Have you noticed an uptick in parents using last names as first names, especially with boys? If so, then you've identified ...

Two weeks ago I discussed the patronymic names of the Celtic countries of Scotland and Ireland. Patronymic surnames are derived from a person’s father’s first name, and reflect the Gaelic language ...

The patronymic exists in many languages, but in Russia it can be mind-blowing. While you usually use it in formal discussion, close friends sometimes call each other by their patronymic, omitting both ...

A patronymic surname is one that is derived from a person’s father’s first name. At some point in history many patronymic surnames were adopted as permanent, inherited surnames, and so they survive ...