Mongolia Naming Customs: Difference between revisions

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==Surnames==
==Surnames==
Mongolians did not use surnames in the way that most Westerners, Chinese or Japanese do. Since the socialist period, patronymics — at that time called ovog,[9] now known as etsgiin ner — are used instead of a surname. If the father's name is not legally established (i.e. by marriage) or altogether unknown, a matronymic is used. The patro- or matronymic is written before the given name.
\The use of surnames was prohibited along with many other aspects of Mongolian culture beginning in 1924. From 1924 through the 1990s, Mongolians used only given names. The father’s given name or its initial was placed before the given name on official documents or in other circumstances where more than just a given name was needed. Many ancestral family names have been forgotten.
 
The use of surnames was prohibited along with many other aspects of Mongolian culture beginning in 1924. From 1924 through the 1990s, Mongolians used only given names. The father’s given name or its initial was placed before the given name on official documents or in other circumstances where more than just a given name was needed. Many ancestral family names have been forgotten.


Since 1990, Mongolians have been encouraging national identity and culture, including the use of surnames denoting affiliation to one of the country's ancient families. All of Mongolia’s 2.5 million citizens have been ordered to search for their roots to determine their family surname. But, as of July of 1998, so few people were ready for the change to surnames that the government opted for a phased introduction of the naming rule. Most Mongolians still do not know their surname, let alone use it. It has now been decided that all Mongolians must select a surname at the end of the year 2000. Because of lack of information, many families are simply selecting a surname from a list or manufacturing a new one.<ref name="profile">The Family History Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, “Family History Record Profile: Mongolia,” Word document, private files of the FamilySearch Content Strategy Team, 2001.</ref>  
Since 1990, Mongolians have been encouraging national identity and culture, including the use of surnames denoting affiliation to one of the country's ancient families. All of Mongolia’s 2.5 million citizens have been ordered to search for their roots to determine their family surname. But, as of July of 1998, so few people were ready for the change to surnames that the government opted for a phased introduction of the naming rule. Most Mongolians still do not know their surname, let alone use it. It has now been decided that all Mongolians must select a surname at the end of the year 2000. Because of lack of information, many families are simply selecting a surname from a list or manufacturing a new one.<ref name="profile">The Family History Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, “Family History Record Profile: Mongolia,” Word document, private files of the FamilySearch Content Strategy Team, 2001.</ref>  
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