How do naming traditions differ around the world?

The answer

Naming conventions reveal deep cultural values about identity, lineage, and fate. Icelandic people use patronymics (or matronymics): a child of a father named Jon becomes Jonsson (son) or Jonsdottir (daughter), meaning siblings of different genders have different surnames. Many West African cultures name children after the day they were born; Kofi (Friday-born) Annan is a famous example. In Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese cultures, the family name comes first, reflecting the primacy of the group over the individual. Hindu naming ceremonies (Namkaran) occur on specific astrologically determined days, and names often invoke deities. Some Indigenous Australian cultures have 'avoidance names' that change throughout life. In parts of Indonesia, people may have only a single name. The Sikh tradition assigns all men the surname Singh (lion) and all women Kaur (princess) to eliminate caste distinctions.