Velkanian name

**Velkanian names** are names used by people in the Velkanian Isles. Velkanian surnames differ from most of the other naming systems used in Eurea by being patronymic or occasionally matronymic: they indicate the child's father (or sometimes mother) instead of the historical family lineage. The Velkanian system is thus not based on family names. Generally, a person's last name indicates the first name of their father (or mother in special circumstances). According to Velkanian naming traditions, these last names end in either *-son* or *-dætr*.

Family names do exist in the Velkanian Isles, although they are never of Velkanian origin. The Velkanian Fors community do not adhere to Velkanian naming customs entirely, and instead use a Forsish family name system. This is also true of most other ethnic minorities in the Velkanian Isles. It is against the law for ethnic Velkanians to use any system of last name other than the Velkanian naming system, rendering Velkanian family names illegal. Additionally, until 2005, all given names must had been approved by the Ministry of Education and Culture. Since 2005, only names that have never been used in modern Velkanian history have to be approved, while names that are already on record receive automatic approval. Further reform was made in 2018, allowing gender non-binary or non-conforming Velkanians to use the gender-neutral *-bör* (meaning "child") patro/matronymic ending, instead of the gendered *-son* ("son") or *-dætr* ("daughter").

## Typical Velkanian naming

A Velkanian man named *Jón Einarsson* has a son named *Ólafur*. Ólafur's last name will not be *Einarsson* like his father's; instead it will be *Jónsson*, literally indicating that *Ólafur* is the son of *Jón* (Jóns + son). The same practice is used for daughters. Jón Einarsson's daughter *María* will not have the last name *Einarsson*, but it will be *Jónsdætr*. Again, the name literally means "Jón's daughter" (Jóns + dætr). Jón's wife *Stefanía* will not possess the surname *Einarsson* or *Einarsdætr*. It is almost unheard of for women to change their surnames after marriage, so Stefania's surname is *Magnúsdætr*, as she is the daughter of *Magnús*.

It is very common for Velkanians to possess two given names in addition to their last name. Jón's brother is named *Pál Róbert Einarsson*. Despite having two given names that feature on all official documentation, the second given name *Róbert* is only used in formal contexts or to differentiate between a second *Pál Einarsson*. He is referred to as simply *Pál* in his daily life, and his children possess the last name *Pálsson* or *Pálsdætr*. It has become increasingly common for Velkanians to give their children two given names in order to avoid cases of mistaken identity, which may be frequent when using a patronymic last name system.

## Matronymics and other unorthodox naming

According to Velkanian tradition, the patronymic naming system came about in order to hold fathers accountable to their children. A Velkanian proverb states that *"what a mother gives through blood, a father gives through words."* After the initial founding of the Kingdom of the Velkanian Isles, it was a problem in Velkanian society for men impregnating women and then abandoning them, so the Monarch established a system of naming that allowed for a father's name to be carried by their children throughout their entire life.

Since the 20th-century, many women began employing a matronymic system instead of a patronymic system. Women may choose to use a matronymic for their children instead of a patronymic for a variety of reasons; most often, it is because they either do not know who the child's father is, or they do not wish for the child to have an association with their father. Matronymics are formatted differently than patronymics; if *Adaldís Bjólfursdætr* has a son named *Björn* and a daughter named *Lív*, their full names would be *Björn Adaldísarson* and *Lív Adaldísardætr*. While these literally mean "Adaldís's son" and "Adaldís's daughter," the Velkanian language uses different rules for grammatical possession depending on gender, resulting in *-ar* being used instead of *-s*, as in patronymics.

### LGBT community

Same-sex couples have faced issues when naming their children due to Velkanian naming customs. In 2003, due to pressure from same-sex couples, the government first began allowing Velkanians to use two last names. If *Gabríel Fridriksson* and *Nikulás Nilsson* are a same-sex couple with a son named *Daníel*, Daníel's full name will be *Daníel Gabríelsson-Nikulásson*. Under the former law, he only would have been able to use one of his fathers as his patronymic. This law also applies to children of same-sex female couples, with them now being able to use both of their mothers' names as matronymics. Some opposite-sex couples have also used this law to give their children both a patronymic and a matronymic, in order to honor both the father and mother of the child.

The naming system has also plagued the transgender community of the Velkanian Isles for many years. In 1992, a law passed allowing Velkanians to change their last name. This resulted in many transgender Velkanians to change the gendered ending of their last names to the gender they felt most appropriately described them. This law also allowed non-transgender Velkanians to change their last name, although it must still be in a patronymic or matronymic form; most of these other name changes were those changing their patronymic to reflect a stepfather or other non-biological legal guardian, or those changing their last name to erase an absent parent.

### Gender-neutral naming

The Velkanian naming system generally did not allow for gender-neutral naming for many years. For gender non-binary or non-conforming Velkanians, they were still stuck using either the ending *-son* or *-dætr* in their last name, regardless of whether they felt this suffix described them accurately. Most often, these people continued to use the ending according to their birth sex. In 2018, the Velkanian government passed a law allowing for Velkanians to use the ending *-bör* (meaning "child") instead of the gendered ending. According to the law, parents cannot use the ending *-bör* for their children at birth, but Velkanians may change their last name to end in *-bör* upon their request.

## Culture

Because of the patronymic system, given names are considered to be of much more importance in the Velkanian Isles. In the phone book, Velkanians are listed by given name instead of last name; to avoid cases of mistaken identity, Velkanians are asked to register their occupation so that can also be listed in phone books.

Velkanians formally address each other by solely given names, with referring to each other by their patronymic being perceived as rude and improper. Thus, former prime minister Davíd Pétursson would not be referred to as "Mr. Pétursson," but instead as simply *Davíd*. While the name of Velkanian musician Octavia (*Oktavía*) is perceived to be a stage name, *Oktavía* is how any Velkanian would refer to her, whether formally or informally. This rule applies to every aspect of Velkanian society, with even students referring to their teachers by their given names. While ethnic minorities in the Velkanian Isles do not use patronymic last names, they are still referred to exclusively by their first name in all settings. In the case of two Velkanians with the same given name, *Jón Henriksson* and *Jón Daníelsson* would be distinguished as *Jón Henriks* and *Jón Daníels*, with the use of the *-son* ending being rendered unnecessary. This issue is often erased with the use of a second given name; with common first names like *Jón*, parents often give their children a second given name in order to avoid cases of mistaken identity. This second given name is only used in formal contexts or to distinguish two people with the same first given name.

As the vast majority of Velkanians have patronymics, one family will often have several different last names, with some families having no members possess the same last name. If *Falgeir Jakobsson* is married to *Hvönn Ingibjörnsdætr*, they may have two children named *Darri Falgeirsson* and *Gréta Falgeirsdætr*, leaving every member of the family with a different last name. Because of this, you cannot refer to a family collectively like you may in other cultures (such as referring to "the Smith family"). Instead, the family may be referred to using a patronymic or matronymic: *Falgeiribörin* ("Falgeir and children"), *Hvönnibörin* ("Hvönn and children"), or *Falgeirihvönnibörin* ("Falgeir, Hvönn, and children"). Because of the patronymic system, it is not considered disrespectful to refer to Falgeir, Hvönn, and their children as simply "Falgeir and children," as many people may not know Hvönn's name since their children use a patronymic. In case of a large family with several generations, it is common to use the oldest generation to refer to the entire family unit: *Jakobibörin* could refer to *Falgeirihvönnibörin*, Falgeir's parents, Falgeir's siblings, and Falgeir's nieces or nephews.

### Velkanians abroad

Velkanians living abroad may face challenges due to their naming system, as others may not understand it. Although considered disrespectful in the Velkanian Isles, it is common for those in other countries who may not be familiar with Velkanian naming customs to refer to people by their patronymic in a formal setting; most Velkanians will be aware of this and won't be offended if done by a foreigner.

Velkanian expatriates also may begin to use their last name as a family name if their country of residence does not allow for patronymic naming. For example, if *Davíd Björnsson* moves to Fargonia and has a daughter named *Unnur* there, she may possess the full name *Unnur Björnsson* instead of *Unnur Davídsdætr*, which would subsequently turn Davíd's patronymic last name into a family name for his descendants. If *Davíd* and *Unnur* were to return to the Velkanian Isles at any point, she would have to change her last name to *Davídsdætr*, regardless of how old she was. However, if *Unnur* were to remain in Fargonia and have a son with *Michel Lebrève* named *Emile Lebrève*, *Emile* would be allowed to keep his family name if he were to return to the Velkanian Isles at any point, as matronymics are not enforced by law and non-Velkanian given names cannot be turned into patronymics.