Mongolian name

This article refers mainly to personal naming customs in Mongolia. Inner Mongolian customs are similar, but do display some differences.

Common names

Mongolian names traditionally have an important symbolic character — a name with auspicious connotations being thought to bring good fortune to its bearer. The naming of children was usually done by the parents or a respected elder of the family, or by a lama. Nowadays most parents give Mongolian names to their children, often consisting of two nouns or adjectives, representing qualities such as solidity and strength for boys or beauty in the case of girls.

Male names often include the names of elements such as 'iron' or 'steel', or other words denoting strength, such as 'hero', 'strong', or 'axe': some examples are Gansükh 'steel-axe', Batsaikhan 'strong-nice', or Tömörbaatar 'iron-hero', Chuluunbold 'stone-steel'. Names of ancient Mongolian rulers are used as well, e.g. Chingis or Khubilai.

Women's names commonly refer to fine colours or flowers, the sun and moon, or may be made up of any other word with positive connotations using the feminine suffix -maa (Tib. 'mother'): some common examples are Altantsetseg 'golden-flower', Narantuyaa 'sun-beam', Uranchimeg 'artistic-decoration', Sarangerel 'moon-light', Erdenetungalag 'jewel-clear', and Tsetsegmaa 'flower'.

Many gender-neutral name components refer to auspicious qualities such as eternity or happiness: some examples are Mönkh 'eternal', Erdene 'jewel', Oyuun...
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