Mongolian Surnames

Here are some excerpts from an LA Times article about Mongolia now mandating that its citizens choose and use surnames. They used to have clan names, but the Mongolian communist government back in the 20s got rid of them to help in resttlement policies, to wipe out religious affiliation and aid in tax collection and such matters:

"My research suggests most original Mongolian surnames were bestowed by neighbors in the village," Serjee said. "These include 'Thief' and 'Family of Seven Drunks.' "

To get some sense of the confusion that single names can engender, take a peek at the Ulan Bator telephone book, where page after page is filled with identical single-name entries. "We have all kinds of problems trying to give people the right numbers," said a directory assistance employee who identified herself only as Operator 14. "It's a real headache."

or those who didn't give it much thought, and even some who did, the most obvious choice for a surname was, is and always will be Borjigin, the clan name of Genghis Khan, the 12th-century warrior and native son who put this north-central Asian nation on the map.

"It seems like half the population is named after Genghis," said Ganaa, a 30-year-old mother whose family initially considered Borjigin before settling on Aldar, after their ancestral village. "It's good we're adopting surnames, because there's been lots of confusion. But with everyone choosing Genghis' name, that's also confusing."

Others have followed Serjee's advice and taken a more free-form approach. Gereltuya, a 20-year-old student, and his counterparts cite friends who have taken surnames that mean "Lord God," "Astrologer" and "Exhausted Beast."

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Also, Mongolia's population is only slightly larger than Portland's, but its landmass is larger than either France's or Germany's. Shit.

For more, here's the article:
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/la-fg-names23oct23,1,1813399.story