Matai

Naming Traditions

Feminine names

Northern Matai:

• Typically end "a"
• Ex. Marya, Sapphira, Saruka, Evelena, Kanya, Tania

Southern Matai:

• Typically end in vowels, are one to two syllables
• Ex. Suki, Hana, Aya, Yue, Malai, Mei, Yan, Gia, Gina

Masculine names

Northern Matai:

• Typically end in consonants "r" or vowels "e", "y", "u"
• Ex. Ryu, Petyr, Wey, Eruk, Maku, Elly, Wan

Southern Matai:

• Similar to Northern, except with the addition of syllables
• Ex. Anuman, Sakdoh, Alexandr,

Family names

References:
Chinese naming traditions:

• names are auspicious of the luck of the child throughout their life
• In some cases, parents may consult a fortune teller to find the luckiest name for a child may be chosen in accordance with their birth date and time.
• Given names may be chosen so that their meaning is complemented by the family name. For example, parents with the family name LIU (meaning ‘willow tree’) might name their child ‘Qing’ (green). Therefore, the child’s name is LIU Qing (green willow tree).
• People generally address one another by their full name. It is uncommon to address someone by their given/personal name alone.
• Family members, in-laws and couples may refer to one another by their personal/given name. However, it is generally seen as awkward or disrespectful to address a normal friend or acquaintance this way.

Japanese naming traditions:

• Given names that end in -hiko, -suke or -hei are usually male names (e.g. Fumihiko, Kisuke, Kouhei). Male names also often end in -o or -shi (e.g. Tetsuo, Hiroshi).
• Given names that end in -e, -yo, -mi, -na, -ko or -ka are usually female names (e.g. Isae, Riyo, Kazumi, Fumina, Ayuka, Mariko).

Russian naming traditions:

• Common female names are Anna (Anya), Ekaterina (Katya), Elena (Lena), Irina (Ira), Yulia (Yulya), Maria (Masha), Natalia (Natasha), Olga (Olya), Svetlana (Sveta) and Tatiana (Tanya).
• Common male names are Alexander (Sasha, Shura, Sanya), Dmitry (Dima), Eugeny (Zhenya), Ivan (Vanya), Mikhail (Misha), Nikolai (Kolya), Sergey (Seryozha), Victor (Vitya) and Vladimir (Volodya, Vova). Sasha and Zhenya are common names for both men and women.
• Ask a Russian’s permission before calling them by a nickname – especially those that shorten their original name. As Russians are more formal in the initial stages of meeting someone, moving on to this basis too soon can be seen as excessive familiarity or even patronising.

Thai naming traditions:

• The concept of a ‘middle name’ is not followed in Thailand.
• It is common for Thai people to change their given name at any point in their life. One may do so if burdened by bad luck/ill health or to reflect a significant life change.
• Children are not always named immediately after birth in Thai culture. It is common for children to be given a nickname (see below) before their official name is decided.
• It is common for parents to consult with a monk, fortune teller, or other respected person in society in order to choose the most appropriate or auspicious name for their child.

Ukranian naming traditions:

• Ukrainian middle names are patronymic, which means they combine the father’s first name with the suffix “–vych” or “–yovych” for men (meaning ‘son of’) or “–ivna” or “–yivna” for women (meaning ‘daughter of’). For example, if the father’s personal name is Petro, his sons would carry the patronymic of Petrovych and his daughters Petrivna.
• Some of the most classic Ukrainian male names include Mykola, Volodymyr, Petro, Pavlo, Oleksandr, Andriy, Vasyl’ and Ivan.
• Examples of classic female names include Mariia, Hanna, Valentyna, Olha, Halyna, Tetiana and Nadiia.
• There are often various alternative spellings for the same name. For example, Anna is also spelt Anya or Anichka.

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

The Matai value mental agility, emotional strength, and even temperaments, where the most physically and emotionally balanced person is seen as the most beautiful. Beautification involves little ornament, but rather functional fashion that may discern rank when appropriate - however, celebratory attire warrants subtle and elegant ornamentation and finer fabrics. Short hair and clean, fair skin is seen as the achievable ideal for all genders.

Gender Ideals

Women are seen as superior to men, thus making most customs matriarchal. Men are seen as expendable and intellectually inferior and are often relegated to physical labor or professions that require little mental power to achieve, reserving most careers and even homemaking to the women of the family.

Relationship Ideals

Relationships are primarily monogamous, with an emphasis on deference to women. It is not uncommon for women to take other lovers during the course of their relationship, although legally, marriage remains between one woman and her singular man. Bearing children outside of the married pair is frowned upon, but is not uncommon. The married man has no legal right to refuse his wife any additional lovers.