matronymik

Matronymik, also known as matronymic, is the naming practice in which a personal name—usually a surname or a component of a name—is derived from the mother’s name rather than the father’s. The term is used in onomastics, the study of proper names, and in discussions of historical naming systems. In languages and cultures that employ patronyms, matronyms represent a parallel or occasional alternative.

In a matronymic system, a child’s name may be formed by applying a morpheme to the mother’s name to indicate affiliation with the maternal line. The exact mechanism varies by language: some use a suffix to denote “daughter of” or “son of” the mother; others substitute a family surname derived from the mother’s name. Matronymics have appeared in various historical contexts, including matrilineal societies, or when the mother’s prominence or status makes her name salient, or in adoption, divorce, or legal name changes.

Today, fixed surname systems in many countries reduce the frequency of matronymics, but they still occur in historical records, family genealogies, or as deliberate choices by individuals seeking to emphasize the maternal line. In contemporary times, some communities and legal frameworks allow matronymics as valid personal or family names, and researchers may encounter them in ethnographic or historical sources.

See also: patronymic, onomastics.