Added: 10/25/2005 |
Name order can vary from country to country around the world. It is a well accepted concept to name a person, though there can be exclusions when dealing with abnormal psychology or those who are raised in the outback. Most are given a personal name at birth, which is usually kept during the span of life. There may, however, be additional names added that indicate relationships, citizenship, and other interesting characteristics. The rules for name order as well as last name order are rooted in the various cultures. It has been noted, though, that where historical record is kept, those guidelines change throughout the course of time.
Names have a number of parts, and, as a result, the name order can be quite significant within a country. The last name order, or the placement of the last name, varies from country to country. In eastern countries like China, Korea, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, and Cambodia, the name order is the family name then the given name. In western countries like the Americas, the name order is the given name and then the family name.
Name and order can be quite confusing in translation. For example, if an Asian name is converted the the Latin alphabet, some prefer the name order to be converted at the same time. Others prefer to leave the last name order as it is, but write the last name changing the case. If names are mentioned in the media in other countries, the name order is often switched again.
However, in the case of people of historical importance, the name and order are often left intact to preserve historical importance. For athletes, though, name order, again, follows different rules. This, however, varies from sport to sport. Korean soccer players' name order is typically left intact, while baseball players are usually changed to reflect the culture of the country where they are competing. Golfers' names are typically treated the same way.
Various countries offer various conventions for name order. Arabic names start with the given name and are followed by the name of the child's father. This can be accompanied with the names of other family members, but it always ends with the family name. Fijians are usually given a name from the bible and a traditional name, as well as the father's name for the surname. Germans have several given names then a surname. Hebrew names typically come from the Old Testament of the Bible. In ancient Rome, men were given three separate names.
Historically, name order was quite different. In feudal times, names were given according to what property was owned by the person. So if a person owned a ship, they were called by the name of the ship. Components of name order include the given name, the name of a relative, the family name, and the middle name. The Inuit people believe the souls of the people children are named after fuse with the children, so children are referred to by the name and the kinship title. Some cultures believe a person's name refers to his or her fate.
Name order has varied across time and continues to vary from culture to culture. It is important to respect various cultural traditions when considering name and order.
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