Hungary Naming Customs

Naming Customs

• surname (or a family name) is used first, followed by the first or given name

NAGY János John Nagy
KOVÁCS Mária Mary Smith

This rule is also followed in Hungarian parish registers.

• there is usually just one given name
• surnames are generally a single names
• patronymics were usually not used

• surnames were usually derived from common sources such as trades, qualities, ethnic origins, place names etc.

Gottlieb	Bogumilus	Bogomil	Bogumił
Johann (Hans)	Joannes	Jean	Jan
Karl	Carolus	Charles	Karol
Marie	Maria	Marie	Marja
Wilhelm	Guilielmus	Guillaume	Wilhelm

SZABÓ Ferenc Frank Taylor
MOLNÁR Lajos Louis Miller
KIS Mihály Michael Little
FEHÉR Erzsébet Elizabeth White
TÖRÖK Katalin Catherine Turk

• titles of nobility are put before the surnames

gróf NAGY János Count John Nagy

• the equivalent of Mrs. is the particle né (wife) which is added to a husband=s name.

NAGY Jánosné Mrs. John Nagy

• Names of Hungarian married women take on special forms.

• Klausenberger Ignáczné Bival Rosália means that Rosália Bival married a man named Ignácz Klausenberger.

• The -né means wife of.