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Name facts

Surprising facts about how names work around the world, one card each. Download a card and share it, or link to it.

Vietnam: Nearly 4 in 10 Vietnamese are called Nguyen. That is why titles go with the given name, which comes last. Dear Mr. Minh, not Mr. Nguyen
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Ethiopia: Ethiopians have no family name. The second name is simply the father's given name. Ato Abebe, never Mr. Kebede
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Iceland: Most Icelanders have no family name. Anna Jónsdóttir's brother would be called Jónsson. Icelanders are addressed by their given name, even formally
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Spain and Latin America: Spanish names carry two family names. The father's comes first, the mother's second. Dear Ms. García, not Ms. López
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Portugal and Brazil: Portuguese names are Spanish names in reverse. The mother's family name usually comes first, the father's last. Dear Mr. Santos
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South Korea: Kim, Lee and Park cover close to half of all Koreans. The family name comes first, and the given name is used whole. Hi Min-jun, not Hi Min
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China: “Zhang Wei” and “Wei Zhang” are the same person. Chinese names put the family name first, and many people flip them for international email. Hi Wei, or Dear Mr. Zhang
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Japan: Since 2020, Japan writes names family-first in English too. Titles and -san go with the family name. Tanaka-san, or Dear Mr. Tanaka
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Russia and Ukraine: The middle of a Russian name is not a middle name. Petrovich means “son of Pyotr”. His sister would be Petrovna. Dear Mr. Sidorov, never Mr. Petrovich
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Italy: In Italy, Andrea is a man's name. So are Nicola and Simone. The same names are mostly women's names in the US. Unsure? Dear Andrea Rossi is always safe
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Poland and Czechia: One family, two family names. Mr. Kowalski's wife is Ms. Kowalska. In Czech, Novák becomes Nováková. Keep the form the person uses
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Hungary: Hungarians put the family name first. It is the European exception. Many flip their name when they write in English. Hi László, or Dear Mr. Nagy
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Malaysia: Malay names have no family name. Bin means “son of” and binti “daughter of”. Encik Ahmad, not Mr. Ismail
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Thailand: Thais are addressed by their given name. Even formally: Khun plus the given name. Many family names belong to a single family. Khun Somchai
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South India: In South India, the initial often stands for the father's name. The full word is the person's own given name. Hi Karthik
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Arab countries: Bin means “son of”. An Arabic name can list a father and grandfather before the family name. Dear Mr. Al-Mansouri, or Mr. Ahmed
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