What's your name?

After 10 months I think I've finally figured out people's names here. It doesn't work the way it does in America and Europe. There, we get Dad's last name and a couple other names our parents pick out of a baby name book.

I noticed that in Ethiopia everyone is referred to by what I think of as their first name. Let's take, for example, a fictitious Dr. Yohannes. His full name is Yohannes Abebe Birhanu. If it were in the States, he would be Dr. Birhanu. But he's not; he's Dr. Yohannes. Here's why: at birth everyone gets their own name, and they only get one. The way to tell one Yohannes from another is you also refer to them by appending their father's name (his only name) and his grandfather's name (the grandfather's one name).

Take me for example. If we used Ethiopian naming conventions for me, I would be Mr. Marc (my one and only name). We would separate me from all the other Marcs by appending my father's name (Robert) and my Grandfather's name (Arnie, a Finnish name). So I would be Mr. Marc Robert Arnie. My father's name would be Robert Arnie Victor (his grandfather's name).

Now it all makes sense.

Comments

[Stew]

As a girl, would I be Jenny Patricia Izetta? Or Jenny Arthur Walter?

[Marc]

You would be Jenny, plus your Dad's first name, plus your Paternal Grandfather's first name. Which is that?

[John]

Iceland still uses patronymics for last names. Not exactly the same, but similar. I would John Johnson, and my sister would be Anne Johnsdottir.

[BB]

Also Ethiopian women(Those who live in
Ethiopia ) don't take their husband's last name after they get married .
They keep their father's first name.

this sounds funny and confusing in America or Europe. But it works fine in Ethiopia.