Suktu Naming Traditions
Among the Suktu, a person may not bear the same name their entire life. It's common for a person to go by a childhood name and an adult name, either or both of which may represent things such as personality traits or moral values.
People who have experienced this tradition include Razi Abumagi, Komatzi Rusastruth, and Espen Pirshala. Razi chose to keep her childhood name because she identifies with what it represents. Komatzi was offered a new name by his parents and decided to take it. Espen Pirshala received a new name from his fathers out of necessity. He was assigned female at birth and later realized that he identifies as a man, so his previous name no longer suited him because it was meant for a girl.
Participants
The main participant is the subject of the ritual, the person bearing or being offered names. Other participants in deciding on and proposing names include close family members like parents, siblings, and grandparents.
Observance
A young Suktu typically doesn't receive a name until they are around a week (5 days) old. Their childhood name is their first name. By the time they reach maturity at 20 years of age, there's a high likelihood that they've outgrown it, become disillusioned with it, or turned out not to fit its meaning. Therefore, on their 20th birthday, their family offers them a new name they feel represents the person they have become in the years since they were given their first name. If the subject of the ritual identifies more with the new name, they choose to take it as their own and will go by that name for the rest of their life. If, for whatever reason, they want to use their childhood name, they let their family know of their decision.
Primary Related Location
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