I found the *BIT* document to be horribly US centric. Here is a comment i shared with others on names - Perhaps we should take that up? The Naming of People Innovation is impacting Identifiers applied to people. In Roman times, the family name (gens) was important, in Ancient Israel it was the tribal association. In western land the patronym became common. In Spain the matronym is added after the patronym. The Picts of Scotland used just the matronym. Confusion was created when the location of these surnames turned out to be very different in different parts of the world. In 2024 we are still trying to reconcile these traditions with technology. 1. Dissolution of Monasteries: Henry VIII dissolved numerous monasteries and convents as part of the English Reformation. These religious institutions had often been centers of education, record-keeping, and administration. With their dissolution, many records were lost, including those containing information about lineage and family names. 2. Land Ownership and Taxation: As part of his reforms, Henry implemented a system of land ownership and taxation. To efficiently collect taxes and administer land, it became essential to have clear identification of individuals. Surnames played a crucial role in this process. 3. Formation of Parish Registers: The dissolution of monasteries also led to the establishment of parish registers. These registers recorded baptisms, marriages, and burials within parishes. Surnames were used to distinguish individuals, especially in densely populated areas. 4. Standardization and Legal Documentation: Henry’s government emphasized the need for standardized legal documentation. Surnames facilitated legal transactions, inheritance, and property rights. People began adopting fixed family names, which were passed down through generations. 5. Social Mobility and Identity: The use of surnames allowed for greater social mobility. Individuals could establish their identity beyond their occupation or location. It also provided a sense of belonging and lineage While Henry VIII didn’t explicitly demand the use of surnames, his policies indirectly encouraged their adoption. The dissolution of monasteries, administrative reforms, and the need for clear identification all contributed to the widespread use of surnames in England. And in China where the surname is the first name: 1. Chinese mythology traces the establishment of surnames back to the legendary figure Fuxi (with the surname Feng). Fuxi is said to have introduced surnames to distinguish different families and prevent marriages between people with the same family names. 2. Prior to the Warring States period (around the fifth century BC), only ruling families and the aristocratic elite possessed surnames. 3. These surnames are exclusively patronyms. Women typically do not change their surnames upon marriage, except in places with more Western influences. Meanwhile western countries are either combining patronyms and matronyms or following the Chinese tradition of allowing women to keep their surname after marriage. Technology Unfortunately technology is created mostly in European-originated countries so we have absurdities like the following which mixes the idea of Surname (a logical type) with Firstname (a position type). Clearly this is an absurdity brought about by chauvinistic attitudes of developers.[1] <https://tcwiki.azurewebsites.net/index.php?title=Innovation#cite_note-1> "familyName": "Castafiori", "firstName": "Bianca", - Draft Model Law on the Use and Cross-border Recognition of Identity Management and Trust Services <https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/v22/009/38/pdf/v2200938.pdf?token=2S3kurA18Y3jeNyo8h&fe=true> goes into some detail on named trust registries. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine-readable_passports <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine-readable_passport> have varying name fields based on the available space in the electronic readable part. It is known as Surname followed by Given Names (abbreviated if necessary). It is not clear if either the surname or the given names are actually lists (or includes spaces). - It might be instructive to look at a passport from Spain to see how they accommodate matronyms. - ..tom