You have an application form to fill and it asks for your name. A fairly simple detail, yet this simple query leaves you confused. Your name, unlike everyone else's name, is quite a mouthful; it sounds more like a 'family tree'. You probably had a hard time remembering it as a kid and have at least sometime in your life vowed to give your children short names. I don't want to give examples here, but you must know what I mean.
Some Indian's do have a middle name, for example Vijay Kumar Pandey. Here, Vijay is the first name, Kumar the middle name and Pandey the last name.
The first thing that you must know is that there is nothing wrong with your name. You were probably named keeping with the traditions, which is absolutely fine. It is just that what seems like a colonial hangover we as a nation have over the years adopted practices prevalent in the western culture. It is common for them to have a first, middle and last name. Not that in India we do not have the same.
Some Indian's do have a middle name, for example Vijay Kumar Pandey. Here, Vijay is the first name, Kumar the middle name and Pandey the last name.
We have people with just a first and last name too. Like, Vijay Pandey - Vijay is the first name and Pandey the last or surname.
The problem arises when you have more than three names or have alphabets/abbreviations assigned to your name. What do you do when you have to a fill a form that asks for distinct first, middle and last names, but your name is like a series of names?
Writing the first, middle and last name when you have more than three names -
There are a few basics of names that you need to know -
Writing the first, middle and last name when you have more than three names -
There are a few basics of names that you need to know -
- You can have only one first name
- First name may also be referred to as Christian name
- You also have only one last name
- Last name's are known as surnames
- There can be no limit to the number of middle names you have
I'll use an example to explain this better. Let;s take your name to be Jaywardhan Gopala Kumar Krishna Reddy. How do you fill a form that has place for just three names - first, middle and last.
- First name - Jaywardhan
- Middle name - Gopala Kumar Krishna
- Surname - Reddy
Forms generally have boxes for each alphabet of your name. Leave a box empty after each name.
What if your name has some alphabets attached to it. For example, P. V. Senthil Kumar Subramaniam. You will fill in your name in form thus -
What if your name has some alphabets attached to it. For example, P. V. Senthil Kumar Subramaniam. You will fill in your name in form thus -
- First name -P. V Senthil
- Middle name - Kumar
- Last name - Subramaniam
The way you enter your name in a form should could conform with the way it exists in documents (driver's license, High school certificate, PAN card etc) that you use as identity proof.
There are some exceptions to the above. People with Christian names are often given two instead of 1 forename at the time of baptism. For example, Mary Ann. If two names appear in the baptism certificate, as being forenames, then they must be put down as the first name, when filling in a form. Again, use the same sequence of names as they appear in documents that show your identity.
There are some exceptions to the above. People with Christian names are often given two instead of 1 forename at the time of baptism. For example, Mary Ann. If two names appear in the baptism certificate, as being forenames, then they must be put down as the first name, when filling in a form. Again, use the same sequence of names as they appear in documents that show your identity.
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