The Country Where the Inhabitants Do Not Use the Last Name

If you have thought about a place that is not in Europe, because it is a rather unusual habit for the cultures of this continent, find out that there is a country where its inhabitants do not use their last name. Strange as it may sound, it is very true.

Iceland has some peculiarities when it comes to names. First of all, Icelanders do not have a family name.

Secondly, a woman does not take her husband's name after marriage, and thirdly, when a child receives the name at birth, it must be one of a limited list. How come the island has these rules?

Unlike most other Western countries, Icelanders do not use the last name but use a patronymic or matronymic reference (n.r. which derives from a masculine or feminine appellation).

The name refers to the mother or father and is not related to the historical descendants of the family. Although Iceland has a common cultural heritage with the Scandinavian countries of Norway, Denmark, and Sweden, only Iceland continues to use the traditional naming system, once popular throughout the Scandinavian Peninsula.

Therefore, the last name of a male Icelander usually ends with the suffix -son (n.r. son) and that of Icelandic women in -dottir (n.r. daughter).

For example, one of Iceland's former presidents is Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, his first name is Olafur Ragnar, and his father's first name was Grimur. Olafur's daughters are Guarun Tinna Olafsdottir and Svanhildur Dalla Olafsdottir. Former Prime Minister Johanna Siguraardottir is Johanna, Siguraur's daughter.

The patronymic reference is the traditional and most common form used in Iceland, but nowadays, when gender equality is important, the inhabitants are given the freedom to choose the matronym instead. For example, the popular football player Heiaar Helguson is named after his mother: Helguson, the son of Helga.

Another option under Icelandic law is to use both parents' names as family names. For example, musician Orvar Poreyjarson Smarason (Orvar, son of Porey, son of Smari) and former mayor of Reykjavik, Dagur Bergporuson Eggertsson (Dagur, son of Bergpora and Eggert) chose this combination of matronym and patronymic.

As always, there are some exceptions to the rule. Some surnames exist in Iceland, most of them inherited from parents of foreign origin, immigrants so to speak, while some are adopted. Among the prominent Icelanders who have an inherited family name, we can mention the former Prime Minister Geir Haarde, the film director Baltasar Kormakur Samper and the actress Anita Briem.

The purpose of this seemingly strict naming policy is to protect Iceland's cultural heritage. The Icelandic language is strongly affected by the phenomenon of the purism of the Icelandic language. Language is seen as a basic element of national identity.

The main emphasis of linguistic purism is to maintain the structure of the language, as it is a strongly declined language compared to other Indo-European languages.

Recently, there was the case of a 15-year-old girl, Blaer Bjarkardottir. Her fight for the right to use her name has attracted the attention of the international press. In a previous court ruling, the name "Blaer" was rejected. "Blaer" is a masculine word, so a girl was not allowed to wear it.

After taking her case to the Capital District Court, Blaer eventually received the right to use her mother's name legally, despite opposition from the authorities. Previously, Blaer had always been called a "girl" on any legal document.

Another interesting fact about Iceland:

Mothers quietly leave their strollers with their babies outside when they enter a store, for example

Do not draw any malicious conclusions by throwing the label "distorted". No, Icelandic mothers are just as loving and caring as anyone else. What is different in Iceland is the tiny rate of crime and violence.

So insignificant that the policemen don't even bother to take their guns with them when they go to work in the morning (leaving more room for donuts). Compared to the security and peace that prevails here, even countries like Denmark, Norway, or Sweden may seem crammed with criminals and outlaws.

A pertinent explanation for this societal ideal is that there is almost no difference between social classes, everyone has just as much, and economic tensions are completely absent. Another plausible reason is the absence (or extremely low rate of use) of strong drugs.

How crazy is this?