Somali women do not change their last name when they get married, but will continue using her father's and paternal grandfather's names. Many Somali refugees in the United States have lost their original names in the immigration procedures as many immigration officials were not aware of the system of naming people in Somalia. Women and children have been registered as carrying the same last names as their husbands and fathers. There are also a few very small ethnic groups such as the Somali-speaking Hamari, the Swahili speaking Bajun and Barawani, and Bantu speaking farmers along the Shebelle River. Although the vast majority of the Somalis belong to the same ethnic group, they strongly associate with their clan.
Clans can have as many as one million members, although most are smaller.
Based on lineage and kinship, the clans are further divided. Once two Somalis know each other's names and clan membership, it is possible for them to know how they are related and how they should address each other. Religion Most Somalis are Sunni Muslims, and only a very small segment of the population is Christian. The Muslim religion has been in Somalia for many centuries as shown by Mosques of sometimes one thousand years of age. Values Somalis are a proud people.