Reddy is the caste name. If you find a name like Gorle Sunil Kumar, Gorle is the family name, and Sunil Kumar the given name. Here, the caste name is omitted. Of late, some people are writing their names in

2120-492: The order of given name, caste name, and family name. Sometimes, the caste name is omitted here too. It can be seen in names like Satyanarayana Bandi, where Satyanarayana is the given name, and Bandi the family name. In Maharashtra , Karnataka, and Gujarat , a very common convention among the Hindu communities is to have the patronymic as the middle name. Examples: This system works for both boys and girls, except that after marriage,

2173-410: The own given name, and then the family name. In Iraq, for example, full names are formed by combining the given name of an individual with the given name of their father (sometimes the father is skipped and the paternal grandfather's given name is used instead, sometimes both father and paternal grandfather are used), along with the town, village, or clan name. For instance, Hayder Karar Hussein al-Mousawi

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2226-450: The patronym serves as a marker of lineage or social status , Tamil Nadu's system allows for the patronym to change with each generation, ensuring that no permanent surname is passed down. This shift reflects the state's broader efforts to dismantle caste markers in society, a key initiative of the Dravidian movement led by figures like Periyar E.V. Ramasamy in the 20th century. However,

2279-1336: The patronymic system. The last one or two syllables of the father's name transfers to become the first one or two syllables of the son's name. The last one or two syllables of the son's name is then used as the first one or two syllables of the grandson's name. The naming tradition is closely tied to Tibeto-Burman traditions. This system can be seen in the names of Nanzhao, Dali and Lijiang rulers. Nanzhao kings: Xinuluo (細奴邏)－ Luo sheng (邏盛)－ Sheng luopi (盛邏皮)－ Pi luoge (皮邏閣)－ Ge luofeng (閣邏鳳)－ Feng jiayi (鳳迦異)－ Yi mouxun (異牟尋)－ Xun gequan (尋閣勸)－ Quan longsheng (勸龍晟) Dali kings: Duan Zhixiang (段智祥)－Duan Xiang xing (段祥興)－Duan Xing zhi (段興智) Regents of Dali Kingdom : Gao Shengtai (高升泰)－Gao Tai ming (高泰明)－Gao Ming shun (高明順)－Gao Shun zhen (高順貞)－Gao Zhen shou (高貞壽)－Gao Shou chang (高壽昌) Lijiang chiefs : A-ts'ung A-liang (阿琮阿良)－ A-liang A-hu (阿良阿胡)－ A-hu A-lieh (阿胡阿烈)－ A-lieh A-chia (阿烈阿甲)－ A-chia A-te (阿甲阿得)－ A-te A-ch'u (阿得阿初)－ A-ch'u A-t'u (阿初阿土)－ A-t'u A-ti (阿土阿地)－ A-ti A-hsi (阿地阿習)－ A-hsi A-ya (阿習阿牙)－ A-ya A-ch'iu (阿牙阿秋)－ A-ch'iu A-kung (阿秋阿公)－ A-kung A-mu (阿公阿目)－ A-mu A-tu (阿目阿都)－ A-tu A-sheng (阿都阿勝)－ A-sheng A-chai (阿勝阿宅)－ A-chai A-ssu (阿宅阿寺)－ A-ssu A-ch'un (阿寺阿春)－ A-ch'un A-su (阿春阿俗)－ A-su A-wei (阿俗阿胃)－ A-wei A-hui (阿胃阿揮)－ A-hui A-chu (阿揮阿住) A patronymic

2332-429: The practice has largely dropped off with the use of just the father's last name as a surname. Kalenjin use 'arap' meaning 'son of'; Kikuyu used 'wa' meaning 'of'. Because of polygamy, matronyms were also used and 'wa' used to identify which wife the child was born of; Maasai use 'ole' meaning 'son of'; Meru use 'mto' abbreviated M' thus son of Mkindia would be M'Mkindia, pronounced Mto Mkindia. Patronymic naming

2385-497: The rest of the country where caste names are mostly employed as surnames. This came into common use during the 1950s and 1960s when the Dravidian movement campaigned against the use of one's caste as part of the name. However, rather than using the father's full name, only the first letter, popularly known as the initial, is prefixed to the given name. For example, if a person's given name is Nikhilesh and his father's Rajaraman , then

2438-549: The sole surname is also possible, with the example being named Adamu Abdulkabiru with "Abdulkabiru" acting as his surname. Somalis use their paternal grandfather's given name as their legal surname for documentation purposes. They also use the term "ina" or "iña" meaning "the son of" or "the daughter of," which is similar to other African and Arab naming patterns. For example, the name "Ahmed Mohamed Ali Farah" means "Ahmed son of Mohamed son of Ali son of Farah." When stating one's lineage, one will say "Ahmed ina Mohamed" (meaning Ahmed,

2491-493: The son of Mohamed). To identify themselves and the sub-clan they belong to, Somalis memorize their long lineage back to a common ancestor. Women never adopt their husband's patronym but keep their own for life. Among the Zulu , patronymics were used in the pre-colonial era. The prefix "ka" was attached to the father's name, for example Shaka kaSenzangakhona means Shaka son of Senzangakhona. The practice disappeared from everyday use with

2544-460: The suffix "-ian" was also appended to trades, as in Adakhtsakordz ian (issued from the carpenter), Chal ian (issued from the candlemaker), Darbin ian (issued from the smith). Of particular note are the surnames of the children of married priests, or kahanas . Though not as common nowadays, it was customary for a long time for these children (particularly the sons) to change their last names to

2597-522: The times of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union. Before that period, the use of patronymics was very limited. Patronymics are usually formed by the addition of "i" ("of", pronounced as ee ) to the father's name, e.g. if the father's name is "Armen", the corresponding patronymic would be "Armeni" (of Armen). The Russified version of the same patronymic would be "Armenovich" for males and "Armenovna" for females. After Armenia regained its independence from

2650-564: The usage of caste names as surnames/last names is discouraged (but not banned) in Tamil Nadu, such usage by out-of-state people is greeted with indifference. So, Lakshmi Menon, Shilpa Shetty, etc. are referred by their preferred names which include their caste names. Likewise, old Tamil names with the caste in them are also fully used while referring to them such as Pasumpoan Muthuramalinga Thevar , U.Ve. Swaminatha Iyer , V.O Chidambaram Pillai etc. To further reinforce Tamil Nadu's efforts in promoting social equality through its naming conventions,

2703-579: The use of initials and surnames in Tamil Nadu remains flexible, leaving it to the individual's discretion. For instance, the late Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi preferred to be addressed as M. Karunanidhi, where "M" stood for his father, Muthuvel's, name. His son, M. K. Stalin , incorporates both his father's and grandfather's names, while Stalin's son chooses to go by Udhayanidhi Stalin , using his father’s name as his surname rather than as an initial. This flexibility extends beyond political figures. In sports, cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin , whose father's name

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2756-585: Was not limited to any certain region or religion. It was only in the 17th and 18th centuries when laws were put in place in European nations demanded that those of Semitic descent abandoned the patronymic naming scheme in favor of consistent legal surnames. It was only after these laws were ratified that most of the Jews and Muslims in these nations received surnames. In Arabic, the word ibn ( ابن or بن : bin , ben and sometimes ibni and ibnu to show

2809-503: Was originally used to form adjectives with the sense 'pertaining to' (thus 'pertaining to the father's name'). These forms are attested in Hellenistic Greek as πατρώνυμος ( patrōnymos ) and πατρωνυμικός ( patrōnymikos ). The form patronym , first attested in English in 1834, was borrowed into English from French patronyme , which had previously borrowed the word directly from Greek. Patronymic , first attested in English in 1612, has

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