# Somali names: how they work, and nicknames (naanays)

> How Somali names work: personal, father's and grandfather's names, no surname, nicknames (naanays), names abroad.

Source page: https://calankii.com/en/society/somali-names/
Last checked: 2026-11-12
Publisher: Calankii (https://calankii.com)

## Three names, no surname

A Somali name is a chain of fathers. Take **Maxamed Cali Axmed**: Maxamed is his own name, Cali is his father's name, and Axmed is his grandfather's name ([Cabdalla Cumar Mansuur, WardheerNews, 2021](https://wardheernews.com/somali-names-and-individual-identity)). His son might be **Xasan Maxamed Cali**. Each generation, the oldest name drops off and a new one is added.

There is no family name shared by parents and children ([SBS Cultural Atlas: Somali naming](https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/somali-culture/somali-culture-naming)). Somalis usually address each other by the first two names.

Some offices ask for more. Passport, court and registry offices may add the **mother's name** to tell people apart. Final school exams ask for **four names**, adding the great-grandfather ([WardheerNews, 2021](https://wardheernews.com/somali-names-and-individual-identity)). Beyond the names on paper, children learn the longer chain of forefathers by heart (see [clans and lineage](/en/society/clans-and-lineage/)).

## Women keep their names

A woman does not change her name at marriage. Keeping her father's and grandfather's names is a mark of respect for her own family ([SBS Cultural Atlas](https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/somali-culture/somali-culture-naming)). A mother and her children therefore have different "surnames" on foreign forms.

## Names abroad

Other countries force the chain into a first name and a surname, each in its own way. Maxamed Cali Cabdullaahi becomes "Mohamed Abdullahi" in the UK and USA, "Mohamed Ali Abdullaahi" in Italy and "Mohamed Ali" in Sweden ([WardheerNews, 2021](https://wardheernews.com/somali-names-and-individual-identity)). Brothers can end up with different surnames in different countries.

Spelling changes too. In standard Somali writing, *x* is a deep "h" and *c* is the Arabic ʿayn sound, so Maxamed is Mohamed and Cali is Ali (see [how Somali came to be written](/en/history/somali-language-written-1972/)).

## Nicknames: naanays

Many Somalis are known better by a nickname than by their name, partly because so many people share the same names ([SBS Cultural Atlas](https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/somali-culture/somali-culture-naming)). A *naanays* is given by family or friends in childhood, often from looks or character. Examples include *Yare* ("small", for a young-looking face) and *Macanay* ("sweet", often for girls) ([Poetry Translation Centre, "Why do Somali poets have nicknames?"](https://www.poetrytranslation.org/articles/why-do-somali-poets-have-nicknames)).

Poets are often known only by their nickname: *Hadraawi* means roughly "master of speech" ([VOA, 2022](https://www.voanews.com/a/death-of-somali-shakespeare-mourned-nationwide-/6707535.html)). The Poetry Translation Centre notes that nicknames are less common among Somalis raised abroad.

## Birthdays on 1 January

Many Somalis fled without a birth certificate, or had only a year on record, so refugee and immigration officers often filled in 1 January as the date ([MPR News, 2025](https://www.mprnews.org/episode/2025/01/02/why-so-many-somali-americans-celebrate-their-birthdays-on-new-years-day)). The full story, country by country, is on [why so many Somalis have 1 January birthdays](/en/diaspora/why-1-january-birthdays/).

## Why it matters

A Somali name tells you whose child you are. It ties every person to a family line and to the wider nation. Getting names and birth dates on record is also the first step to services, school and work for every child.

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