Fi gian name

Naming conventions inFijidiffer greatly, both between and within ethnic groups in Fiji.Indigenous Fi gian shave a set of cultural practices which today are more loosely followed, and to some extent blended with elements of European culture with regard to names. In theIndian community,traditionalIndian namingpractices co-exist with influence from the Fi gian and European cultures.

Indigenous Fi gian s

The use ofsurnamesis not traditional inFi gian culture.In recent years, it has become more common, but remains far from universal. Whether to have a surname, and if so, whether to use it, are very much a matter of personal preference. One's last name is not always, therefore, a surname.

The majority of Fi gian s have twogiven names,a Christian name taken usually from theBible,and a traditional name. A child may bebaptizedor registered with a surname, usually derived from the father's traditional given name. It is not unusual for persons baptized with surnames to discard them; some reclaim them later in life, and some who did not originally have one may later adopt their father's traditional name as a surname. It is not unheard of for Fi gian s to be known by different names at different stages of their lives.

Fi gian naming examples

Prime MinisterSitiveni Rabukawas known as "Sitiveni Ligamamada" in his earlier days as arugbyplayer. Another notable example isGeorge Speight,the instigator of acoup d'étatin 2000, who contestedthe subsequent electionunder the name of "Ilikimi Naitini." He did not need to change his name bydeed poll;he only had to register his candidacy with his surname and English given name omitted.Maciu Navakasuasua,a convicted accomplice of Speight's, revealed on October 28, 2005 that he had emigrated toAustraliaand avoided a blacklist against his name by using his grandfather's surname, which was registered on both his birth certificate and his passport.

Given the non-universal use of surnames, it is not uncommon for several members of a family all to bear different last names. Well known examples includeRatu Epeli Nailatikau(thePresident of Fijibetween 2009 and 2015) and his brother,Tu'uakitau Cokanauto.

Many Fi gian s who do not have surnames register their children with their own traditional given name as a surname. Well known examples include the lateRatu Sir Kamisese Mara,Fiji's longtime Prime Minister and President, whose children are surnamedMara,though it was his given name, not his surname as most foreigners wrongly suppose. President Nailatikau has likewise passed his given name on to his children as a surname.

Ratu Josefa Iloilovatu Uluivuda,better known simply as "Ratu Josefa Iloilo", who served as President of Fiji from 2000 to 2009, is an example of a Fi gian who had a surname, but did not generally use it, except for legal purposes.Iloilo,the name by which he was generally known, which most non-Fi gian s mistakenly assumed to be his surname, was thus a diminutive of his second given name. This shortening of names is another common Fi gian custom; another notable example of this phenomenon is rugby starRupeni Caucaunibuca,widely referred to both inside and outside Fiji asCaucau.

Fi gian s ofchieflyrank usetitleswith their names. In most parts of Fiji, the title used by male chiefs isRatu;the female equivalent isAdi.InRewa Province,the localdialectsubstitutesRofor both titles. In theLau Islands,male and female chiefs are both styledRoko,while inKadavu Islandand western areas female chiefs are titledBulou.The title is used immediately before the name, or before another title (e.g., Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara,Ratu Dr. Epeli Nailatikau). However, it follows military titles (e.g.,Brigadier generalRatu Epeli Ganilau).

Names in Tradition

Today, names may be inherited or passed on between relatives, but traditionally, Fi gian names have a meaning and a history surrounding them. Before the arrival ofChristianityand European culture, Fi gian names were often based on circumstances or events surrounding the birth of the child, as well as other aspects. A modern example of a name that reflects both traditional and modern naming conventions isJoni Madraiwiwi,who served asVice-Presidentfrom 2004 to 2006.Joniis the Fi gian rendering of "John".Madraiwiwi,which means "sourbread,"was passed on from his grandfather, alsoRatuJoni Madraiwiwi.The elder Madraiwiwi was named by his father,Mara Kapaiwai(a namesake, not an ancestor, of the modernRatuMara), who was facing execution and eating his last meal. Even the taste of bread had turned sour to him, hence the naming of his son.

Not all children were named for such dramatic events. Tanoa Senibua was named for the "fragrance of the Bua" flower which was in theairsurrounding the child's birthplace, and "Tanoa" as the father of the child was drinkingkavafrom a Tanoa when he received the news his son was born. A set protocol would be followed for the naming, but protocol is less strictly adhered to in this modern era.

English names

Several Fi gian names have been borrowed from English.

Fi gian names with English translations
Fi gian	English
Ana	Anna
Ela	Ella
Ema	Emma
Ilisapeci	Elizabeth
Jioji	George
Joana	Joan
Jone	John
Josefa	Joseph
Lia	Leah
Litia	Lydia
Mere	Mary
Mosese	Moses
Peni	Ben
Petero	Peter
Samuela	Samuel
Semi	Sam
Sera	Sarah
Sitiveni	Stephen
Tevita	David
Timoci	Timothy
Tomasi	Thomas
Viliame	William
Voreqe	Frank

Indo-Fi gian s

• See main article:Indian name

The names of Fiji Islanders ofIndianancestry provide clues to an individual'sreligionandcaste,and to what part of India their ancestors came from.Muslimsvery often have names taken from theQuran,whileSikhsare almost invariably surnamedSingh(if male) orKaur(if female). Contrary to a common misconception, however, not everybody bearing that name is a Sikh: the great majority areHindu(such as arguably the most notable Indo-Fi gian,golferVijay Singh). Surnames, although not universal in India, have been adopted by almost all Indo-Fi gian s (despite their less-than-universal use by indigenous Fi gian s).

The caste system and names

Although the caste system is all but dead amongFiji Indians,Brahmins(priests) can be recognized by the surname,Sharma,while theKshatriyas(warriors) can be recognized by the surnameSingh.

References

• 20th Century Fiji,edited by Stewart Firth and Daryl Tarte - 2001 -ISBN982-01-0421-1,"details on Notable Fi gian s info including in some articles regarding their name origins and meaning."
• Lau Islands,Fiji.By Arthur Maurice Hocart. Published in 1929. Bernice P. Bishop Museum. Ethnology, 241 pages. Original from the University of Michigan, no.62 1929. Digitized Feb 23, 2007. "Page 150 has details on Fi gian names in general, also reference to titles likeRatuandRoko."
• A New Fi gian Dictionaryby Capell, Arthur; published in 1941. Australasian Medical Pub. Co. "Page 4 and other sections has details on Fi gian names and their use."

External links

• Some details onFi gian Names.