I learned last week that Hispanic
last names often have 2 names. I had
never really thought much about 2 name last names, but last week I started my
stint in middle school, where the kids rotate through subjects, so I tried to
begin to learn the names of the 150 kids who come to my cooperating teacher for
science. She gave me a copy of the class
roster for each class, organized by assigned seat. But, the class roster only had room for 20
letters for “last name, first”, and for those kids with 2 last names, the first
name was cut off. I spoke to all the
kids whose first name was missing (which
was itself an easy way to start a conversation) and most all of them had
Hispanic names. (As an aside, what's up with having the class
roster system cut off names ever?)
So, I came home and researched the
practice of 2 last names. A Hispanic child
is given the first last name of his father followed by the first of his mother. Usually when a woman gets married, she keeps
her first last name (the one from her father) and replaces the second with her
husband’s first last name (explained in detail here ).
And then I was looking over the
student directory of my daughter’s school, where there are 2 students with the
last name Suresh. Both have their father’s
first name listed as Suresh, but none of the parents’ last name is that. My internet research only turns up Suresh as
a Hindu name, but not the naming convention.
It’s a puzzle to figure out when naming conventions have been mangled by
American forms and data entry, and when not. I wish I knew...
Does anyone out there in cohort 18
know any other naming conventions, and the rules for appropriately using first
and last names?
I have a friend who is Filipina and seems to have a lot of trouble filing simple enough paperwork because of her unusually long--by American standards--name. Her first name actually consists of 3 separate names, then her middle name, then her last name which is hyphenated with her mother's maiden name and her father's last name. As you can imagine, "data entry" becomes very difficult with her name. I know she's had a lot of annoyances with registering for school and her nursing exam and filing other paperwork. Beyond being an annoyance, it sends a particular message about the value of a person's name that may not be based on Anglo traditions. Names should be respected; they come to represent a person, her family's or culture's history and traditions.
ReplyDeleteYou have touched on a really great topic. I had seen two Hispanic last names before but never knew that reason behind it. Thanks for the valuable information. As of what I know, Suresh is always a first name, haven't heard it as last name before. As educators we need to make sure that we give respect to the names of all of our students. As a healthcare provider, I come across patients of different ethnic backgrounds and it is a continuous leaning process for me to pronounce their names correctly. Sometimes when I am not sure I ask them. I rather ask them, than pronouncing it incorrectly.
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