Topic started by Selvam (@ cust53-82.ipplanet.com) on Sat Aug 4 04:08:42 .
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

VANAKKAM!

I am glad to get into the Tamil Forum! (Name of the website should have had a tamil relaed name!)

If you are a tamizhan, and have travelled abroad, have you had some difficulty with your name(s)?

People ask me what is my first name? I mention three names to them! (Some ask me what is my Christian name; my "Christian" names don't sound Christian, though I am one, because my names are in tamil. But this is no problem.) When they ask me what is my surname or second name, I end up mentioning my father's Christian/first name.
Do you see the confusion?

In schools in TN, our names always began with the initials of the names of the father. The same is maintained in our passports. My name in the passport reads as follows: Myfather's-first-name Myname1 Myname2 Myname3. Now, to non-tamils, Myname3 seems to be the surname and myfather's name seems to be my first name.

Can we work out a policy on this, without losing our tamil identity? For instance, putting name of the father/spouse at the end in the passport, or using some sort of family names!

What do you think?

Responses:

• From: Nathampatti Chellakani Immanuel (@ paprika.mcc.wwwcache.ja.net) on: Tue Aug 7 06:57:41
  
  Selvam
  
  I think all tamils face the same problem as you mentioned. People in the UK started calling me with my father's name. Then I told them that's my father's name and asked them to call me with my name. After a lot of confusion then I put father's name at the end. That has become surname for me and mywife as well(! to avoid confusion...) Wherever I went, to open a bank account or National Insurance number, etc., they ask for surname.
  
  only Tamils will have this problem. Non-tamils have their own family names,e.g, telugu people,
  have family name like
  "Kakarla" Satayanaryana
  "Gattamaneni" Venkatrathnam
  "Somavarapu" Sureshkumar
  "pasupuleti" Venkatrao
  
  these name will continue for many generations, and will never change...
  In Kerala, they use their house names
  "Puthanpurathil" Jacob
  "Nayakanparambil" Joseph
  
  But they have surnames/caste names like, Pillai, Nair, etc.
  
  In Karnataka also they have their family/surnames. As I am not familiar with those I can't give you any example.
  
  All North Indians have surnames, so there is no problem.
  
  Let me come to the point. In Tamilnadu also until our grandfather's generation (based on my age 32), they used a very good naming system/custom. That's using village name, father's name and then your name.
  
  For example, my grandfather's (mother's father)native place is Theethampatti, his father's name was Muthiah, his name is Veliah.
  
  He always writes T.M.Veliah that is, Theethampatti Muthiah mahan Veliah. He was called theena moona Veliah or thee. moo. Veliah.
  
  I think that will be really useful, but at the sametime I am sure, we would not be very happy to be called as Mr.theethampatti, or Mr Andipatti or Mr Gooduvancheri. Some of our friends will have very nice surnames like Mr. Chennai, Mrs.Madurai, Ms. Kovai, Mr.Kumbokonam, Master. Chidambaram, Mr. Sirkali, Mrs. Thirunelveli, like that. Well, who knows, some of our telugu friends surnames sound very funny, but what can they do for it. It's only a surname that's all...So we could consider our grandparents custom.
  
  I should appricate the western people, they don't bother about some funny surnames. for example, the town where we live in England, one of the gates is named after a great person, Basturd "Basturd Gate", Other amusing surnames, Hooker, Littlecock, Pennyless, Lydiatt (sounds like Idiot), Loveless, Stopidd etc...
  
  Even now also you will find many people use their village or native (poorveekam) place name before their father's name. It will be very useful for our records, and also to find out our routes.
  
  You may find this usage with artists, politicians etc.
  
  Tanjore.R.Mahalingam, Nellai K.Ganapathi, Arcot Veerasamy, Pattukkottai alagiri, Madurai Mani (....), Kumari Muthu (!!!???), Kovai Sarala (hehehe), Kumari Anandan,
  
  The surname system in India:
  that is in Gujarathi community.
  
  For example: Ramesh Harishbhai Patel
  
  Ramesh- his name
  Harishbhai-Ramesh father's name
  Patel surname
  
  Now Ramesh's sone will be called
  Suresh Rameshbhai Patel
  
  Then Suresh's son will be
  Vivek Sureshbhai Patel
  
  if it is a daughter
  Pooja Sureshbhai Patel.
  
  the father of the son or daughter will come in the middle always for all generations.
  
  What I am talking vala vala kola kola..
  
  Let us follow our grandparents..that's the only simple and straightforward way for surname system.
  
  Nathampatti Chellakani Immanuel
  
  
  
  
• From: Nathampatti Chellakani Immanuel (@ olive.mcc.wwwcache.ja.net) on: Wed Aug 8 05:39:16
  
  Selvam
  
  I think all tamils face the same problem as you mentioned. People in the UK started calling me with my father's name. Then I told them that's my father's name and asked them to call me with my name. After a lot of confusion then I put father's name at the end. That has become surname for me and mywife as well(! to avoid confusion...) Wherever I went, to open a bank account or National Insurance number, etc., they ask for surname.
  
  only Tamils will have this problem. Non-tamils have their own family names,e.g, telugu people,
  have family name like
  "Kakarla" Satayanaryana
  "Gattamaneni" Venkatrathnam
  "Somavarapu" Sureshkumar
  "pasupuleti" Venkatrao
  
  these name will continue for many generations, and will never change...
  In Kerala, they use their house names
  "Puthanpurathil" Jacob
  "Nayakanparambil" Joseph
  
  But they have surnames/caste names like, Pillai, Nair, etc.
  
  In Karnataka also they have their family/surnames. As I am not familiar with those I can't give you any example.
  
  All North Indians have surnames, so there is no problem.
  
  Let me come to the point. In Tamilnadu also until our grandfather's generation (based on my age 32), they used a very good naming system/custom. That's using village name, father's name and then your name.
  
  For example, my grandfather's (mother's father)native place is Theethampatti, his father's name was Muthiah, his name is Veliah.
  
  He always writes T.M.Veliah that is, Theethampatti Muthiah mahan Veliah. He was called theena moona Veliah or thee. moo. Veliah.
  
  I think that will be really useful, but at the sametime I am sure, we would not be very happy to be called as Mr.theethampatti, or Mr Andipatti or Mr Gooduvancheri. Some of our friends will have very nice surnames like Mr. Chennai, Mrs.Madurai, Ms. Kovai, Mr.Kumbokonam, Master. Chidambaram, Mr. Sirkali, Mrs. Thirunelveli, like that. Well, who knows, some of our telugu friends surnames sound very funny, but what can they do for it. It's only a surname that's all...So we could consider our grandparents custom.
  
  I should appricate the western people, they don't bother about some funny surnames. for example, the town where we live in England, one of the gates is named after a great person, Basturd "Basturd Gate", Other amusing surnames, Hooker, Littlecock, Pennyless, Lydiatt (sounds like Idiot), Loveless, Stopidd etc...
  
  Even now also you will find many people use their village or native (poorveekam) place name before their father's name. It will be very useful for our records, and also to find out our routes.
  
  You may find this usage with artists, politicians etc.
  
  Tanjore.R.Mahalingam, Nellai K.Ganapathi, Arcot Veerasamy, Pattukkottai alagiri, Madurai Mani (....), Kumari Muthu (!!!???), Kovai Sarala (hehehe), Kumari Anandan,
  
  The surname system in India:
  that is in Gujarathi community.
  
  For example: Ramesh Harishbhai Patel
  
  Ramesh- his name
  Harishbhai-Ramesh father's name
  Patel surname
  
  Now Ramesh's sone will be called
  Suresh Rameshbhai Patel
  
  Then Suresh's son will be
  Vivek Sureshbhai Patel
  
  if it is a daughter
  Pooja Sureshbhai Patel.
  
  the father of the son or daughter will come in the middle always for all generations.
  
  What I am talking vala vala kola kola..
  
  Let us follow our grandparents..that's the only simple and straightforward way for surname system.
  
  Nathampatti Chellakani Immanuel
  
  
  
  
  
  
• From: Fr. Soosai Raj Savarimuthu (@ slufoundry.candw.lc) on: Sun Aug 11 19:57:42
  
  I clearly see the problem. The very reason how I got to know that this website is exisiting is because I wanted to know as to how to change my name. My Tamil name is Soosai Raj and my father's name is Savarimuthu. And I am working in the West Indies as a catholic priest and here people can not pronounce my name "soosai" and so I am in the process of finding out as to how to change the same name in to English as "Joseph". Please tell me what is the way? Shouls I ask my people in india to go to a lawyer and etc?
  thank u very much
  
  
• From: selvam (@ ) on: Fri Oct 10 09:08:05
  
  Fr. Soosai,
  
  I suggest that you tell your people to call you "Jose'" as in Spanish (pronounced - HOSE'). This may be a good compromise.
  
  All the best in your missionary work. I too am a missionary in East Africa.
  
  Selvam
  
  

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