Afghan name

Traditionally, Afghans only use a first name and lack a last name. Those that only have a first name can be distinguished by tribe, place of birth, profession or honorific title.[1]

While most Afghans lack a last name, they are more common among urban populations or the educated or higher class. Last names can represent a father's name, tribal affiliation, or an adjective describing the person. This means that in some cases people of the same family may have differing last names.[1] Common forms of last names referring to tribal affiliation are:

• -ai or -i, usually added to the area of origin, for example Karzai (from Karz, Kandahar), Marghai, Kohistani or Hussaini
• -zai or -zoy, meaning "son" in Pashto, for example Ghilzai or Popalzai
• -khel / khil, meaning "branch", for example Suleimankhel or Omarkhil
• (containing) -gul, for example Gulbaz

Other known suffixes include:

• -ullah, referring to Allah, for example Rahmatullah or Hafizullah
• -uddin, for example Shamsuddin or Ghawsuddin
• -zada / zadah, meaning "son of" in Persian, for example Khanzada or Shahzada
• -bakhsh, "granted by".
• '-dad, "given by", for example Baridad.

Afghan women traditionally do not take their husband's surnames when they marry.[2]

Honorifics are also used on some people, for example Khan which is used for men's names, or Jan used for both men's and women's.[1] For example:

• Sharif Khan, Latif Khan, Khalil Jan for males
• Sharifa Jan, Latifa Jan for females

Honorific names can signify certain ranks of notability[1] such as royal, religious or occupational status.[3] Below are some examples:

• Agha, Sir, mister. It is a general term of respect.
• Khan, served at one time as a title for an honored person.
• Mullah, Muslim cleric.
• Mawlawi, Muslim cleric.
• Ustad, a master craftsperson, lecturer or a person who is the master of a profession.
• Ghazi, militarily related.
• Dagarwal, militarily related.
• Sayyid and sharif, honorific titles that given to men accepted as descendants of Muhammad
• Sardar
• Khwaja, "lord"
• Akhund, Muslim scholar
• Shah, "king"
• Engineer, someone with the said profession

Ethnic Pashtuns are more likely to have Pashto names, for example Turyalai Muhammadzai for a male, or Shaperai Isupazai for a female. Speakers of Dari (e.g. the Tajiks) are more likely to have Persian names, for example Bashir Bijan for a male, or Shirin Kuhestani for a female. Ethnic Hazara names tend to contain more Shi'ite related names, like Ali and Hossain.[1]

Since there is no orghographic standardization, along with diverse dialects, there are many discepancies in transcription of Afghan names into English, especially in Pashto.[3] The second component of male names (for example the Khan in Gul Khan) is generally treated as a last name in the West - despite Khan originally being a honorific title, in an English speaking country it would be treated as a last name, with Gul the first name in this case.[1]

The lack of standardization mean that English renderings can also vary, for example the name مسعود can be variously transcribed as Massoud, Masoud, Mas'ud or Massoud. Spacing can also vary, so for example both Miakhel and Mia Khel have been used in English for the same name.[1][3]

Afghans who have a "proper" name before the "subordinate" (for example, the Zaman in Mohamad Zaman Naderi) would likely decide to abbreviate the first component when transcribing his full name in English, in this case for example: M. Zaman Naderi.[1]

• Pashtun name
• Iranian name
• Pakistani name