# Explain to me (Asian) Indian names **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 4, 2008, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-to-me-asian-indian-names/470960 "2008-11-04T00:56:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![fandango](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b5ac83/32.png) [@fandango](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fandango)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-to-me-asian-indian-names/470960/41 "2008-11-07T05:06:40Z")
> [@Dervorin](#): > > Finally, something I am unquestionably qualified to answer! > > Traditionally, south Indian names have three parts - the name of your ancestral town or village, your father’s name, and a given name. What confuses people who are not familiar with this scheme is that the given name is last on the list. To take an example, I have a cousin whose name is (changed to protect the innocent) K.R. Rajeev. > . My wife’s family does something very similar–but there’s another catch, on top of the Village Name. Father’s Name. Given Name, they have another name which I think is similar to a baptismal name or a “Star name” that they prefer to be called. So, my wife’s brother’s name is two initials, followed by his Given name but if you ask what to call him it is none of his “real” names. I’ve been married to her for 7 years and have given up trying to figure it out. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-to-me-asian-indian-names/470960/42 "2008-11-07T15:08:18Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > You gave 12 different name orders for one community. The system in your community is complex and inconsistent, as your very own post explains. I don’t intend that to be offensive. It’s just a simple fact. 1. _I_ didn’t do it. 2. _My_ point was that it’s not one “community” we’re talking about. It’s a collection of diverse communities. If you ask a question about a complex situation, it’s not unreasonable to get a complex response. 3. Yes, part of the point is that it is complex. Speaking personally, I don’t find it offensive that people might be confused or uninformed about something like this. But as I said previously, it’s not, for example, mispronouncing my name that offends me, it’s “humorous” remarks like “oh, I’m not even going to try saying your name” or “that makes my head asplode” that I find offensive. If you don’t know something, I’m happy to explain it to. **BrightNShiny** , in particular, has gone to great lengths to try to explain it. But the implication that my cultural characteristics are unreasonably strange or complex is not welcome. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2008, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-to-me-asian-indian-names/470960/43 "2008-11-08T01:24:15Z")
1/ You gave them in the sense you stated them. I’m not saying you are responsible for creating them. Obviously. 2/ You said in your post several times that the 12 different conventions you stated were from _your particular community_. You said there would be even more variations (though similar) if you included other communities. 3/ I’m not saying that is your fault. I’m not saying it is anyone’s fault in particular. Every community and certainly my own has aspects that are ridiculously complex beyond all necessity. But the simple fact is that the cultural characteristics of the naming conventions in your community are unreasonably complex. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2008, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-to-me-asian-indian-names/470960/44 "2008-11-08T04:21:36Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > 1/ You gave them in the sense you stated them. Nope. I sure didn’t. > [@](#): > > 2/ You said in your post several times that the 12 different conventions you stated were from _your particular community_. Perhaps you’d like to review the posts that actually have my name on them. > [@](#): > > But the simple fact is that the cultural characteristics of the naming conventions in your community are unreasonably complex. “No universal standard” seems rather reasonably simple to me. But in any case it’s patently ridiculous to label a system that hundreds of thousands of people live with without thinking twice about it as “unreasonably complex.” And, yes, it is offensive to suggest that it is, because calling something “unreasonably complex” implies “If you had any sense of reason, you’d change it.” ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2008, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-to-me-asian-indian-names/470960/45 "2008-11-08T11:32:02Z")
Sorry about the confusion. Obviously I had jumped to the conclusion you were the person who posted the long list. My mistake. Makes no real difference. The person I was responding to with my \*asploded \*comment (by the way, you know about jokes, right?) posted a list of 12 different naming orders for their community. Not for a diverse collection of communities, no matter what revisionism you may wish to engage in. If you think “no universal standard” equals simple, you need to do some more thinking. “No universal standard” is actually a recipe for confusion and complexity. Nor is it patently ridiculous to label a system that hundreds of thousands use “unreasonably complex” if it’s unreasonably complex. There are any number of unreasonably complex aspects of any culture, unfortunately, because things in this world aren’t always as well organised and neatly defined as they could be. Finally, you are being remarkably touchy if you think that I am implying a criticism because anyone with any sense would be able to change the naming system in BrightNShiny’s community. How could he possibly do that? Your post seems illogical and frankly rather precious. There are pit threads every week where westerners on these boards criticise the hell out of aspects of western culture for being illogical/overly complex/grossly stupid. Take, say English spelling. It’s completely, utterly, ludicrously complex. I wouldn’t give a damn if you said so in 40 point font, I’d just agree. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-to-me-asian-indian-names/470960.md?page=2)