Patronímicos

Patronímicos, or patronymics, are names derived from the given name of a father or paternal ancestor. The term comes from Greek patēr (father) and onōma (name). In many cultures, patronymics appear as part of a full name to indicate lineage and may function as surnames or as middle names.

Patterns vary by culture. Icelandic uses true patronymics formed with the suffixes -son (son of) and -dóttir (daughter of); the name changes with each generation. In Slavic and other languages, a masculine form ending in -ov/-ev/-ich or a female form ending in -ova/-eva/-ovna often serves as a family surname that traces descent from a male ancestor; historically, it often originated as a patronymic. Arabic names frequently include a patronymic segment built with ibn/'bin' or bint meaning “son of” or “daughter of,” used as part of a full name or as a middle name. In Gaelic and Welsh, mac or ap indicates “son of,” sometimes becoming part of a fixed surname. In Iberian and Romance-language cultures, many surnames such as Fernández (meaning “son of Fernando”) originated as patronymics but are now permanent family names.

Most contemporary practice in many countries treats patronymics as fixed hereditary surnames, while some cultures preserve dynamic patronymics that change each generation. In Iceland, official naming standards maintain true patronymics or matronymics; in Russia and other Slavic regions, a legal middle name (otchestvo) derived from the father's given name remains common, while the surname itself is inherited.

Patronymics provide genealogical information about paternal lineage but do not necessarily imply a direct paternal surname in modern usage. They illustrate how societies encode kinship, inheritance, and social identity in personal names.