Thai name
Encyclopedia
Thai names follow the North Indian and Western European pattern in which the family name
follows a first or given name
. In this they differ from the family-name-first pattern of the East Asia
n tradition.
Thai names, both given name and family, are often long and there are a great many of them. The diversity of family names is because they are required to be unique to a family, and they are a recent introduction. Further, Thai people change their family names relatively frequently (this practice being virtually unknown in many other countries outside of marriage).
Last names became legally required of Thai citizens in 1913: before then, most Thais used only a first or individual name. The names generally convey positive attributes. Under Thai law, only one family can use any given surname: thus any two people of the same surname must be related.
Thai surnames are often long, particularly among those of upper-class families and also among Thais of Chinese descent
, whose lengthy names stem from an attempt to translate Chinese names into Thai equivalents. For example, the family of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra
, who are of Chinese descent, adopted the name Shinawatra ("does good routinely") in 1938. According to the current law, to create a new Thai surname, it must not be longer than ten Thai letter
s, vowel symbols and diacritics are not counted.
As a measure of the diversity of Thai names, in a sample of 45,665 names, 81% of family names were unique, and 35% of given names were unique: the people with shared family names are thus related, and the diversity of given names is conventional.
East Asian monarchs often adopted Regnal names upon ascending the throne, as was done in Thailand until the end of the Rattanakosin Kingdom. In addition, subjects of a monarch may be awarded both a title and a name, such as in the case of Sing (or Singh
) Singhaseni who was awarded the title of Chao Phraya and the name of Bodindecha
(.) Kings Rama I and Rama II
were both awarded noble titles and names before they assumed regnal names. which were then changed by subsequent kings. As neither noble titles nor names are necessarily unique, it is customary to list the highest title and awarded named first, followed by former names and titles (and personal and family names in parentheses) as needed.
. Some (far removed) descendants of royalty add the preposition "na" (ณ) to geographical names to create surnames, in the same way that members of German noble families use von
. Thus Mongkol Na Songkhla
, a minister in the Surayud government, has a name which indicates he is a distant descendant of royalty or nobility in that geographical region (for instance the surname "Na Chiangmai" belonging to descendants of the rulers of Chiang Mai, which was a vassal state of Siam). The name of Kasem Sanitwong Na Ayutthaya, another minister, indicates that he is related to the royal family, as it is also tradition for far-removed descendants to add "Na Ayutthaya" after their surnames. In this case, Sanitwong is the family name of Kasem. Sanitwong itself being a name of a royal consort of Rama V and the subsequent family name for her descendants.
in western culture. Please see Thai royal and noble titles
for more details.
In less formal situations, Thais will address each other by nicknames (chue-len or ). Given by parents or relatives in early childhood, these nicknames are typically one syllable (or worn down from two syllables to one). They may often be nonsense words or humorous, and usually have no relation to the person's actual name, although in some cases may be diminutive forms of their first name, like "Nok" for "Noknoi" which means respectively bird and little bird, the first used as a nickname and the second being the first name. All Thais have such a name, and they are freely used in everyday life regardless of how childish they may seem to non-Thais. The King
's nickname, for example, is Ong Lek ", a common name for younger brothers). Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra
's is , the Thai word for the Miao people
(of which the Hmong
are a sub-group). In addition, some Thais may also have additional nicknames given by their friends or colleagues especially during their school age or adolescence. These friend-given nicknames are usually linked with a notable physical feature or behavior of that person. For example, a boy who wears glasses may be called “Waen” by his friends. After being frequently called Waen by his friends, he may at some point accept that name as another nickname, even though he still uses his family-given nickname when he speaks with members of his family.
Westerners meeting Thais in everyday life will usually be introduced to the Thai person only by their nickname, and will not discover the person's real name unless they ask: Thais tend to assume that Westerners cannot pronounce or remember long Thai names. Except in the most formal situations (meeting a government minister, for example), it is quite acceptable to address or refer to a Thai by their nickname. The nickname can be preceded by "khun". This will seem slightly comic to Thais, but will be understood as a gesture of respect.
Family name
A family name is a type of surname and part of a person's name indicating the family to which the person belongs. The use of family names is widespread in cultures around the world...
follows a first or given name
Given name
A given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name...
. In this they differ from the family-name-first pattern of the East Asia
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
n tradition.
Thai names, both given name and family, are often long and there are a great many of them. The diversity of family names is because they are required to be unique to a family, and they are a recent introduction. Further, Thai people change their family names relatively frequently (this practice being virtually unknown in many other countries outside of marriage).
Last names became legally required of Thai citizens in 1913: before then, most Thais used only a first or individual name. The names generally convey positive attributes. Under Thai law, only one family can use any given surname: thus any two people of the same surname must be related.
Thai surnames are often long, particularly among those of upper-class families and also among Thais of Chinese descent
Thai Chinese
The Thai Chinese are an overseas Chinese community who live in Thailand. Thailand is home to the largest, oldest, most prominent, and most integrated overseas Chinese community in the world with a population of approximately 9.5 million people...
, whose lengthy names stem from an attempt to translate Chinese names into Thai equivalents. For example, the family of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra is a Thai businessman and politician, who was Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006, when he was overthrown in a military coup....
, who are of Chinese descent, adopted the name Shinawatra ("does good routinely") in 1938. According to the current law, to create a new Thai surname, it must not be longer than ten Thai letter
Thai alphabet
Thai script , is used to write the Thai language and other, minority, languages in Thailand. It has forty-four consonants , fifteen vowel symbols that combine into at least twenty-eight vowel forms, and four tone marks ....
s, vowel symbols and diacritics are not counted.
As a measure of the diversity of Thai names, in a sample of 45,665 names, 81% of family names were unique, and 35% of given names were unique: the people with shared family names are thus related, and the diversity of given names is conventional.
Royal and feudal names
- see also Rama (Kings of Thailand), List of Thai Monarchs and Thai royal and noble titlesThai royal and noble titlesThai royal and noble titles are the royal and noble styles signifying relationship to the King introduced by King Trailokanat, who reigned 1448 to 1488. The system is rooted in the Thai language equivalent of feudalism, .It is somewhat similar to that of peerage, but is complicated and usually not...
East Asian monarchs often adopted Regnal names upon ascending the throne, as was done in Thailand until the end of the Rattanakosin Kingdom. In addition, subjects of a monarch may be awarded both a title and a name, such as in the case of Sing (or Singh
Singh
Also see SinhaSingh is a common title, middle name, or surname in Northern India and South India used by sikhs warriors and kings. eg. Man Singh I, Maharana Pratap Singh. It is derived from the Sanskrit word Siṃha meaning "lion and used by Ahir kings of Nepal". It is also used in Sri Lanka by...
) Singhaseni who was awarded the title of Chao Phraya and the name of Bodindecha
Bodindecha
Chao Phraya Bodindecha was one of the most prominent political and military figures of the early Bangkok Rattanakosin Kingdom. Bodindecha was both chancellor and military general during the reign of King Rama III...
(.) Kings Rama I and Rama II
Rama II
Rama II is a novel by Gentry Lee and Arthur C. Clarke first published in 1989. It recounts humankind's further interaction with the Ramans, first introduced in Rendezvous with Rama...
were both awarded noble titles and names before they assumed regnal names. which were then changed by subsequent kings. As neither noble titles nor names are necessarily unique, it is customary to list the highest title and awarded named first, followed by former names and titles (and personal and family names in parentheses) as needed.
Noble names
Descendants of the nobility, both hereditary and non-hereditary positions, generally take the noble name of their ancestor for a surname. For instance, Hugo Chakrabongse is a descendant of Prince Chakrabongse BhuvanathChakrabongse Bhuvanath
Field Marshal Prince Chakrabongse Bhuvanadh, Prince of Phitsanulok, , was the fortieth child of King Chulalongkorn and the fourth child of Queen Sri Bajarindra....
. Some (far removed) descendants of royalty add the preposition "na" (ณ) to geographical names to create surnames, in the same way that members of German noble families use von
Von
In German, von is a preposition which approximately means of or from.When it is used as a part of a German family name, it is usually a nobiliary particle, like the French, Spanish and Portuguese "de". At certain times and places, it has been illegal for anyone who was not a member of the nobility...
. Thus Mongkol Na Songkhla
Mongkol Na Songkhla
Mongkol Na Songkhla was as of January 2007 the Minister of Health for Thailand. He was appointed by Thai Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont and sworn into office on October 9, 2006...
, a minister in the Surayud government, has a name which indicates he is a distant descendant of royalty or nobility in that geographical region (for instance the surname "Na Chiangmai" belonging to descendants of the rulers of Chiang Mai, which was a vassal state of Siam). The name of Kasem Sanitwong Na Ayutthaya, another minister, indicates that he is related to the royal family, as it is also tradition for far-removed descendants to add "Na Ayutthaya" after their surnames. In this case, Sanitwong is the family name of Kasem. Sanitwong itself being a name of a royal consort of Rama V and the subsequent family name for her descendants.
Formal and informal names
In polite speech, Thais will address each other or refer to each other by their given name, preceded by the honorific "khun." This applies particularly to persons of public distinction. Thus, the ministers mentioned above would be addressed and referred to as "Khun Mongkol" and "Khun Kasem," especially since they are respected persons. There are some misunderstandings that "Khun" would be replaced with "Khunying" when a person to whom the speaker refers is a woman. In fact, “Khunying” is a noble title, and is comparable to LadyLady
The word lady is a polite term for a woman, specifically the female equivalent to, or spouse of, a lord or gentleman, and in many contexts a term for any adult woman...
in western culture. Please see Thai royal and noble titles
Thai royal and noble titles
Thai royal and noble titles are the royal and noble styles signifying relationship to the King introduced by King Trailokanat, who reigned 1448 to 1488. The system is rooted in the Thai language equivalent of feudalism, .It is somewhat similar to that of peerage, but is complicated and usually not...
for more details.
In less formal situations, Thais will address each other by nicknames (chue-len or ). Given by parents or relatives in early childhood, these nicknames are typically one syllable (or worn down from two syllables to one). They may often be nonsense words or humorous, and usually have no relation to the person's actual name, although in some cases may be diminutive forms of their first name, like "Nok" for "Noknoi" which means respectively bird and little bird, the first used as a nickname and the second being the first name. All Thais have such a name, and they are freely used in everyday life regardless of how childish they may seem to non-Thais. The King
Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX...
's nickname, for example, is Ong Lek ", a common name for younger brothers). Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra is a Thai businessman and politician, who was Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006, when he was overthrown in a military coup....
's is , the Thai word for the Miao people
Miao people
The Miao or ม้ง ; ) is an ethnic group recognized by the government of the People's Republic of China as one of the 55 official minority groups. Miao is a Chinese term and does not reflect the self-designations of the component nations of people, which include Hmong, Hmu, A Hmao, and Kho Xiong...
(of which the Hmong
Hmong people
The Hmong , are an Asian ethnic group from the mountainous regions of China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Hmong are also one of the sub-groups of the Miao ethnicity in southern China...
are a sub-group). In addition, some Thais may also have additional nicknames given by their friends or colleagues especially during their school age or adolescence. These friend-given nicknames are usually linked with a notable physical feature or behavior of that person. For example, a boy who wears glasses may be called “Waen” by his friends. After being frequently called Waen by his friends, he may at some point accept that name as another nickname, even though he still uses his family-given nickname when he speaks with members of his family.
Westerners meeting Thais in everyday life will usually be introduced to the Thai person only by their nickname, and will not discover the person's real name unless they ask: Thais tend to assume that Westerners cannot pronounce or remember long Thai names. Except in the most formal situations (meeting a government minister, for example), it is quite acceptable to address or refer to a Thai by their nickname. The nickname can be preceded by "khun". This will seem slightly comic to Thais, but will be understood as a gesture of respect.
See also
- Thai honorificsThai honorificsHonorifics are a class of words or grammatical morphemes that encode a wide variety of social relationships between interlocutors or between interlocutors and referents. Honorific phenomena in Thai include honorific registers, honorific pronominals, and honorific particles.-Historical...
- Thai royal and noble titlesThai royal and noble titlesThai royal and noble titles are the royal and noble styles signifying relationship to the King introduced by King Trailokanat, who reigned 1448 to 1488. The system is rooted in the Thai language equivalent of feudalism, .It is somewhat similar to that of peerage, but is complicated and usually not...
- http://www.namespedia.com/index.php/Category:Thai
- http://www.namespedia.com/index.php/Category:Asia