Egyptian Last Names (Family Names)?

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Ismaily Rules

We don't like to use family names. We just use first name then father's name.
Some people would mention their family name if the family is rich and famous.
Some people would also use the family name if the father's name is so common but the family name is uncommon.
Like "Ahmed Mohamed ELsayed Molokhya". So most like it, this person will be called 'Ahmed Molokya".
Don't think that Molokya can't be a name. We have all kinds of names "sabbahi, shabara " a kind of fish" , "3azra2eel= the angel of death", El saghir "who names their son that?"

msafwat

It is not a question of liking or not, its related to administrative systems and historical backgrounds.

The "Family Name" system was introduced by the Romans, if I'm not mistaken, to categorize people into families thus identifying them according to their races and origins. This system was used to stress on the importance of noble ancestry (and vice versa) as the Roman Empire expanded, In this system the family name is so important that it is usually stated before the first name, or without it at all, (you would say "Smith, John" or Just "Mr. Smith"). That's also where a wife would adopt her husbands last name (to identify her with her new family). This system is used in western countries and some Arab countries with strong western influences.

Before that the "Parental Name" system was used... i.e. Fullan ibn 3ellan. You can see it in ancient religious scriptures originating from the Middle East. Saying for example Joseph son of Jacob son of Abraham, or Mohammad Ibn Abdullah ibn Abdel Mottaleb.

In Egypt officially we still use the earliest form (The Paternal Name) but we dropped the use of "Ibn", [first name] [father's name] [Grandfather's name] its called triple name format (Esm tholathy), This system stresses on the value of the individual and his living parents rather than the Nobility of the ancestors (the first name in this system has all the emphasis even when using it with Mr. or Mrs. we say Ostaz [first name]). Women according to this system get to keep their names even after marriage. But a family name can still be used after the usuall sequence of paternal names, but mostly in casual non-official settings, and as some of the Answeres said before as source of family pride and demonstration of power and Nobility (echoes from the ancient Roman influences).

I hope this helped.

Edit: In paternal names format the optional family name is usually an adjective identifying the person either along tribal lines, city of origin or occupation like Elsharkawy (i.e. from the governorate of Sharkyia) or el7adad (iron smith) etc. in the Arab Gulf states... still using paternal system with (Ibn) a family name is usually preceded with the prefix "Al" Like King Fahd ibn AbdelAziz Al Saud. Or Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

Zoser

The story:

1) In Ancient Greece during some periods it became common to use place of origin as a part of their official identification. At other times clan names and patronymic names ("son of") were also common.
2) In the Roman Empire clan/family names became very standardized.

3)In Quran there is a direct order to Muslims to call the children to their fathers ( ā€¦..call them to their fathers) Hence , the wife does not adopt her husband family name , and the children use the father name as indication for the ID example Name /(son or daughter ) in Arabic (ibin/ibnt)/father name,,,

4) In Arabic language: name /Ibin (son) Ibnit (daughter) the father name, applying the Arabic language grammar (letter I=alef) is dropped in Ibin or ibnit when it comes between two names , only in writing but in pronunciation stillis not dropped
**In writing : Name/bin(bint)/father name/father name, but in reading Name/ibin or ibnit/father name

5)It became very common mistake even withthe Arabs to read the names dropping the letter I
Example : Ahmed bin Aly should be read Ahmed Ibin Aly although is written in the first format

6) Modern naming convention may drop the word "bin" as it is already implied, so Saleh's full name would be "Saleh Tariq Khalid Al-Fulani" but still in practice in Saudi Arabia especially with official names ex: King Fahd bin abdalaziz

7)Many Arabic countries have now adopted a Westernized way of naming. This is the case for example in Lebanon and Morocco countries where French conventions are followed, and it is rapidly gaining ground elsewhere.

8)Most Arabs do not simply have first/middle/last names, but a full chain of names. This system is in use throughout the Arab world.

8) WHEN last name is used it may indicate the patronymic (naseb) Several nasab can follow in a chain, to trace a person's ancestry backwards in time. This was important in the tribally based society of the ancient Arabs
,-description of the person( lakap ) like )Haroun al-Rashid Haroun the the righteous"
-or the nisba to describe a person's occupation, geographic home area, or descent (tribe, family, etc). It will follow a family through several generations -The nisba, among the components of the Arabic name perhaps most closely resembles the Western surname.

Ranoush(ppl thumbed me down:p)

wow...it's nice to see more of you coming to egypt section...
no we dnt use them.....there are many names and many of them is shamful(sorry but there are families whose name is sha77at or el ga7sh).....

i usually use my name+family name(it's saqr like the eagle...ehheheh....there's a village named after us..dnt laugh..ehheh)
or my name+my father's+my family name...

sharma

I use my family name my first then my last I am Sara Sharkawy now u all know who i really am n am proud of my name n thats no joke.

ŲŁ„Ų§ŁˇŁ…ŲØŲ±Ų§ hallambra

Good question Smutty.
I have asked myself the same, several times till an egyptian friend explained it to me.
I think that is not only in Egypt that happens that........I have the idea that in Libya is the same too.

dal e

u r wrong cos i am called with my name then my father's name then my family name
and my family name is ''Eid'' by the way

relator hallas

of course we have family names some one may be proud of his family name and he uses it like Shanan, Elreedy.
some are strange like Zawwam and Olama.
some are shameful as Rana said.
so using it is relative according to its type

Last Pharaoh

prefer nick names

cleo x pat

I am married to an Egyptian & i took on my husbands family name.

fatma

hey beautiful

omg i didnt know that!! that means my name will be fatma ........... ohhh wait.. if that is the case i would have a diff dad!!! nooooo!!! i dont want a diff dad... why did you make me think of that?? not im gana keep thinking.. wha if i was born in a egyptian family??? lol

they are just given last names... because if someone else has the same name as them and same fathers name then they can proove they arnt the same person by their last name... sorry i dont know?? im confused and god im hungry

S&S

good question i used to question about that too to my family but they could never give me an answer, in the 3araby country i am from we all use our family name so it was kind of awkward to me...wait my name does sound better with just my dad's name after!! lool

Balsam

Usually we mention our first name then the father's name then the grandfather's name. If the family is proud of the name of grand grand father and/or there is an unusual name in the family tree that they like to keep it is then used instead of the name of the grandfather.

Kalooka

Either those Egyptians are weird or their family names embarrasses them or something.
i hardly know any of my acquaintence father's names..

Ruby

We do have a family name of course but it is not commonly used. Here in Egypt we use First name, Father's name, gandfather's name. This is just how it goes in Egypt. When I go to the states, I go back to using my family name again as my last name.

Nadine

We don't use the family names we use the first name to call the person with it.

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