Burmese name

This article or the following section is not adequately provided with supporting documents ( e.g. individual evidence ). Information without sufficient evidence could be removed soon. Please help Wikipedia by researching the information and including good evidence.

The Burmese language and culture have no family names . There is no generational inheritance of names as in western cultures. It is also unusual to adopt a common name after the wedding. The name identifies the individual, not the person as part of the family. If a Burmese wishes to change his name, this can be done at any time without any problems.

Newborn babies are given names depending on the day of the week they were born or astrological aspects. The widespread use of astrology or fortune telling, which has its roots in Hindu beliefs, is also reflected in the naming. The name often contains a trait that the parents want their child to endure. The naming of the offspring can express the wish that the boy may have a long life ( Maung Thet Shay ) or that he will become a rich man ( Maung Chan Tha ).

Since the name components are largely non-gender specific, a Burmese man may have the same name as a Burmese woman. Either the gender indicator 'male' or 'female' is added for identification or the politeness formulas described in the next section are used.

Courtesy formulas

Burmese names usually contain a politeness formula. It depends on the relationship between the speaker and the person addressed. Older men are addressed with the title U and older women with Daw [ dɔː ]. With this, the speaker expresses his respect for his counterpart. Younger men are addressed with Ko , younger women with Ma . For children, the formulas Maung for boys and Ma for girls apply . Siblings sometimes use these formulas with each other even when they are old.