Names and Address

When Juliet asked, What s in a name ? Romeo told her that it meant nothing. Of course, Romeo was a teenager in love, so he couldn t be expected to think clearly. And as events turned out, the Montagues and the Capulets believed that there was quite enough in a name to kill for.

Names are important. Most people have at least two, not counting nicknames or pet names, and in some cultures the number is far higher. They are an integral part of our personal and social identities, and they can give others an enormous amount of information about us.

For a start, one of our names usually indicates which family we belong to. But the size of families varies greatly. There are only a handful of Featherstonehaughs, for instance. It s a very old name with origins going back to the 1200s, to the border country between England and Scotland. It can be pronounced in a number of ways, including, strangely enough, Fanshaw. This may explain why there are so few left with this ancient name. The most sensible members of the family probably got tired of not being able to spell their own name and changed it to Smith long ago. On the other hand, there are many Chans and Hos; a staggering 90 percent of the nearly 1.3 billion Chinese share a paltry one hundred family names.

Most given names and some family names indicate gender, like the a Russian women add to their family names and patronymics (father s first name plus an ending), and the d ³ttir ( daughter ) that Icelandic women add to their father s (or sometimes their mother s) given name.

A name can be an indicator of marital status, too. Some women change their family name to their husbands on marriage , while others, including the Chinese and Icelanders, keep their own. Yet another group , which includes Spanish women, use both.

Your name will also say something about your nationality , although what it implies won t necessarily be true. For example, my name, Gwyneth Olofsson, tells the world of my Welsh and Swedish connections, but says nothing about my being English, which in fact I am. In a world where national boundaries are becoming less significant and people are traveling more, it is no longer unusual to encounter a Dane named Mohammed or an Argentinean called Vladimir.

What you are called may also say something about your religion, or even about your political affiliations. In Northern Ireland, which has areas that are predominantly Catholic or Protestant, having a typically Irish Catholic name like Patrick Murphy might be enough to earn you a beating if you find yourself on the wrong side of the line in Belfast. Billy Brown might suffer a similar fate if he ventured into a Protestant area. And Sunni and Shia (Shiite) Muslims may also be able to identify each other by their names. Omar and Abu Bakr, for example, are often used by Sunni Muslims, whereas typical Shia names are Hasam and Ali.

Your name can even reflect your racial background. In the U.S., there is a group of relatively new names that have become fashionable in the African American community. There are now books specifically targeted at expectant mothers from this group to help them choose a name for their baby. Orienta, Aneisha, and Shaniqua are examples of girls names. In the same way, Wesley in Britain is associated with men and boys with an African Caribbean background.

Names can tell an enormous amount about you, including your parents social status (e.g., there are few working-class people named Nigel or Simon in the U.K.), to the month of your birthday, (April, May, and June being the ones that spring to mind in the English-speaking world, and Noel and Noelle in France). Your name can even give a clue as to how old you are: there are few Tracys and Sharons under twenty or over fifty in the U.K., and in Sweden the only men called Albert are over seventy or younger than ten.

Because names carry so much personal information, it is essential to get them right. If you re meeting people from another culture for the first time, try to get a list of their names in advance. Check that you understand which order they are in (given or family name first) and have at least a rough idea of how to pronounce them.

Once you know what someone is called, you need to know how to use this information, that is, how to address individuals. Even if you have memorized all the six names of your potential customer, you wouldn t be well advised to use them all at your first meeting. Indeed, in certain circumstances you may be better off not using names at all but confining yourself to titles. Frau Doktor Professor, for example, should be enough for anyone ! A lot depends on the degree of formality regarded as appropriate in the culture you are visiting.

And just think: If Romeo had called Juliet Joan the second time they met, that probably would have finished the relationship on the spot. So make it a priority to remember the names of people you have met.

LETTERS 1 “4

Names come in all shapes and sizes, from the micro, like Bo Ek from Sweden or Ms. Ng from Singapore, to the magnificent , like Se ±ora Ana Maria Vasquez Fernandez de Martinez from Argentina. In the latter case, knowing which name to use can sometimes be difficult.

Which name? Letter 1

FROM INDIA ABOUT ARGENTINA

I requested and received the list of people I will meet on my first visit to Argentina. However, I got a shock as they seem to have about five names each and I really don t know what I should call them when we meet.

Yes, many Spanish-speaking countries are name rich. First of all, it s common for both men and women to have two given names, as in Juan Jos or Ana Maria. Then it gets complicated. In formal situations, or when they write their names, Spaniards, Argentineans, Mexicans, and Spanish-speaking Central and South Americans will give their father s surname followed by their mother s. When speaking to a person, use the father s name preceded by the person s professional title or Se ±or or Se ±ora ; therefore, Juan Carlos Lopez Garcia would be addressed as Se ±or Lopez. Married women usually add their husband s name to their maiden name, so when Se ±orita Ana Maria Vasquez Fernandez marries Se ±or Juan Jos Martinez Andreani, she becomes Se ±ora Ana Maria Vasquez Fernandez de Martinez. The husband s family name is usually preceded with de , but both the de and the husband s family name may be dropped in everyday speech. So the individuals above would be addressed in everyday situations (much to the relief of people with poor short- term memories) as Se ±or Martinez and Se ±ora Vasquez.

In nearby Portuguese-speaking Brazil, people are often on first-name terms quite quickly, but as in Argentina, that name may be the first of six or seven. Unlike the rest of South America, the father s name is last on the list and is the one that follows Senhor and Senhora in everyday situations. But in Brazil, some people with several names (but not much confidence in foreigners ability to remember them) have taken matters into their own hands. When they present their business card to you, they will underline one or two names, indicating which one(s) they want you to use, and cross off a title and those names which you should perhaps be aware of but don t need to use.

Given or family name? Letter 2

FROM THE NETHERLANDS ABOUT INDIA

I don t know whether to address my Indian colleagues by their given or family names, and in fact I can t even tell which is which.

This is tricky, as there are so many religious and regional customs in India. Historically, Hindus did not have family surnames, and this is still true in the south of India. However, in the north, people usually have a family name after their given names; these family names sometimes indicate which caste the person belongs to. A Hindu man following more traditional practices will probably have two initials preceding his given name, K. R. Narayananan, for example, but no family name. The first initial stands for the name of his hometown, and the second is the initial of his father s given name. A Hindu woman will often follow her own given name with her husband s name.

Christian Indians and Eurasian Indians often have given names followed by family names, some of which may be of British and/or Portuguese origin, such as Mary Rozario. The woman in question would be addressed as Mrs. Mary or Mrs. Rozario (the Mrs. being less an indication of marital status than a respectful title applying to all mature women). You can address Indian Muslims by putting a Mr. or Mrs. in front of the given name. If in doubt, ask your colleague what he or she would like to be called, and if you re meeting a stranger, it s not a catastrophe if you do use someone s given name rather than the family name, as long as you precede it with Mr. or Mrs.

Mr. Who? Letter 3

FROM THE U.K. ABOUT CHINA

I ve just returned from China and wonder why everyone called me Mr. Kevin (Kevin is my given name). Why didn t they use my surname?

They probably thought that was what they were doing. In China, as in Vietnam and Korea, the family name comes first, followed by two others: Lee Wu Yew, for example, is Mr. Lee. The surname is usually only one syllable long, can be spelled in many ways, and is shared by many thousands of families, so it is rarely used on its own.

The middle name may be a generational name, which siblings and cousins share to show they belong to the same generation. The generational name and given name used to be separated by a space or a hyphen, but nowadays are usually written as one word, for example, Fu Chinfanda. This applies to most Chinese if they live in Asia, whether in China itself or in Singapore, Indonesia, or Malaysia. However, some Chinese, especially those with Western given names, put them first, for example, Sylvia Lau.

One final thought: if your surname is Braithwaite or Riddell or something equally difficult for the Chinese to pronounce, they may have chosen your first name simply because it was easier.

What s your patronymic? Letter 4

FROM BELGIUM ABOUT RUSSIA

I ll be going to Russia soon and have heard that they use the patronymic name. What exactly is this, and how should I use it?

Russians generally have three names: the first is the given name, the second the patronymic (the father s first name plus an ending), and the third the surname, for example, Sergei Alexandrovich Popov. A woman adds a female ending, the letter a , to her patronymic and her husband s surname, as in Anna Sergeyevna Odintsova. Some Westerners are not aware of this and drop the a , which is a bit like calling your female guest Mr. This is not likely to win you many friends .

Russians who are acquainted often address each other by using the first name and patronymic, which shows a mixture of friendliness and respect. If all goes well, you may be invited to do the same, but wait to be asked.

LETTERS 5 “6

The level of formality regarded as normal varies enormously from culture to culture.

How formal? Letter 5

FROM CANADA ABOUT GERMANY

I m about to visit Germany for the first time on business. I know first impressions are important, and Germans have the reputation of being very formal. Is there anything special I should be aware of?

A lot depends on which business area you work in and the ages of the people you are going to meet. Banking, for example, is known as being more traditional and formal than, say, information technology, and older people tend to be more formal than younger ones.

When you speak English in Germany or Austria, you should be prepared to speak it with a German degree of formality. You should certainly call your colleagues Frau or Herr (or their title) plus their surname, unless they take the initiative and address you by your given name. The same is the case in Spain, France, or East Asia, where it s a good idea to use title and surname.

You should also be prepared to establish your academic qualifications, so make sure your business card lists your degrees as well as your job title. If you look at any German telephone directory, you ll see names followed by the details of the subscriber s academic qualifications, which demonstrates how seriously they are taken. If you have a Ph.D. (a doctorate), you can expect to be addressed as Frau Doktor or Herr Doktor (which may or may not be followed by your family name), and you ll be expected to address German colleagues who possess such a degree in the same way. Professional titles are also important in the cases of, for example, lawyers , engineers , and teachers . So a teacher with a doctorate should be addressed as Herr Doktor Professor. See if you can get a list of the names and titles before you go and try to memorize them. The same applies in Argentina and Italy, where academic and professional titles are taken especially seriously.

How informal? Letter 6

FROM VENEZUELA ABOUT THE U.S.

On a recent visit to Los Angeles I was surprised to hear a secretary calling her boss by his first name. It sounded rather disrespectful to me. Was it just this particular firm?

This was not a sign of disrespect, but simply evidence of a more egalitarian relationship between boss and secretary, for a boss will almost certainly call a secretary by her first name. In fact, this job often isn t called secretary any longer. The job titles Personal Assistant (PA), Administrative Assistant (AA), and Executive Assistant (EA) are ways of attempting to define her duties (they are usually female) and emphasize the fact that she s on the managerial team. Many secretaries in the U.S. are far more computer literate than their bosses are, others are highly qualified linguists, and most control their managers schedules. So many will resent any hint that they are in any way less worthy of respect than their bosses simply because they are secretaries. They will regard being addressed by their first names by someone who insists on Mr. or Se ±or as patronizing.

In cultures where hierarchies tend to be more pronounced, as in South and Central America, and in Southern Europe and India, people may find this rather egalitarian approach disturbing (as you did). In these countries the relative status of boss and subordinate is made very clear, and it is usually taken for granted that secretaries address bosses by their title and surname, while secretaries are addressed by their given names. However, many secretaries in English-speaking cultures find this very marked difference in the way of addressing managers and secretaries rather old-fashioned, even rude. So even if the manager and his or her secretary are on first-name terms, it is only courteous that you address her as Ms. (for married and unmarried women) and her surname, if you expect to be addressed as Mr. or Ms. She ll soon let you know if she wants you to call her by her given name.

LETTER 7

Your title, in some cultures, is just as important as your name.

Mr. Haji? Letter 7

FROM NEW ZEALAND ABOUT INDONESIA

On my recent trip to Indonesia, there were many times when I heard the word Haji used to address someone, but I was told the word Bapak or Pak meant Mr.

Bapak ( Pak for short) does indeed mean Mr., and Ibu means Mrs. or Miss in Indonesia. As introductions tend to be lengthy and formal, it s a good idea for you to be formal as well. So what about Haji? Muslims comprise about 87 percent of the population in Indonesia, and this title is given to any man who has completed a pilgrimage to Mecca.

The female equivalent is Hajjah. (Incidentally, when people have made the pilgrimage, the same titles apply in other Muslim countries and regions , like Pakistan or Malaysia, as well as the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of West Africa and India.) However, these religious titles may not always be used in business circles, especially by younger people who have worked internationally.

Titles are generally considered important in Indonesia, and you should use professional titles when you address someone; for example, Doctor for those with a Ph.D. and Engineer for anyone with an engineering degree. When being introduced to someone for the first time, the order goes as follows: Bapak or Ibu, then the person s academic title if he or she has one, the given and family name, and finally the business title; for example, Bapak Engineer Babang Kusumaatmaja, Vice President. If in doubt, you can always ask the person you are meeting how he or she would like to be addressed. If your own name happens to be a combination like Billy Joe Smith Jr., you will probably be asked to do the same.

LETTERS 8 “9

The conventions governing the use of names are so complicated that the occasional misunderstanding is bound to arise.

Oh dear! Letter 8

FROM ITALY ABOUT INDIA

I ve recently come back from India and only now realized that I was addressing my Indian counterpart incorrectly the whole time. I guess he was too polite to tell me.

I see from the rest of your letter that your counterpart is called Mr. Singh. I guess he is a Sikh (usually easy for foreigners to recognize, as the men traditionally wear a turban to cover their long hair). The word Sikh in the Punjabi language means disciple, and all Sikh men have a given name followed by Singh to show their Sikh identity. After that often comes a clan or subsect name, for example, Gobind Singh Mansukhani. A Sikh woman s given name is followed by Kaur or Singh .

Your mistake was understandable, because in the West Singh is often used in the place of a surname, but in India it often comes as the second of three, as in Ranjit Singh Chahal. When you called your counterpart Mr. Singh, it was the equivalent of calling a Catholic or Protestant Mr. Christian. However, he doesn t appear to have been too upset by this. Anyone who has regular contact with other cultures has to develop a high degree of tolerance, plus a sense of humor, to deal with the inevitable misunderstandings that are bound to arise. In formal situations your contact may be addressed by his given name preceded by Mr. and followed by Singh, as in Mr. Sandeep Singh.

His or Hers? Letter 9

FROM MEXICO ABOUT POLAND

I ve been sending e-mails to a Polish colleague for several months now, but I can t tell if I m writing to a man or a woman. He or she replies to my e- mails with just an initial and surname. Now my colleague is coming here on a visit, so I really need to know who is going to arrive at the airport! Is there any way I can tell by the name?

I guess that electronic messaging systems have their advantages: You can begin an e-mail with Hello and avoid the problem of how to address your correspondent. In your case, you ve been able to ignore the question for a while, but now it s come to a head. If there isn t any way to establish the gender, the best idea would probably be to admit your ignorance in advance and ask openly if you should expect a man or a woman.

But I can see from the name you sent me that your future visitor is a woman. Her surname ends with an a , which indicates that the owner is female, as it does in Russia (see Letter 4). She hasn t included her full first name in her e-mails but has used an initial. That is not unusual, because in Poland business contacts almost always address each other as Mr. or Mrs. followed by the professional title and/or family name, and not by their first names.

But even when first names are used, they may cause more problems than they solve. Nicola, for example, is a male name in Italy but female in the U.K.; Conny is a male in Sweden but female in Germany; and Toby is a male in Britain but female in the U.S. Life can be difficult at times!

IN A NUTSHELL: Names and Address

GLOBAL BUSINESS STANDARD

Mr., Mrs., or Ms. plus family name.

GLOBAL WARNINGS

Names in one language can have unfortunate meanings in another. If you know or find out that your name causes laughter or embarrassment when you introduce yourself, use another name, use only your initials, change the pronunciation, or simply ignore the giggles.

In most countries, the use of the given name is reserved for children and perhaps other family members. It is not accepted in business situations. Exceptions: Given names are widely used in business in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Australia, N.Z., and Scandinavia. (But even in these countries it can depend on age and status.)

Argentina: People inherit both their mother s and father s family names. When written, the father s name comes first, and in ordinary situations, after Se ±or, Se ±ora, or a title. Only the family name is used when addressing an individual. (See Letters 1, 5, and 6.)
Australia: Given names are regularly used, irrespective of position or status.
Austria: Use Frau or Herr and the family name. Dr. and Professor titles are also widely used. Two or (occasionally) three titles may still be used for the same person, for example, Herr Direktor Doktor. (See Letter 5.)
Belgium: With Flemish and German speakers, use the Global Business Standard. With French speakers , use Monsieur or Madame plus surname. Flemish family names may be in two parts, for example, De Bakker or Van Gastel.
Brazil: Brazilians almost always go by first names (sometimes preceded by a title, such as Doctor or Senhor or Senhora ). (See Letters 1 and 6.)
Canada: Given names are used readily, irrespective of position or status. French Canadians more often use the titles Monsieur or Madame plus surname. ( Mademoiselle is used infrequently in business, as it is used only for very young, unmarried women.) (See Letter 5.)
China: The family name is followed by the generation name and then the given name. Titles are important, for example, General Manager Li, or Madam Wu. Women keep family name after marriage, and use the title Madam. (See Letters 3 and 5.)
Denmark: Usually given names are used from the first meeting, but use the Global Business Standard if in doubt.
Finland: Given names are used frequently, but use the Global Business Standard if in doubt.
France: It is best to use the titles Madame or Monsieur plus the family name, even after a long acquaintance. ( Mademoiselle is used infrequently in business as it is used only for very young, unmarried women.) (See Letters 5 and 6.)
Germany: See Austria.

GLOBAL BUSINESS STANDARD

Younger people with international experience are more likely to drop titles and use given names from the word go.

Hong Kong: See China.
India: For Muslims, use Mr. or Mrs. plus the given name. Hindus in the south use place initial and father s initial followed by given name. Hindus in the north use a family name, which may be indicative of caste. Singh is used by all Sikh men, and is the equivalent of Mr., so use Mr. plus the given name. (See Letters 2, 6, 7, and 8.)
Indonesia: When meeting someone for the first time, introduce him or her as follows: Bapak or Ibu, then the person s academic title, then the given name and family name, and finally the business title. (See Letters 3, 5, and 7.)
Italy: Use Signore (Mr.) or Signora (Mrs.) and the family name. Academic titles are used frequently. Dottore is used for all levels of university graduates. (See Letters 5 and 6.)
Japan: Use family names first, followed by given names, but be aware that some may introduce themselves to Westerners with their given name first. Use the Global Business Standard; otherwise , add san to the surname. (See Letter 5.)
Mexico: Use Se ±or or Se ±ora. Usually people have two given names, and often two surnames (father s family name first, then mother s). Married women replace their mother s name with de and husband s surnames. Titles are important, for example, Licenciado for university graduate. (See Letters 1 and 6.)
Netherlands: See the Global Business Standard.
Norway: Usually given names are used from the first meeting.
Poland: Use Pan for men and Pani for women, followed by the family name or a professional title. Surnames ending with an a indicate females. (See Letter 9.)
Russia: Use a professional title and family name at the first meeting. The usual order is the given name followed by the patronymic (derived from first name of father) and then the family name. Women have a female version of the patronymic, and a female version of the husband s surname, both ending in an a , for example, Raisa Maximovna Gorbacheva. (See Letter 4.)
Saudi Arabia: Saudi names are difficult to translate to other alphabets. Spelling may vary. The order is title, given name, patronymic starting with bin ( bint for women), family name. (See Letter 7.)
South Africa: See the Global Business Standard. Both Afrikaner (similar to Dutch) and British family names are common, as are family names indicating tribal or ethnic origins.
South Korea: Use the family name, followed by the generation name, followed by the given name. Women retain own name upon marriage. Work titles are very important and routinely used. (See Letter 5.)
Spain: See Argentina. Married women often choose not to adopt their husband s surname, but they do become Se ±ora. (See Letters 1, 5, and 6.)
Sweden: Usually given names are used from the first meeting. Names may start with, or include, the letters … , , and – , which do not appear on non-Scandinavian keyboards. These symbols give the names a completely different pronunciation, and are found after Z in the Swedish alphabet.
Switzerland: See the Global Business Standard or a title where appropriate. Depending on which language area you are in, see Austria, France, or Italy for details.
Taiwan: See China.
Thailand: Given names are followed by family names (although family names are not widely used). Nicknames are frequently used. Individuals usually addressed by Khun or Mr. or Mrs. and then the given name. (See Letter 5.)
Turkey: Use the family name (which comes after one or more given names), followed by Bey for a man and Hanim for a woman (equivalents of Mr. and Mrs. ). Or use the Global Business Standard.
UK: See the Global Business Standard. Dame is a title awarded by the British monarch to distinguished women. If people have a title (e.g., Lady Thatcher, Lord Tebbit, and Sir Mick), use it.
US: Given names are used readily, irrespective of a person s position or status. (See Letter 6.)
Venezuela: People inherit both their mother s and father s family names. When written, the father s name comes first, and in ordinary situations is the only family name used when addressing an individual (after Se ±or or Se ±ora or title.) Married women usually go by husband s surname. (See Letters 1 and 6.)