Fijian name

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Naming conventions in Fiji differ greatly, both between and within ethnic groups.

[edit] Indigenous Fijians

The use of surnames is not traditional in Fijian culture. In recent years, it has become more common, but remains far from universal. Whether to have a surname, and if so, whether to use it, are very much a matter of personal preference. One's last name is not always, therefore, a surname.

The majority of Fijians have two given names, a Christian name taken usually from the Bible, and a traditional name. A child may be baptized or registered with a surname, usually derived from the father's traditional given name. It is not unusual for persons baptized with surnames to discard them; some reclaim them later in life, and some who did not originally have one may later adopt their father's traditional name as a surname. It is not unheard of for Fijians to be known by different names at different stages of their lives. Former Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, for example, was known as Sitiveni Ligamamada in his earlier days as a rugby player. Another notable example is George Speight, the instigator of a coup d'état in 2000, who contested the subsequent election under the name of Ilikimi Naitini. He did not need to change his name by deed poll; he only had to register his candidacy with his surname and English given name omitted. Maciu Navakasuasua, a convicted accomplice of Speight's, revealed on 28 October 2005 that he had emigrated to Australia and avoided a blacklist against his name by using his grandfather's surname, which was registered on both his birth certificate and his passport.

Given the non-universal use of surnames, it is not uncommon for several members of a family all to bear different last names. Well known examples include Ratu Epeli Nailatikau (the Speaker of the House of Representatives) and his brother, Ratu Tu'uakitau George Cokanauto, whose father was Ratu Sir Edward Cakobau, who was considered one of modern Fiji's founding fathers.

Many Fijians who do not have surnames register their children with their own traditional given name as a surname. Well known examples include the late Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, Fiji's longtime Prime Minister and President, whose children are surnamed Mara, though it was his given name, not his surname as most foreigners wrongly suppose. Speaker Nailatikau has likewise passed his given name on to his children as a surname.

President Ratu Josefa Iloilovatu Uluivuda, better known simply as Ratu Josefa Iloilo, is an example of a Fijian who has a surname, but does not generally use it, except for legal purposes. Iloilo, the name by which he is generally known, which most non-Fijians mistakenly assume to be his surname, is thus a diminutive of his second given name. This shortening of names is another common Fijian custom.

Fijians of chiefly rank use titles with their names. In most parts of Fiji, the title used by male chiefs is Ratu; the female equivalent is Adi. In Rewa Province, the local dialect substitutes Ro for both titles. In the Lau archipelago, male and female chiefs are both styled Roko, while in Kadavu and western areas female chiefs are titled Bulou. The title is used immediately before the name, or before another title (e.g., Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, Ratu Dr. Epeli Nailatikau). However, it follows military titles (e.g., Brigadier-General Ratu Epeli Ganilau).

[edit] Indo-Fijians

• See main article: Indian family name

The names Fiji Islanders of Indian ancestry provide clues to an individual's religion and caste, and to what part of India their ancestors came from. Muslims very often have names taken from the Koran, while Sikhs are almost invariably surnamed Singh. Contrary to a common misconception, however, not everybody bearing that name is a Sikh - the great majority are Hindu. Surnames, although not universal in India, have been adopted by almost all Indo-Fijians (despite their less-than-universal use by indigenous Fijians). A few Indo-Fijians, descended from some of India's old princely families, use titles, either original or translated (e.g., Prince Gopal Lakshman, a member of Parliament).