Tonga Naming Customs

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Tonga

Personal Names

Understanding customs used in surnames and given names can help you identify your ancestors in records. Learn to recognize name variations and see clues in names.

Online Tools

• 125 Tongan Baby Names With Meanings

Surnames

• Tongan names are written with the first name followed by the surname. For example, Anitelu TAUMALOLO.
• Surnames in Tonga not only reflect the family one belongs to but often indicate the village one comes from.
• Surnames are passed down from previous generations along the father’s line of descent.
• Certain names are only allowed to be given to members of the royal family.
• Once a Tongan obtains a hereditary title, they will be referred to by that title and no longer by their given name. Such titles are usually for life, but the holder can be stripped of it if they commit a serious crime. In this case, they will return to their original name.

Given Names

• The origins of given names vary. For example, the name may have a Biblical reference or refer to objects (such as flowers), an event, ancestors, friends or famous people.