CHAIRMAN OF AZERBAIJANI PARLIAMENT’S COMMITTEE NIZAMI JAFAROV: I WILL NOT CHANGE MY LAST NAME – INTERVIEW

APA
Feb 23 2010
Azerbaijan

"The Concept on establishing State Information System of Names and
Last Names bans some names"

"In the Concept we have proposed four variants of last name endings"

Baku. Elbrus Seyfullayev – APA. APA’s interview with chairman of the
Azerbaijani parliament’s committee for culture Nizami Jafarov

-How did it happen that a commission for changing the last name
endings was established?

-This commission is called Special Commission for Names and Last Names
under Azerbaijani National Academy of Sciences. It was established
under the order issued by the president of academy on June 16, 2009.

The initiative came from the academy, but earlier there were passive
and active discussions on the names and last names. The issue has
been raised in the parliament several times. Our committee included
the bill prepared by Rafael Huseynov into the working plan. Earlier
Sabir Rustamkhanli made a number of proposals. Sabir Rustamkhanli
said first of all officials should change "ov", "yev", then ordinary
citizens should do it. When the discussion of the problem began, it
was said that this is the internal affair of the society. We are living
in a democratic society, everybody can have the last name he wants.

Approaching the issue seriously, the problem can be solved this way
now. But the bodies of the Civil Registration Office require various
documents. For example, an old person has a number of commitments
vis-a-vis the society, state, international organizations. Changing
of the last name created problems for them. As a result of it, a
commission was set up. Chairman of the commission is president of
Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences Mahmud Karimov. Director of
humanitarian policy department of the Presidential Administration
Fatma Abdullazadeh is also in the commission. It shows that this
commission is destined to pursue not only scientific, but also state
policy. This commission worked and some months ago presented Concept
on establishing State Information System of Names and Last Names.

After that the commission prepared the statistics of the names and
last names in Azerbaijan after the 50s. This statistics covered only
the registered names and last names and various interesting results
appeared.

-What results?

-It was found out that "ov", "yev" endings reduced from 90 percent to
80 percent from the 50s till 2000. According to the present statistics,
endings "ov", "yev" make up approximately 80 percent, "zadeh" 10
percent, "li" 10 percent. There are very few endings "oglu", "gizi",
"gil" and "soy". This statistics was very important for us. We also
determined 100 popular male names in Azerbaijan. The most popular
name in Azerbaijan is Ali. There are 40494 men named Ali.

The second popular name is Elchin, 33337 men are named Elchin. 32569
are named Vugar, 31056 Anar, 29083 Elnur. Then come Samir, Elshan,
Rashad, Ilgar, Vusal. Most of them are borrowings.

-Is the situation good or bad?

-It means that the people have weak fantasy concerning names. But
this is present statistics. If we made this statistics late in the
19th century, early in the 20th century, then the most popular names
would be Ahmad, Mammad, Huseyn, Hasan. I do not believe that Elchin,
Elnur, Anar could be so popular at that time. Despite the changes in
the system of names, there is too much repetition.

-I wonder in which place is your name?

-My name is the 63rd. 13374 people are named Nizami.

-What about popular female names?

-The most popular female name in Azerbaijan is Sevinj. 46937 are named
Sevinj. Moreover, there are 40215 women named Gunel, 35395 Leyla,
35276 Aygun, 35138 Gunay, 31675 Sevda, 31453 Vusala, 31308 Konul,
29956 Tarana, 28600 Samira. Late in the 19th century, early in the 20th
century most popular names were Zeynab, Fatima, Zubeyda and others. In
the 40-50s of the past century the most popular female name was Sevil,
it was connected with the same-name play by Jafar Jabbarli.

Now the name Sevil is the 32nd place, there are 21077 people named
Sevil now. We can also explain the socio-psychological aspect of the
names. The first girl in the family is usually called Sevinj.

-Is there many persons with the same names and last names?

-It has also been investigated. There are 3055 persons named Mammadova
Sevinj, 2951 Aliyev Ali, 2558 Mammadova Gunel, 2435 Mammadov Mammad,
2419 Aliyeva Sevinj, 2381 Mammadov Elchin, 2299 Mammadov Ali,
2281 Mammadova Aygun, 2260 Mammadova Gunay, 2192 Mammadova Sevda in
Azerbaijan. As seen, last names Mammadov and Mammadova are repeated
much. So, the most popular last names are Mammadov, Aliyev, Huseynov,
Ismayilov. First of all we established a bank of names and last names.

We collected the names in the folklore, written literature, persons
named after historical, geographical places, flora and fauna. This
list has been presented to the bodies of the Civil Registration
Office. The commission also determined which names are inexpedient.

-How have you determined it?

-There are people who give their children insulting names. Once
children were names Kombayn, Kolkhoz, Traktor. Such names are removed
from the vocabulary. For example, you can not name your child Hitler.

European names were also given to children once. There are names that
are not national. If somebody wants to name his daughter Yelizaveta,
it will be explained that there is no such a name in the vocabulary.

Sometimes somebody wants to name his child Pishik, Janavar. It is not
allowed any more. There is a principle that a name without ideological
context is banned. For example, an Armenian can give the name Andronik,
but an Azerbaijani no. Somebody has recently named his child Bin
Laden. It must be forbidden. Names containing more than two components
are also banned. Names and last names with signs, shortenings are
also banned. Moreover, the number of sounds in names and last names
should not be less than three. The concept covers all these issues.

-Has the international practice been studied?

-The practice of Turkey, Germany, Moldova, Belarus, Estonia and other
countries has been studied. The concept also contains recommendations.

It is not recommended to give names and last names connected with
the communism ideology and former Soviet realities. Such names like
Soviet, Marx, Estonia, Chocolate, Candidate, Sidney, Opera, Yerevan,
Kukla and etc. could be examples for ridiculous and hateful names.

There are hardly pronounceable names like Sevinddsh, Babayriza,
Khirda. It is recommended to correct the misinterpreted names in
accordance with the rules of literary language.

-What concrete options are proposed?

-There are four recommended options, which were submitted to the
government. It can be determined by the order of Azerbaijani president
or adopted by the parliament and it can be amended to the Family Code
as well. First option is to add "oglu" to the last name like Eloglu,
Agaoglu and etc.

-Does it make last names be first?

-The last names can be showed first in the lists drawn in alphabetical
order. The second option is to add suffix "li" to the end of last
names. The third form can be without suffixes. The fourth form is
adding of "gil" or "soy" to the end of last names.

-How it goes with "zadeh"?

-It is controversial to accept format of "zadeh". It is said that it
couldn’t be accepted because of Persian origin of these names. But
I think that there is a need in this format. 10 percent of the
population has the last names with suffix "zadeh" and it became some
national. This format is widely spread among the world Azerbaijanis
and particularly those who are living in South Azerbaijan.

We have to reject forcibly and repressively accepted suffixes "ov
and "ev in our last names. But no one can be forced to abandon his
or her last names. Newly-born children can accept new last names,
for example the names of their fathers. We can not force other ethnic
groups living in Azerbaijan to change their last names.

-How will it be with the ethnic minorities like lezgins, talishes,
kurds and others?

-They are Azerbaijanis and they have to do like us.

-Why were there Soviet repressions against our last names only?

-There was intensive pressure on us. They changed our alphabet as
well. Turkic people were second largest ethnic group in USSR after
the Slavic people. Azerbaijani intellectuals accepted this format
formally, but there were signatures without "ov" and "ev", for example,
Azerbaijani poets Mikayil Mushfig, Suleyman Rustam, Samed Vurgun and
others. This compulsion was only for the mass. There can be some 10
percent of last names which will save "ov" and "ev".

Exclusions can be for the last names with "inski" in the end. It needs
to discuss some issues, but generally the concept is ready. The issue
is on agenda of the Presidential Administration too.

-What has your Culture Committee done in the past five years?

-Our main work was the law on theater. It would be better if we adopt
the law on culture by the end of the year. We couldn’t adopt the law
on creative people and organizations. We have to bring the status of
creative person and notion of producer on agenda of legislature.

-Your name is among the candidates for chairman of Azerbaijan Union
of Writers…

-I don’t have such claims. This is Anar, who pulled out the Union
from the difficulties and problems of the period. If the Union of
Writers exists today we are obliged to our national leader that he
created all conditions for this organization. I think Anar should be
chairman of the Union. I will vote for Anar.

-Recently the commission for determination of national prizes in
Azerbaijan was established. What is your opinion about the commission?

– This is very good job. There is a tradition in Azerbaijan to give
honorable title of "people’s". I think it is more acceptable to give
national prizes than honorable title of "people’s". It needs to use
the world’s experience to award medals, prizes.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress