Join FunTrivia for Free: Hourly trivia games, quizzes, community, and more!
Fun Trivia
Ask FunTrivia: Questions and Answers
Answers to 100,000 Fascinating Questions
Welcome to FunTrivia's Question & Answer forum!

Search All Questions


Please cite any factual claims with citation links or references from authoritative sources. Editors continuously recheck submissions and claims.

Archived Questions

Goto Qn #


Do people in Mongolia have just one name?

Question #114553. Asked by author.
Last updated Aug 06 2021.

wajo
Answer has 3 votes
wajo
22 year member
186 replies

Answer has 3 votes.
Mongolians don't have a system of surnames equivalent to English or Chinese family names. I gather that people mainly use their first name but officially will have their father's name before it to distinguish between people with the same name. Since 2000 they have also used 'clan' names (sometimes made up) though the Chinese bureaucracy doesn't recognise these clan names. It's very confusing.

link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongolian_name

May 07 2010, 2:51 PM
author
Answer has 3 votes
author
22 year member
2834 replies

Answer has 3 votes.
As far as I remember, the Mongolian leader Choibalsan (a firm Stalinist) was known by only this name. But now I see in the Wiki page that he has two names.

link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khorloogiin_Choibalsan

By the way, there may be a different situation in Inner Mongolia (belongs to China) and Outer Mongolia (which is the republic of Mongolia).

May 07 2010, 4:44 PM
McFlyFave
Answer has 4 votes
Currently Best Answer
McFlyFave
15 year member
104 replies

Answer has 4 votes.

Currently voted the best answer.
'As part of restoring their national identity, people started to search for their roots and in 1991 President P. Ochirbat issued a decree for the restoration of family names. People were free to pick their own names, ' said Serjee who has written a guide on how to do it. Most people have chosen the Genghis Khan family name, Borjigid, which like many other names is taken from clan totem.

Other Mongolians are named after other animals like eagles or crows, as well as professions such as smith, hunter, or camelbreeder.

Although 60 percent of Mongolians have preferred to choose to belong to Genghis Kan's clan, others have sought to found their own illustrious name like, Mongolia's first and so far only man in space. Cosmonaut Gurragchaa, who returned to earth in 1981, has registered himself as Mr. Cosmos, ensuring that generations to come will not forget who they are and where they came from.

link https://archive.li/r6yCQ#selection-447.6-447.193
mongoliatoday.com/issue/5/names.html no longer exists

Response last updated by gtho4 on Aug 06 2021.
May 08 2010, 2:38 AM
free email trivia FREE! Get a new mixed Fun Trivia quiz each day in your email. It's a fun way to start your day!


arrow Your Email Address:

Sign in or Create Free User ID to participate in the discussion