this post was submitted on 27 Dec 2025
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[–] RBWells@lemmy.world 36 points 1 day ago (4 children)

I was doing payroll recently for my work, and came across Harsh Harsh. I had to ask our HR lady, really? His last name was Harsh and his parents named him Harsh?

Well, no. She said his name was simply Harsh but our system required a last name so she repeated it.

Still, pretty harsh I think.

[–] Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 1 hour ago

Sounds like some refugees coming from the african/middle east.
I have one colleague with an "official" and an actual birthdate.
I believe some also don't have the given/sur name system.

[–] PeriodicallyPedantic@lemmy.ca 5 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

My grandfather in law only had one name. When they immigrated, they made his first name "XXX".

One time someone asked him "like the movie?"

[–] mojofrododojo@lemmy.world 3 points 9 hours ago* (last edited 9 hours ago)

I met a soldier who's last name was too long to fit on a nametape. They asked if he could shorten it and he chose X instead. iirc he was Indonesian or Thai...

[–] embed_me@programming.dev 15 points 1 day ago (1 children)

It means joy in Indian languages

[–] Etterra@discuss.online 5 points 1 day ago

That actually makes it funnier lol

[–] Flax_vert@feddit.uk 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

That's an interesting thing, in many countries such as the UK, it is perfectly legal to just not have a surname. Probably the best example is our own King, Charles.

[–] elephantium@lemmy.world 2 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

But Charles does have a surname. Mountbatten-Windsor? Or does that not count? I'm foggy on what the rules are for the royal family.

[–] Flax_vert@feddit.uk 1 points 11 hours ago

That's not his actual surname. Mountbatten-Windsor is a surname given to descendants of royals who aren't working members (or ex royals in Andrew's case). While Charles still doesn't have a surname, generally if you faced a situation where you had a database which absolutely must take a surname, he'd likely simply put down "Windsor" as the Mountbatten thing was a compromise made between the late Queen Elizabeth II and the family of the late Prince Philip.

It kind of applies to working royals as well.

However even then, I believe that would probably only be used by Princess Anne. As the children of the Prince and Princess of Wales will probably use the word "Wales" in place of a surname, and previously would have likely used "Cambridge" in terms of school records. I don't know how this works out for the rest of the family as Princess Beatrice and Eugenie's father (formerly York) lost his title and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh's children aren't working royals/prince/princess despite the fact they are normally perfectly entitled to the title, as they are a grandchild of the monarch. (Although with Harry and Andrew gone, some are speculating that Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor might step up).

Queen Elizabeth II still has some living cousins such as HRH The Duke of Kent and HRH The Duke of Gloucester. They aren't really well known but are still carrying out royal duties quite diligently (well, that would also depend on your viewpoint on royal duties, etc)