Kyrgyzstan’s parliament has approved a bill allowing citizens to adopt surname spellings that reflect national traditions and historical heritage, rather than the conventional Russian-style endings. The legislation passed its third and final reading.
MP Mirlan Samyakozho, one of the bill’s authors, explained that the changes will allow citizens to choose surnames without Russian endings while retaining the option to keep them.
According to amendments to the Family Code and the Law on Civil Status Acts, new naming formats can now be used in official documents. Specifically:
- The suffix “uulu” (meaning “son of”) may be added to male names.
- The suffix “kyzy” (meaning “daughter of”) may be used for female names.
- Other variations using the genitive and initial case endings will also be permitted, such as “dyn/tyn,” “din/tin,” “dүn/tүn” for boys and “dan/tan,” “den/ten,” “dөn/tөn” for girls.
- In these cases, a patronymic name will no longer be required.
Under the new law, a name like Baktybekov Uson Zhakshylykovich could now be recorded as:
- Baktybekov tegi Uson
- Baktybektegi Uson Zhakshylyktyn
- Baktybek Uson
- Baktybek Uson Zhakshylyk uulu
Similarly, Baktybektegi Nurgul Zhakshylykovna could now be recorded as:
- Baktybektegi Nurgul
- Baktybektegi Nurgul Zhakshylyktan
- Baktybek Nurgul
- Baktybek Nurgul Zhakshylyk kyzy
Following Kyrgyzstan’s independence in the 1990s, many citizens adopted traditional Kyrgyz surnames incorporating “uulu” and “kyzy.” However, in the 2000s, a mass return to Russian-style surnames occurred, which authorities attributed to increasing external migration.
The new law is intended to restore the option for Kyrgyz citizens to preserve their historical naming traditions in official documents.
