Deconstructing names

Recently had my first exposure to Portuguese naming conventions. It took some time to understand the rules and then deconstruct the name for entry into the appropriate fields of the Name Editor.

Specifically, I was unaware that the Patrilineal & Matrilineal surnames order reversed when a son was a namesake of the father. And that this was indicated by a Suffix (“Filho”) that I did not recognize as being similar to a “Junior” suffix. I thought that word was a surname. :face_with_open_eyes_and_hand_over_mouth:

I’ll never remember that in the far-flung future.

So some sort of method for annotating (citing) the reason for different fields would be useful. For instance, I might have a Note that explains the ethnicity concepts (or cultural bias) in the naming conventions that apply to that entry in general. And then tag specific fields which specific reasons. So the construction/deconstruction of a name can be understood without redoing the ethnic research.

e.g., that a specific “Title” field entry is related to a dated Marriage/Degree/Ordination/“Nobility title”/“Military Service” Event. Or a Suffix is related to a Degree or Eponym association. Or a Taken origin is related to couverture for a Marriage. (Noting that a male partner might also ‘Take’ his spouse’s surname as a double-barreled married name.)

I might also want to note that the Given name is a namesake honoring a paternal grandfather. Or that a “IV” suffix was named in honor of the “III” father as eponym, not the “I” great-grandfather. In some lines, a II or III might be in honor of someone else further up the line. Not only as with reign names of royalty or papal lineage, but also when someone is named for a distant paternal ancestor or famous collateral.

As for the Portuguese naming convenions (wikipedia “Portuguese name” ) …

In Portuguese naming conventions, the “Filho” (meaning “son”) suffix is used to indicate that a son is named after his father. When the father is also a namesake of his father, the son may inherit the paternal grandfather’s surname as well. For example, if the father’s name is “José Alves Siqueira” and he is named after his father, the son’s name might be “José Alves Siqueira Filho Neto,” where “Neto” means “grandson”. This pattern can extend further to subsequent generations

The suffixes indicating the generational sequence in Portuguese naming conventions can extend to several generations. Here is a list of possible suffixes indicating the generational sequence to 10 generations of namesakes:

  1. Filho (son)
  2. Neto (grandson)
  3. Bisneto (great-grandson)
  4. Trineto (great-great-grandson)
  5. Tataraneto (great-great-great-grandson)
  6. Pentaneto (great-great-great-great-grandson)
  7. Hexaneto (great-great-great-great-great-grandson)
  8. Heptaneto (great-great-great-great-great-great-grandson)
  9. Octaneto (great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandson)
  10. Enenaneto (great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandson)

These suffixes reflect the generational sequence and the importance of family lineage and heritage in Portuguese culture.

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