Pakistani Naming conventions

[Nahraf]

In western countries, they follow the naming conventions First-Middle-Last name as John Peter Smith. While in Pakistan we have many naming conventions. Like family title in front of names. My friend and his brother (name changed) is 'Syed Jamal Abbasi' and 'Syed Kamal Abbasi'. Now according to Canadian naming conventions both are 'Syed Abbasi' since middle name is usually ignored. That has caused so much problem since they also share same address.

In other cases there is no family name and wife and children adopt husband first name as their family name. When 'Nusrat Aslam' marries 'Owais Saleem' she changes her name to 'Nusrat Owais' Their children would 'Rubina Owais' and 'Atif Owais'.

In Islam, all humans are equal and family name was discouraged since it implied inequality and divisions by different family names. This is fine in Pakistan but causes problems when Pakistanis settle in western countries. Turkey also had same problem and Ataturk forced Turks to adopt family names.

 

[BelligerentPacifist]

It isn't that you don't have surnames in the Deen of Islam. The surname could either be the name of the tribe or of the father or both. In Arabic, the father's name is suffixed via a bin or bint and the tribe name / running(family) name without. Take for instance عامر بن حفیظ شاہانی. Here عامر is the first name, حفیظ the father's name and شاہانی the tribe. In our parts, the bin/bint is replaced by zaada-زادہ, though this isn't used with the father's name but with the family/tribe name. Nowadays, these lining words are most often omitted.

You're right that girls don't change their surnames upon marriage, since this surname serves as the apparent pedigree link: X bint Y bin Z bin....

Coming to Syed Jamal Abbasi and Syed Kamal Abbasi, its their fault to have registered their name wrong. Both Syed and Abbasi are their surnames, and imply that they are Sayyidzaade from the Abbaasii line. Often we put the word Sayyid (which we spell Syed for some reason) is put in front of any other part of a name out of respect. Their first names are Jamal and Kamal respectively, and their father's name doesn't figure in their complete name. Now if they reported this, they will have to refer themselves as Jamal/Kamal Abbasi-Syed/Syed-Abbasi!

Any way you cut it, it won't please any of them. I know this problem too well, I can't see how to twist and convolve Syed X Y Abedi. If you do, I'm a taker! In my case my middle and my father's first name are the same, and his and the grandfather's first names are the same. On top of that my first name differs from my mother's first name by an a (the terminal silent h). I guess a familiar committee named me! The Europeans are left totally dumbfounded and mouth-agape.

These things could be hilarious, esp. if your family has a tradition of giving two firstnames (a first and a middle name if you wish)...except for formal documents a group of brothers could well be named Asad Rizwan, Taha Kamal and Kaleem Iqbal...nobody could ever guess they share a father!

An anecdote about the Turks since you mention them: I once saw a husband-wife couple at some administrative place, and the clerk couldn't for the life of her figure how they could be husband and wife when they had different surnames..."You can't be married, your surnames are different"!

 

[somebozo]

Dad, Me and my Bro has the same problem...All of us can be addressed as Mr I..... hahahah

 

[muse]

It isn't that you don't have surnames in the Deen of Islam. The surname could either be the name of the tribe or of the father or both. In Arabic, the father's name is suffixed via a bin or bint and the tribe name / running(family) name without. Take for instance عامر بن حفیظ شاہانی. Here عامر is the first name, حفیظ the father's name and شاہانی the tribe. In our parts, the bin/bint is replaced by zaada-زادہ, though this isn't used with the father's name but with the family/tribe name. Nowadays, these lining words are most often omitted.

I think you are confusing Islam with cultural aspects relevant to Arabs --- We seek islam, not arbi tribal culture.

 

[Donatello]

I think you are confusing Islam with cultural aspects relevant to Arabs --- We seek islam, not arbi tribal culture.

While in the US, i had a Jordanian friend. The first time we met at a orientation meeting, he started talking to me in Arabic, knowing i am from Pakistan. I replied back in English. He was like....you are Muslim then why don't you speak Arabic?

I was like WTF.

 

[Burger Boy]

While in the US, i had a Jordanian friend. The first time we met at a orientation meeting, he started talking to me in Arabic, knowing i am from Pakistan. I replied back in English. He was like....you are Muslim then why don't you speak Arabic?

I was like WTF.

Less than 18% of Muslims are Arabs.

And most of the Arabs in US are Christians.

 

[El Sidd]

Most Pakistanis face legal problems home and abroad for this haphazard method adopted by the citizens.

Also when collecting data, unusual number of Pakistanis are born during December January period.