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

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). 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). 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). Beyond the names on paper, children learn the longer chain of forefathers by heart (see 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). 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). 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).

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). 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?").

Poets are often known only by their nickname: Hadraawi means roughly "master of speech" (VOA, 2022). 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). The full story, country by country, is on why so many Somalis have 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.