Hirsi

Hirsi is a Somali name that can function as a given name and as a patronymic element in Somali naming practice. In traditional Somali names, a person’s full name typically includes a given name followed by their father’s name and then their grandfather’s name. As a result, Hirsi often appears as the father’s name and may be treated as part of a surname in Western contexts when individuals adopt family-name conventions. Spelling variations, such as Hersi or Hirse, can occur due to transliteration from Somali languages or Arabic-script sources.

Geographic and cultural context: The name is common among Somali-speaking populations in Somalia, Somaliland, Djibouti, and among diaspora communities in Europe and North America. Its use reflects longstanding Somali naming customs, which emphasize paternal lineage in personal identification.

Notable individuals: Ayaan Hirsi Ali, born Ayaan Hirsi Magan in 1969, is a prominent Somali-born Dutch-American activist, author, and former politician who is widely known by the name Ayaan Hirsi Ali. Her usage of Hirsi Ali highlights the patronymic component of her name rather than a modern family surname. Other individuals with the name may exist in various communities, but they are less widely documented in English-language sources.

See also: Names of Somali origin that employ patronymic structures.