Patronymic: Difference between revisions

A ''patronymic''[[Patronymic]] is a surname formed from the name of the owner's father or a paternal ancestor, used by a culture in place of a family name that is handed down from generation to generation. As an interesting note, while some cultures exist that do use matronymics (names derived from one's mother), more often in a culture that uses patronymics, taking such a name is a sign of [[Heroic Bastard|illegitimacy.]]

* [[Tsundere|Anna]] [[Playing with Fire|Yurievna]] [[Pettanko|Cocolova]] from ''[[Mahou Sensei Negima]]'' (She's usually called by her diminutive:, "Anya".)

* The Drac in the movie ''[[Enemy Mine (film)|Enemy Mine]]'' are parthenogenetic (meaning each child only has one parent.) Each Drac has a first and last name, plus a long list of ancestors names which they must remember and recite at a coming of age ceremony. (Davidge, a human character who adopted a Drac as his son, gets his own name added to the boy's lineage.)

* In ''Film/[[Thor (film)|Thor]]'', Thor addresses Agent Coulson as "Son of Coul".

* In [[J. R. R. Tolkien|JRR Tolkien]]'s Legendarium/Middle-earth world (''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', etc) most peoples make use of patronymics. The only ones to use modern-style family names are the Shire-Hobbits, and the Men and Hobbits of Bree-land (both lands which are culturally closest to modern day). Thus, for example, the dwarf Thorin Oakenshield (the latter name is an epithet, an earned one) is Thorin, son of Thráin, son of Thrór, while hobbit Frodo Baggins introduced himself as "Frodo, son of Drogo" when abroad.

* [[The Culture]] in [[Iain M Banks|Iain M. Banks]]'s]] sci-fi novels have a complicated naming system, which is more a potted biography - it includes at least one name given by the parents, one family name, one name based on the place they were born, one name based on their place of residence, and one name chosen by the people themselves when they reach maturity. As an example, the Author would be "Sol-Terrasa Iain El-Bonko Banks da'NorthQueensferry". He's [https://web.archive.org/web/20061128172539/http://nuwen.net/culture.html occasionally actually used the Anglicised version.]

* In Tamora Pierce's ''[[Tortall Universe]]'', the people of the country of Galla use patronymics, a fact that is important in the history of Veralidaine Sarrasri (aka Daine) because, as a [[Heroic Bastard]], she must use her ''mother's'' name as a matronymic, which draws scrutiny to her and her status as a bastard.

* The science fiction novel ''[[Cagebird]]'' has a protagonist from an apparently rather traditional Russian family. He uses a patronymic as his middle name until he's recruited by [[Space Pirates]], although it's only mentioned once or twice.

* Modified in [[David Brin]]'s ''[[Uplift]]'' series. Each sentient species is "uplifted" from pre-sentience by a patron species. When a person is formally introduced, he identifies his ''species'' with all its patronymics—the names of all the patron species that are not yet extinct. (As in, "Bubbacub, a-Pil, ab-Kisa-ab-Soro-ab-Hul-ab-Puber-ul-Gello-ul-Pring".<ref>"Bubbacub, of the species Pil, who were uplifted by the Kisa, who were uplifted by the Soro, who were uplifted by the Hul, who were uplifted by the Puber (the Puber's patrons now being extinct); the Pila having themselves uplifted the Gello and the Pring"</ref> Even with the abbreviated prefixes, [[Overly Long Name|introductions can take a while]].)

** Humans have no known patron race so human characters are introduced as "a-Human, ul-Dolphin-ul-Chimp" and a neo-dolphin or chimpanzee would be "ab-Human". Because of that most of Galactic society treats ushumanity as orphan bastards.

* A popular naming convention in [[S.M. Stirling]]'s ''[[Emberverse]]'', with characters known as "Jake sunna Jake" (say it aloud and it makes perfect sense), Dik Tomskid, Bjarni Erickson, and Asgerd Karlsdottir.

* In ''[[Star Trek]]'', Klingons, if they're forced to give more than one name, give a patronymic (Worf, son of Mogh). Vulcans use these as well in religious ceremonies, and give ''two'' names (the second is presumed to be the name of the paternal grandfather). It's worth noting that Vulcans ''do'' have family names, but they're [[The Unpronounceable|allegedly unpronounceable by humans]].

* On [[Battlestar Galactica (1978 TV series)|the original ''[[Battlestar Galactica Classic]]'']], characters would occasionally use these as well.

* In [[Norse Mythology]], Thor is sometimes called "OdinsonOdinsson", which is just the way the Norse ran things in those days. The famous Viking explorer Leif Erikson was, in fact, the son of Erik the Red.

* In the web original ''[[My Friend is an Alien]]'', a series of stories about a group of kids who befriend two aliens, the aliens have a quadruple patronymic (Jahv and Keyro, sons of Amshat, son of Lemoy, son of Dekel, son of Gershon).

* In ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2003]]|the 2003 ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'']], the Turtles eventually adopt the surname Splinterson.

**** Ben or bat is not just a name for converts, though it does tend to appear mostly within the gap between Orthodox Jews (who have their own naming traditions) and the totally secular. For example, someone discussing ''[[Left Behind]]'' pointed to the name "Tzion Ben-Yehuda" as unrealistically Jewish. [[wikipedia:Itamar Ben-Avi|Oh really?]]

** Many of the most common Spanish surnames ending in -ez [[wikipedia:Spanish naming customs#Identity and descent|are patronymics]]: Sánchez = "Son of Sancho", López = "Son of Lope", Rodríguez = "Son of Rodrigo", and so on. (counterexamplesCounterexamples: Latin American names Chávez and Cortez are exceptions to this rule and come from Spanish surnames Chaves and Cortés)