Regional Organized Crime Information Center

Special Research Report • Law Enforcement Guide to International Names

Law Enforcement Guide
to

INTERNATIONAL NAMES

Introduction............................................................................3
Hispanic Names....................................................................4
Arabic Names........................................................................6
Indian Names........................................................................8
Russian Names...................................................................10
Polish Names......................................................................11
South Asian Muslim Names................................................12
Chinese Names...................................................................13
Korean Names....................................................................14
Vietnamese Names.............................................................15
Japanese Names................................................................16
Sources...............................................................................17
ROCIC Special Reports......................................................19

By ROCIC Publications Specialist Angela Adams© 2010 ROCICRegional Organized Crime Information Center

Special Research Report • Law Enforcement Guide to International Names

Introduction

I

dentification of suspects, victims, and witnesses is critical to effective law
enforcement; officers often interact with persons of international origin or
background, whether nationals or immigrants (legal or illegal). America is theland of immigrants, and many jurisdictions contain communities populated withpersons from around the world. Police in the U.S. often contend with organizedcrime organizations from Russia, Mexico, and China, among many otherlocations, and proper identification of these and other international groups isimperative.
A name is a source of information about that person for law enforcement,
including his/her gender, heritage/race, country of origin, marital status, social
status, occupation, and religion. The listed order and significance of names varyby country, region, religion, and other factors. Paying particular attention to thevarious international naming conventions will be beneficial to law enforcement,
as being able to understand the order and significance of international names
alone can provide information, regardless of possible language barriers that may
exist.
This guide on international naming conventions is designed for law enforcement
to better understand how names from various countries are formed and what
information can be obtained from these names. The guide is generalized; naming
conventions can vary by regional and familial practices. It should also be notedthat immigrants to the U.S. often change the order of their names to fit Western
conventions. If you are unsure whether a person switched his/her naming order,
you can type the given and/or family name into a search engine (Google.com
or Yahoo.com for example) for assistance in determining the order listed. For
additional information, visit the State and Local Anti-Terrorism Training (SLATT)
program Web site, www.slatt.org. You must be a member to access information oninternational names; new members can register on the Web site.

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Special Research Report • Law Enforcement Guide to International Names

Hispanic Names
Juan Pedro Alvarez Reyes
Juan

Pedro

Alvarez

Reyes

Given Name

Second Name

Father’s Family Name

Mother’s Family Name

Hispanic names (male and female) containboth the father’s and mother’s paternal familynames. They also include a given name, which
may be one to three names, and a second namesimilar to the European or American middle
name.

Alvarez Delgado or Raul Alvarez Delgado.
Compound First Names
One Hispanic convention is the practice ofgiving a child several given (first) names
after Catholic Saints (typically up to threenames), which is thought to bring the childgreat protection by the saints. Commonly,
one of the names is to be the Saint of thechild’s birthday. The second given nametypically signifies the name of a Madonna:
conception (Concepcion), pain (Dolores), or
hope (Esperanza), for example. If the child isnamed after a saint, he/she will typically go byanother name or nickname.

Some families who immigrate to the U.S.
may add a hyphen between the two last names
or may switch the order of the last names,
thereby making the mother’s family name thefirst listed instead of the second listed. They
may also leave out the mother’s family namealtogether.
Commonly, Hispanic women do not change
their name after marriage. Some Hispanic
women do, however, add their husband’s
father’s family name to their names. For
example, Rosa Maria Delgado Guerrero
marries Juan Pedro Alvarez Reyes. She may
change her name to Rosa Maria Delgado
Guerrero de Alvarez, Rosa Maria Delgado
de Alvarez, or Rosa Maria Delgado Sra. deAlvarez.

In some families, Hispanic children are named
after both a male and female saint, which isthought to maximize the saints’ protection. Be
aware that the first given name will indicate
the gender of the child. For example, a childnamed Jose Maria is a male, and a childnamed Maria Jose is a female.
Identifying Gender in Given Names
Generally, you can identify the gender ofa person from the spelling of his/her given
name. Typically, only male names end with“o” (e.g.: Pedro, Mario, Carmelo), and female
names end with “a” (e.g.: Pedra, Maria,
Carmela).

Children of Rosa Maria Delgado Guerrero
and Juan Pedro Alvarez Reyes would retain
the paternal family name from both parents
with the father’s family name listed first. For
example, their children may be named Lenora

Spanish Alphabet
Aa

Bb

Cc

Dd

Ee

Ff

Gg

Kk

Ll

Mm

  a

be

ce

de

e

efe

ge       hachei         jota

ka

ele

eme

Nn

Ññ

Oo

Pp

Qq

Rr

Ss

Uu

Ww   Xx   Yy

ene

eñe

  o

pe

Hh
Tt

cu        erre       ese

te



Ii

  u

Jj
Vv

Zz

ve      doble ve  equis  i griega   zeta

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Special Research Report • Law Enforcement Guide to International Names
Compound Family Names
Hispanic people will sometimes create acompound family name (last name) bymerging their families’ last names. For
example, Juan Pedro Alvarez Reyes marries
Rosa Maria Delgado Guerrero. He is proudof his mother’s family name, so he decides tochange his first family name to Alvarez-Reyes
so that his daughter is named Lenora AlvarezReyes Delgado.

••

The name indicates (or pretends toindicate) a higher family rank;
Creating a more distinguishable last name
if their last name is common (Lopez,
Garcia, etc.).

The Suffix –ez
Inclusion of the suffix –ez in a Hispanic namemeans “son of.” This is similar to the suffix –sen and –son in the German and Scandinavian
languages. For example, Martin’s son may
be named Martinez, or Rodrigo’s son may be
named Rodriguez.

Some reasons for merging last names into acompound last name include:• Carrying on the husband’s or wife’s
mother’s family name into future
generations;Regional Organized Crime Information Center

Special Research Report • Law Enforcement Guide to International Names

Arabic Names
Arabic is the official language for many countries, including Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Qatar, Iran,Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, and more. Note that because the language is so widespread,naming conventions can vary by region and religions practiced (Muslim, Christian, Jewish, etc.).
Male Names
Bahir bin Fadi bin Sajid Al-Tikriti
Bahir bin

Fadi bin

Sajid

Al-Tikriti

Given Name (+ son of)

Father’s Given Name (+ son of)Grandfather’s Given Name

Family Name

Female Names
Farah bint Fadi bin Sajid Al-Tikriti
Farah bint

Fadi bin

Sajid

Al-Tikriti

Given Name (+ daughter of)

Father’s Given Name (+ son of)Grandfather’s Given Name

Family Name

Traditional Arabic names are comprised of atleast four components, but some variations
can include five or more generations ofancestry and/or other components, such as
religious titles, locations of family origin, anhonored ancestor’s name, etc. Modern naming
conventions may drop the words bin (son of)
and/or bint (daughter of) from the name, as
they are implied.

When a woman gets married, she typicallykeeps her maiden name. In title, however,she may say she is the wife of Bahir Fadi AlTikriti, or Haram/Hurma/Hurmat Bahir bin
Fadi bin Sajid Al-Tikriti. Also, the woman’s
children would take their father’s given
name, their grandfather’s given name, and thefamily’s name.

Other Naming Conventions
Bahir Fadi Al-Tikriti
Bahir

Fadi

Al-Tikriti

Given Name

Father’s Given Name

Family Nameor
Bahir Al-Tikriti
Bahir

Al-Tikriti

Given Name

Family Name

The above Arabic naming conventions are becoming morecommon, but be aware that because they form more common
names, accurate suspect identification can become more difficult.
Also, be aware that Arabs who travel or live in Western countries
may adopt Western naming conventions and/or names.
The Arabic Alphabet

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Special Research Report • Law Enforcement Guide to International Names
Compound Given Names
Typically, an Arab person has one given
name. Some, however, have compound given
names. These compound names are usually of
religious origin. For example, some compound
names include the prefixes Abd-, Abd al-,or Abdul (meaning servant or servant of)
combined with a name of Allah (meaningGod), such as Abdullah, Abdul-Rahman, or
Abd al-Rahman.

In Iran, modern family names typicallyindicate where the family originated, suchas Kirmani (from Kirman) or Tabrizi (fromTabriz).

Other combinations use the suffix –allah(God), such as Habiballah, or the suffixes–al-din, –ad-din, –el-din, –eddin, or –uddin(meaning of the religion), such as Nooreddin.

•

Honorific Names
Some Arabic names include names honoringan ancestor using the prefix Al- or ibn-. For
example, to honor a family member named
Husain, an element in the person’s name (notfamily name) may be Al-Husain.

According to naming convention expert andauthor James Richards, the name Mohammad
Al-Ghamdi has at least 56 different (spelling)possibilities. Even if you have the correctspelling, he said, it would still be difficult to
identify the suspect from just two names, as
first and last name combinations alone create
names that are common.

Spelling Challenges
Given various differences in the Arabicalphabet and language, there can be numerous
ways to spell a person’s name. For example,
even common names have multiple spellings:•

Some Arabic names may also include
names honoring a title using the prefix Abu(meaning father of) or Umm- (meaning
mother of), usually added with the eldest
son’s name (Abu Muhammad, for example).
The prefix may also be added to indicate
possession of a personal quality, such as fatherof merit, or Abu al-Fadi.

Mohammad can also be spelled Mohamed,
Mohammed, Muhamad, Muhamed, etc.
Riad can be spelled Riyad, Riyadh, Ryadh,
Ryad, Riadh, etc.

Other Challenges
According to a March 2006 guide to names
and naming practices, “all of the (above)
various elements can be used in a name indifferent, legitimate variations, although thegiven name will almost always be included.”
Be aware that the same man may be called anyof the following:

Family Names
Arabic family names often begin with theprefix Al- or El-, such as Al-Qadhafi, but
the prefix may also be dropped (Qadhafi).
Some family names indicate where thefamily originated, such as Al-Baghdadi (fromBaghdad) or Al-Tikriti (from Tikrit).

•
•
•
•
•
•
•



Ahmad Husain
Ahmad Husain Muhammad
Ahmad bin Husain bin Muhammad
Ahmad Husain ibn Sa’ud Al-Tikriti
Ahmad Husain Al-Tikriti
Abu Muhammad Ahmad Husain
Abu Mahammad

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Special Research Report • Law Enforcement Guide to International Names

Indian Names
Indian names are formed through various systems and vary greatly throughout different regions.
According to the Office of International Programs at the University of Kansas Medical Center,“names are influenced by religion, caste, and occupation, as well as British and Portuguese
influences.” For example, “Indians of Christian faith follow British naming conventions, andIndians of Muslim faith follow conventions similar to Arabic naming conventions.”

Northern Indian Names
Gujarati-Hindu Names
Deven Javed Mehta
Deven

Javed

Mehta

Given Name

Father’s Given Name

Family Name

Traditional Gujarati-Hindu people (male andfemale) will take their father’s given name astheir middle name.

if Amaya Barun Shah marries Devan Javed
Mehta, her name would change to Amaya
Devan Mehta.

When a Gujarati-Hindu woman marries, shewill drop her father’s given name and familyname to replace with her husband’s personalname and his family’s name. For example,

Children of Amaya and Devan will take thefather’s given name and family name, andthey may be named Dhanya Devan Mehta or
Himesh Devan Mehta.

Hindu Names
Daya (Nath) Singh
Daya(Nath)Singh

Given Name

Optional Middle Name

Family Name

Hindu names typically include a given nameand a family name, with middle names being
optional. When included, the middle namemay be the father’s given name. In formal
settings, only the given name and family nameare used (Daya Singh).
As some Hindu family names denote caste(class or status), a person of a lower caste may
drop his/her last name. If this is the case, his/her middle name would become the last name:Daya Nath Singh would become Daya Nath.
As in American naming conventions, a Hindu
woman replaces her family name with her
husband’s family name upon marriage.

A Hindu marriage ceremonyRegional Organized Crime Information Center

Special Research Report • Law Enforcement Guide to International Names

Southern Indian Names
Kanara Amar Hari
KanaraAmar

HariRegion or Village

Father’s Given Name

Given Name

People from the southern states of India(Kamataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, andTamil Nadu) are not named by a consistentnaming convention. However, one common
convention is the lack of a family name. In
its place is the name of the family’s region orvillage of origin.

Another convention is that southern Indiannames are commonly abbreviated except for
the given name. In abbreviated form, the name
Kanara Amar Hari would be K.A. Hari. Also
as in American naming conventions, a woman
replaces her family name with her husband’sfamily name upon marriage.

Sikh Names
Males
Gagan Singh (Malhi)
Gagan

Singh

(Malhi)

Given Name

Religious Name

Optional Family Name

Females
Banita Kaur (Malhi)
BanitaKaur(Malhi)

Given Name

Religious Name

Optional Family Name

Sikh names are given to followers of thereligion Sikhism. The given name is followed
by a religious name, which is always Kaurfor females and Singh for males. However,these names are not exclusive to Sikhs andare used throughout India. And ­since thereligion opposes caste-based systems, familynames are traditionally not used. For thisreason, identifying Sikh family members isdifficult, and family relationships should not
be implied.

Indian Muslim Names
Muslims in India may follow southern Indian naming practices (listed above), Arabic naming
practices (page 6), Asian Muslim naming practices (page 12), or a number of other local
practices. The naming practice used will depend on familial tradition, local tradition, and/or
preference.

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Special Research Report • Law Enforcement Guide to International Names

Russian Names
Males
Vladimir Mikhailovich Borisov
Vladimir

Mikhailovich

Borisov

Given Name

Father’s Name + –ovich,–evich, or –yevich

Family Name

Females
Anna Ivanovna Borisov
Anna

Ivanovna

Borisov

Given Name

Father’s Name + –ovna,–evna, or –yevna

Family Name(with feminine ending)Russian names consist of a given name, thefather’s first name + suffix, and a familyname. Russian middle names combine thefather’s name with the suffix –ovich, –evich,or –yevich (all meaning son of) for males and–ovna, –evna, or –yevna (all meaning
daughter of) for females.
When a Russian woman marries, she retains
her given and father’s name, but her familyname changes to that of her husband’sfamily’s name with a feminine ending (seenext section).

Masculine
EndingFeminine
Ending–ev–eva or –evna

–in

–ina

–ov

–ova or –ovna–oy–aya, –eya, –iaya, or –oya–ski, –sky, or –skiy–skaya–yn–ynaAlphabet Variations
The Russian alphabet, also called the cyrillicalphabet, consists of 33 letters (21 consonants,
10 vowels, and two letters without sound). For
example, Александра translated into English
is Alexandra. If you have a name spelled in
Russian you want translated into English, you
can use Microsoft Word to type out the nameand symbols (using Insert, Symbol, Subset:
Cyrillic), and copy and paste the name into
a search engine (such as Google) to find theAmerican translation.

Masculine v. Feminine Family Names
Although a man and woman may be marriedand share a family name, the woman’s familyname will vary slightly from her husband’sfamily name. Most (but not all) of the time,
the letter “a” is added to the family name tocreate a feminine ending. For example, if
Anna Ivanovna Karlova marries Vladimir
Mikhailovich Borisov, her name would change
to Anna Ivanovna Borisova.

The Russian (Cyrillic) Alphabet

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Polish Names
Males

Females

Aleksy Kowalski

Elka Kowalska

AleksyKowalskiGiven Name

Family Name(sometimes ending in –i)

Polish names consist of a given name and afamily name. As with most Russian familynames, many (but not all) Polish family names
have female name endings, which are different
from male name endings to indicate gender.
Most of the time, the letter “a” is added to thefamily name to create a feminine ending. One
exception is the common family name ending
with the suffix –wicz, in which there would be
no gender-indicative ending.

Elka

Kowalska

Given Name

Family Name(sometimes ending in –a)Upon marriage, wives take on their husband’s
last name and, depending on the last name,
add the feminine ending to their names. Notethat Polish women traveling to or moving
to the U.S. may decide to have the same last
name as their husbands, thereby changing the“a” to an “i” where applicable.
Exclusion of Letter “V”
There is no letter “v” in the Polish alphabet.
Instead, the “v” sound is made by the letter“w”. Usually, knowing this will help you
determine if a name is Polish or anothernationality. For example, a Polish last namewould be spelled Kowalski but the name in
Russian would be Kovalski.

When referring to two or more males of thesame family with the same family name, thesuffix –scy or –ccy would be added to thefamily name: Kowalscy for example. Whenreferring to two or more females of the samefamily, the suffix –skie or –ckie would be
added to the family name: Kowalskie.

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South Asian Muslim Names
As is the case for many other religious groups, southern Asian Muslim names vary based onregional and familial customs. Traditional southern Asian Muslim names are determined bygender. However, those traveling or living in Western cultures may change their names to fit
Western traditions.
Males

Females

Saeed Bashir (Khan)

Rafa Begum (Khan)

Saeed

Bashir(Khan)

Rafa

Begum

(Khan)

Religious Name(s)Given Name(s)Optional Family Name

Given Name(s)Honorific Title(s)Optional Family Name

or

or
Males

Females

Bashir Saeed (Khan)

Begum Rafa (Khan)

Bashir

Saeed(Khan)

Begum

Rafa

(Khan)

Given Name(s)Religious Name(s)Optional Family Name

Honorific Title(s)Given Name(s)Optional Family Name

The components of a southern Asian Muslim
male name are one or more religious name(s),one or more given name(s), and an optionalfamily name. The religious name(s), given
name(s), and family name may appear in any
order, so note that the same person’s namemay be written several different ways. Also
note that, when referring to the male, heshould be called by his given name(s) and/or his given name(s) and religious name(s)combined but never by the religious namealone.

Like the naming of males, southern Asian
Muslim female names are comprised of threeelements that can appear in any order. Insteadof the male’s religious name, the female
names include an honorific title(s), which are
typically one of the following: Bibi, Khanom,
Begum (a married woman), Sultana, orKhatoon. Also, as when referring to the male,the female may be called by her given name(s)and/or her given name(s) and honorific title(s)combined but never by the title alone.
Some women do not have an honorific title
and have two given names instead. They
also do not adopt their husband’s name upon
marriage. If moving to or living in Westerncultures, the female may adopt a family name,usually her father’s given name, to fit Western
traditions.

Naming Children
Naming conventions of southern Asian
Muslim children can vary from family tofamily. One family may give their children thefather’s given name as a family name, while
another family passes down a family name.
However, in some cases, the child may not
adopt any names from his/her family. Becauseof this, familial relationships may be difficult
to distinguish.

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Chinese Namesor

Chen Lin

Chen King Lin

Chen

Lin

Chen

King

Lin

Family Name

Given Name

Family Name

Generation Name

Given Name

In China, the order of names is reversed from
Western naming conventions; the family namecomes first, followed by the given name. Notethat Chinese citizens moving to the U.S. maychange the order of the name and/or may
adopt an American given name to adapt to ournaming conventions.

When a Chinese woman marries, she retains
her maiden name. In some cases, she may add
her husband’s name in front of her own familyname. For example, if Chen Lin married
Zhang Xiaoping, she may change her name to
Zhang Chen Lin. Children of the two would
carry on the father’s family name Zhang.

Although not used as often in present-day
China, some Chinese people continue to add ageneration name between the family name andgiven name. A generation name is one name(e.g. King) given to all siblings and cousinsof the same sex (less frequently given to both
sexes) in a particular family to distinguish thegeneration from their parents’ generation(s).

Chinese Commercial Code
The Chinese Commercial Code (CCC) is asystem of numbers based on the phonetic
combinations in the Chinese language.
As Chinese language contains more than
10,500 characters (each containing four
Arabic numerals) the code was created tobetter identify and record Chinese citizens
accurately. Additionally, the code was createdto assist law enforcement to identify, organize,
and classify Chinese names and suspects. The
code is also used in China and Hong Kong byimmigration authorities to identify criminal
suspects.

The Chinese naming convention also
applies to people of Taiwan and HongKong. However, in Taiwan, given names arecomprised of two names combined with ahyphen. In Hong Kong, names usually reflect
a Cantonese dialect.

Citizens of Singapore, Hong Kong, andMalaysia are required to hold an ID card,
which contains the CCC for their name. For
example, an individual by the name Zhang
Sum (Zhang= CCC# 1728, Sum= CCC# 2450)
would be identified by the CCC# 1728/2450.
An individual named Wong Yin (Wong=
CCC# 7806, Yin= CCC# 3185) would be
identified by the CCC# 7806/3185. Policein Hong Kong have said that it is vital to list
these numbers accurately, as “apart fromfingerprints, the (Chinese Commercial Code)is the only means of establishing an identity in
Hong Kong.”

Unlike the many possible family names inWestern countries, there are only between 470
and 650 family names among China’s morethan one billion citizens, making these names
fairly common. Some of the more common
family names include Li, Wang, Chen, Liu,and Zhang. Also, unlike many other nations’given names, Chinese given names are notgender specific, so it is rarely possible todistinguish a person’s gender simply by seeing
the person’s written name.

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Korean Names
Lee Chang-Sun (Su)Lee
Family Name

Chang-Sun(Su)

Given Name

Optional Generation
Name

Korean names consist of a family name anda given name. Primarily in older generations,a generation name (as used in some Chinese
names) may follow the given name, but thepractice isn’t as widely used with younger
generations. Note that Koreans living in the
U.S. may reverse the order of their names tofit Western naming conventions (given namefollowed by family name).

250 family names are used throughout Korea,
with about 50 percent using the family names
Kim, Lee, or Park. These names, however,can be spelled many different ways but still
be considered the same name. For example,
the name Lee could also appear as Leigh,Li, Rhee, Ree, Rhi, Ri, Ni, or Yi. Because
the same family names are widely used, theyshould not be used to determine familial
relationships.

Korean given names traditionally consistof two names which can be hyphenated,combined (Changsun), or have a space
between them (Chang Sun). Regardless of
spacing or hyphenation, this should not be
mistaken for a Western middle name. The
person should be called by his/her two-namecombination.

Like Chinese naming conventions, Korean
women retain their maiden names after
marriage. However, if she marries a nonKorean man, she may decide to take on his
family name. Also, a married Korean woman
may decide to take on her Korean husband’s
last name if living in the U.S. or another
Western country. Children typically take thefather’s family name.

Traditional Korean family names are madeup of only one syllable. Roughly the same

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Vietnamese Names
Pham (Thi) Hoa
Pham

(Thi)

Hoa

Family Name

Optional Middle
Name

Given Name

Vietnamese names are written exactly opposite
of Western conventions, with the family namefirst, followed by the middle name and thegiven name. Note that Vietnamese people
living in the U.S. may change their name tofollow Western naming conventions (Hoa Thi
Pham).

as Thi, a majority of the time that person could
be identified as a female. Common middle
names for males include Cong, Dinh, Duc,
Huu, Ngoc, Quand, Van, and Xuan.
As with Chinese and Korean family names,
there are few (less than 300) family names
given throughout Vietnam, so do not assume
familial relationships among people with thesame last name. Also, women retain theirmaiden names upon marriage, and children
adopt their father’s family name.

The middle name is optional and may not be
used. When used, however, it can indicate
a person’s gender. Many Vietnamese given
names are not gender specific, but when thegiven name is paired with a middle name such

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Japanese Names
Tanaka Kazuko
TanakaKazukoFamily Name

Given Name

Like Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese names,
Japanese naming conventions place the familyname before the given name. There are no
middle names. Also, Japanese people moving
to the U.S. may change the order of their nameto fit Western naming traditions.

TitlesJapanese people typically address others by
their family name and an appropriate title (inthat order). Usually, only children and closefriends are addressed by their given name.
Appropriate titles, which are dependant on a
person’s gender and social status, typically
include the following:

Both the Japanese family name and thegiven name consist of two kanji (symbols)that have their own meaning and correspondto words. Written in Kanji, Tanaka Kazuko
would appear as 田中和子. The meanings ofthe given names often relate to love, flowers,
beauty, intelligence, the seasons, and nature.
The meanings of the family names often relate
to nature and natural locations (mountain,
stream, tree).

•••As with Vietnamese given names, Japanesegiven names are usually not gender specific.
However, some genders may be determinedby the ending of the name. For example, given
names ending in –o, –ro, –shi, or –ya can
indicate a male name, while names endingin –e, –ko, –mi, or –yo can indicate a female
name.

•
•

–chan is an informal title used for family
members, friends, and children whereapplicable. (Tanaka-chan)–kun is an informal title used for boys andmen younger than the person addressing
them. (Tanaka-kun)–san can be used in a majority ofsituations, but it may not be polite enoughin a formal setting. (Tanaka-san)–sama is the formal version of –san, but
it may be too polite in informal situations.
(Tanaka-sama)–sensei is used for people with a higher
education from whom you receive
instruction, such as a doctor or a teacher.
(Tanaka-sensei)

Unlike the other Asian family names
discussed, there are a great number (as manyas 100,000) of Japanese family names, andthe usage of those names vary by region. Also
unlike the other Asian traditions, Japanesewomen do adopt their husband’s family nameupon marriage.

Examples of Kanji Characters

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Sources“A Guide to Names and Naming Practices.”State and Local Anti-Terrorism Training(SLATT) Officer Resources. March 2006.
<www.slatt.org>.

Migration Information Source: Fresh Thought,
Authoritative Data, Global Reach. UnitedStates. <www.migrationinformation.org/
resources/unitedstates.cfm>.

Allen, Kerry and Julie Shaw. “Naming
Conventions, or How Many Ways Can You
Spell Mohammed?” Office of International
Programs, University of Kansas Medical
Center. 2007. <www.region4.nafsa.org/
conference/conferencehandouts/naming_
conventions_2007.ppt>.

---. Maps of Foreign Born in the U.S. <http://
www.migrationinformation.org/datahub/
maps.cfm>.
“Polish Community in the United States.”
White Eagle: The Leader in Polish
American Media. <http://www.
whiteeaglenews.com/?page=market>.

“Arab Names.” <http://arabnames.
tripholidays.com/arabicnamefamilynaming.php>.

Richards, James. “Know Your Consumer:
Naming Conventions.” Jan. 14, 2002.
<www.bankersonline.com/tools/
namingconventions.pdf>.

“Arab Naming Conventions.” <www.
mountainrecce.com/Arab%20Names.doc>.

Rosa, Erin. “Report: Hispanic population
surging in Colorado counties.” The
Colorado Independent. 23 Oct. 2008.
<http://coloradoindependent.com/12479/
report-hispanic-population-surging-incolorado-counties>.

“Cyrillic Alphabet Basics.” University of
Chicago. <http://languages.uchicago.edu/
NativeHand/CyrillicQuickly/basics.html>.
“Japanese Names.” 16 June 2006. <www.
japan-guide.com/e/e2271.html>.

“Spanish Naming Conventions: Naming
Conventions of Spanish-Speaking
Cultures.” 2002. <www.tarver-genealogy.
net/aids/spanish/sp_naming_conv.html>.

“Kanji.” 16 June 2006. <www.japan-guide.
com/e/e2046.html>.
Marshall, Rita. “How to Research Chinese
Genealogy.” Feb. 20, 2009.
<http://genealogical-research-methods.
suite101.com>.

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lang/arabic/alphabet.html>.

17

Special Research Reports by ROCIC Publications
Accessible to RISS member agencies on the ROCIC secure Intranet Web site. Complete listing of ROCIC Bulletins,
Special Research Reports, User’s Guides, and Training Conference Reports at http://rocic.riss.net/publications.htm•

Church Crime: Protecting Our Houses of Worship•

Indoor Marijuana Grows•

Hydrogen Sulfide Suicide••

Internet Cafe Gaming•

Taken! Investigating Drug-Related and Financial
Kidnappings

New Trends in Drug Abuse: Fentanyl, Cheese,
Meth Labs, Flavored Meth, Marijuana Gumballs,
Chronic Candy, Budder, Popcorn, Syrup, Cocaine
Coconuts•

Police Interviews: The Truth About Lies••

Hispanic Counterfeit Check Fraud•

NMVTIS: New Resource for Recovering Stolen
Vehicles•Media Relations: Maximizing Law Enforcement’s
Positive Image•

Moorish Nation: Sovereign Citizen Movement•

ROCIC Services Resource Guide: What Can
ROCIC Do For You?

•

Prescription Drug Abuse: Unsafe, Illegal, andEscalating•

Moonshine: On the Rise?

•

ROCIC Gang Report 2009•

Suicide Bombers: Law Enforcement Preparing for
the Worst Scenario•

287(g) Immigration Authority for State and Local
Agencies•

Gang Prevention Programs: Law Enforcement andCommunity Working Together•

U.S.-Mexican Border Violence•

Get Smart! with Intelligence-Led Policing•

Cargo Theft•

Contraband Cigarettes•

School Administrators Guide to Gang Prevention
and Intervention•

Interpol: How the International Policing
Organization Can Benefit Local Law Enforcement•

National Socialist Movement and the Neo-Nazi
Threat in America: NSM Hate Group Growing inPopularity•

Law Enforcement Guide to Dogfighting
ROCIC has been serving its criminal justicemembers since 1973, and served as the
prototype for the modern RISS (Regional
Information Sharing Systems) Centers.
ROCIC serves more than 180,000 sworn
personnel in over 2,000 criminal justiceagencies located in 14 southeastern andsouthwestern states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S.
Virgin Islands.

•

Diplomatic Immunity: Rules of Engagement for
Law Enforcement•

Violence Against Law Enforcement: Law
Enforcement Officers Murdered, Accidentally
Killed, Assaulted in the Line of Duty

RISSGang Resource Guide••

Pandemic: How Law Enforcement Can Fight theUpcoming Global Plague

Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13): Violent Street Gangwith Military Background••

Jihad: The History of Islamic Terrorism

Indicators of Terrorist Activity: Stopping the Next
Attack in the Planning Stages•

Genuine or Fake? Law Enforcement Guide toCounterfeit Merchandise•Internet Fraud: Techniques Used to Scam Online
Consumers•

Online Communities Abused by Predators, Gangs••

The International Driver’s Permit and the Myth of
the International Driver’s License

DXM: Teens Abusing Cough Medicine Risk Brain
Damage, Death•RISS Activity Report for G-8 Summit•

Auto Theft in the 21st Century•

Mail Center Security•

Inside the Infamous Tennessee Pot Cave••

Crowd Control: Dynamics, Psychology, Law
Enforcement Tactics

Safety & Security for Electrical Infrastructure:
Protecting Law Enforcement and the Public in
Emergency Situations•

Jamaat ul-Fuqra: Gilani Followers Conducting
Paramilitary Training in U.S.

•

Crisis Response Report: Terrorist Attacks &Natural Disasters•

Khat: Trafficking in Foreign Plant Linked to
Terrorist Financing•

Eco Terrorism: Extremists Pose Domestic Threat•

Cold Case Units: Turning up the Heat•

Active Shooter: Protecting the Lives of Innocentsin Shooting Situations•

Gypsies and Travelers••

Terrorism Threat Assessment for Large Facilities

User’s Guide to ATIX: Automated Trusted
Information Exchange•

Check 21: New Banking Technology Challenges
Law Enforcement•

DNA: Law Enforcement’s New Investigative Tool•

False ID: National Security Threat•

ICE: Crystal Methamphetamine: Imported HighPurity Meth Replacing Domestic Lab Output•

Salvia Divinorum: Herbal Hallucinogen Raises Law
Enforcement Concerns•

Meth Lab Safety Issues: How to Protect Law
Enforcement, First Responders, and theGeneral Public from the Dangers of Clandestine
Methamphetamine Labs•

Smallpox: The Deadly Virus•

Human Trafficking: International Criminal Trade inModern Slavery•

Network Security: Safeguarding Systems
Against the Latest Threats•

Dirty Bombs: Radiological Dispersion Devices•

Ethics in Law Enforcement•

CERT (Community Emergency Response Team):
Civilian Support for First Responders•

Taxing Illegal Drugs: States Attacking Profit Motiveof Dealers
ROCIC provides a variety of services, freeof charge, to its criminal justice member
agencies:• Centralized law enforcement databaseswith connectivity among law enforcement
agencies and the RISS Centers using the
RISS Nationwide Intelligence Network.
• Analytical processing of criminal intelligence,
including phone tolls and document sorts• Loaning of specialized, high‑tech surveillance
equipment and vehicles• Publications, including criminal intelligencebulletin• Specialized training and membership &information exchange• Use of investigative funds• On‑site personal assistance
enforcement coordinators

by

law

© 2010 ROCIC • This publication was supported by Grant No. 2008‑RS‑CX‑K005, awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance,
Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The Office of Justice Programs also coordinates the activities of the
Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency, and the Office forVictims of Crime. This document was prepared under the leadership, guidance and funding of the Bureau of Justice Assistance(BJA), Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice in collaboration with the Regional Organized Crime Information
Center (ROCIC). The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this document are those of theauthors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. Regional Organized
Crime Information Center and ROCIC are protected by copyright laws.