Image by Sydney Allen via Canva. Used with permission.
On February 6, Kyrgyzstan’s parliament passed a new law to “expand the possibilities of choosing a surname according to Kyrgyz traditions and cultural characteristics.” In practice, the Kyrgyz authorities added three new forms of last names. They came as an addition to the Russian/Soviet form of last names and the already available two forms of last names, which were adopted in the early 1990s after Kyrgyzstan gained independence in 1991.
The centuries-old control over Central Asia initially by the Russian Empire and then by the Soviet Union left a noticeable social and cultural mark on the region. One way the Soviet authorities sought to unify various peoples living across its vast territory was by issuing similar Russian-style last names to all ethnicities, which were introduced at the expense of local traditions of giving names.
The new law in Kyrgyzstan is another step towards the derussification and decolonization of names in the region. Since the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991, Central Asian states have adopted new forms of last names to step away from the colonial legacy and promote their own culture and traditions. However, these attempts have not achieved the desired results due to their top-down centralized approach as well as political and economic challenges facing the region.
New era, new names
The full names of Central Asian peoples have followed and continue to follow the Russian-style structure of last names, followed by first names, and patronymics at the end. To form last names, the authorities added -ov (for men) and -ova (for women) affixes to peoples’ paternal grandfathers’ names and -vich (for men) and -ovna (for women) affixes to their fathers’ names to form patronymics.
Thus, a man named Bakyt with a paternal grandfather named Asan and a father named Erkin received the following name: Asanov Bakyt Erkinovich. A woman named Aijan with the same grandfather and father would be Asanova Aijan Erkinovna. This form of last names and patronymics is still widely used in the region.
With the dawn of independence in 1991, Central Asian states introduced new forms of last names while also keeping the old Russian-styled ones. Kyrgyzstan, for example, added two new forms of last names in the 1990s. The first one involved adding the word “tegin” (origin) to paternal grandfathers’ names and the second one involved adding the words “uulu” (son of) and “kyzy” (daughter of) to fathers’ names.
Thus, a man named Asanov Bakyt Erkinovich could change their name to either Bakyt Asantegin or Asan Erkin uulu. Similarly, a woman named Asanova Aijan Erkinovna could become either Aijan Asantegin or Aijan Erkin kyzy.
Starting from February 2025, Kyrgyzstani citizens can choose from three new ways to make their last names. For example, the same Asanov Bakyt Erkinovich has three following options: Bakyt Asan Erkin uulu, Asantegi Bakyt Erkin uulu, Asantegi Bakyt Erkindin.
The derussification trend was widespread in the region in the 1990s, and the remaining four states also introduced new forms of writing names in accordance with their own culture and traditions. Uzbekistan allowed people to ditch -ov/-ova affixes from last names and, instead of using -vich/-ovna in patronymics, opted for ugli (son of) and kizi (daughter of). Thus, Muradov Shavkat Karimovich could become Murad Shavkat Karim ugli.
Kazakhstan did the same as Uzbekistan, allowing its citizens to get rid off the -ov/-ova affixes from their last names, deeming them “alien to the Kazakh language.” Patronymics were also changed, removing vich/-ovna affixes from peoples’ fathers’ names and adding uly (son of) and kyzy (daughter of) instead.
Tajikistan has been the most radical in the introduction of local last names. Initially, the country allowed the use of Russian-style last names and patronymics alongside the use of newly adopted Tajik-style last names, which dropped affixes from last names and dropped the use of patronymics altogether.
The country’s president, formerly known as Rahmonov Emomali Sharipovich, changed his name to Emomali Rahmon in 2007. In 2020, Tajikistan became the only regional state to ban the use of Russian-style last names and patronymics altogether, arguing it will contribute to “strengthening national consciousness and protecting cultural identity.”
Reverse trends
Despite the 34 years of independence and freedom to adopt localized and traditional forms of last names, people in Central Asia still widely use Russian-style last names and patronymics. There are three main reasons for their persistence.
The first reason is the lack of effective state policies that would truly encourage and allow people to get rid of this colonial heritage. The regional states have never launched nationwide campaigns to raise this issue and encourage their citizens to drop Russian-style names and adopt new forms of names. Simply put, decolonization is not on the agenda of the Central Asian elites.
The main reason for this passivity is close political and economic ties with Russia and dependence on it. The Russian authorities perceive Central Asian states’s attempts to promote their own culture and language as discrimination against ethnic Russians and Russian-speaking peoples in the region, discouraging regional elites from pursuing nationalist policies.
For example, Russian media Nezavisimaya Gazeta reported on the recent law passed by the Kyrgyz parliament on adopting new forms of names as an expression of russophobia in the country.
The second reason is labor migration from the region to Russia. Migrant workers from Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan travel to Russia as seasonal workers in millions and prefer to either keep their old Russian-style names or change their local last names by adding the -ov/-ova and -vich/-vna affixes to their names.
They believe that this will help them in their interactions with the Russian authorities, especially when it comes to paperwork, and speed up finding employment. Thus, the regional states, such as Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, have even witnessed the reverse trend with many opting to return Russian-style names.
The third reason is the top-down approach of regional states to forming what they consider to be proper forms of local names. It is often the politicians who decide what form of last names is in accordance with local traditions and culture without input from the public, and often in defiance of public opinion.
The case of Kyrgyzstan adopting three new forms of last names is a bright example of it. They were adopted despite concerns that they will be confusing and difficult to understand.
They were defined by the parliamentary committee without input from the expert community, such as historians and sociologists, and feedback from the public. Additionally, having a full name consisting of only two parts, which would be first name and last name, is still not allowed.
For example, Asanov Bakyt Erkinovich cannot legally change their name to Bakyt Asan, despite it being one of the most popular forms of last names among those who wish to decolonize their name.
Central Asia’s decolonization path is not a straightforward and quick one. The complexities surrounding derussifying names are an example of how past legacies are still felt in the region, affecting even the most basic life decisions. Grassroot level decolonization efforts have often been met with sluggish state bureacracy.
However, Russia's invasion of Ukraine has brought back to the political agenda and accelerated decolonization processes in Central Asia, instilling hopes of the region finally shedding its colonial legacy.