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In what countries is it normal to have, or go by, just one name?

Question #107267. Asked by author.

marley420
Answer has 4 votes
Currently Best Answer
marley420

Answer has 4 votes.

Currently voted the best answer.
"Mononymity" is not exclusive to any specific country or ethnicity and can often be dependent on socio-cultural contexts, especially in Western nations (e.g. "Napoleon," "Hillary," "Michael," "Stalin," etc.) . Among the countries of the world where mononymity is common, Indonesia, India, and Afghanistan are notable, as are "Lusophone" countries such as Portugal, Brazil,and Angola.

link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mononymous_person

link http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/21/opinion/21funt.html?_r=1&hp

Jul 25 2009, 12:38 AM
queproblema
Answer has 4 votes
queproblema
19 year member
2119 replies

Answer has 4 votes.
If I recall, we had a similar question fairly recently, and Iceland was one of the nations.

This is a little misleading, though. I find mainly celebrities using only one name but Indonesian, Indian, and Icelandic persons using several different ways of calling themselves by more than their given names.

"Typical Icelandic naming

"For example, a man named Jón Stefánsson has a son named Fjalar. Fjalar's last name will not be Stefánsson like his father's; it will become Jónsson, literally indicating that Fjalar is the son of Jón (Jóns + son)."
link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icelandic_name

We just had a father and his adult daughter visit us from India last week. Changing the names a bit, the father was "Joseph Thomas" (son of Thomas George) and the daughter "Elizabeth Joseph": each took the father's given name as a surname.
link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_name

I myself use a mononym, "Queproblema," often shortened to "Qp." :)

Jul 25 2009, 2:07 AM
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