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Providing personal information is crucial for others to understand more about you. In today's globally connected world, whether it's conducting transactions, purchasing goods online from foreign websites, filling out forms for visas, or any international dealings, English is the primary language used. The rules for writing names internationally differ significantly from Vietnamese conventions, leading to confusion, especially with terms like First name, Last name, and Middle name.
What exactly is Last name?
1. Distinguishing Last name from First name and Middle name.
2. Correctly filling in Last name on provided forms.
3. Fun ways to address names in English you should know.
1. Distinguishing Last name from First name and Middle name
In a full name, both in English and Vietnamese, it always comprises three elements: First name, Middle name, and Last name. Therefore, Last name is the family name, and in some cases, it may include the middle name. It's also referred to as Surname or Family name; its position could vary depending on foreign or Vietnamese naming conventions.
- For foreign names, Last name always comes last in the name structure as follows: First name - Middle name - Last name
- For Vietnamese names, Last name comes first in the structure: Family name - Middle name - First name
Due to such differing naming conventions, filling out personal information forms often leads to confusion and incorrect entries.
What is Last name?
2. Properly filling in Last name on provided forms
* For example, if your name is: Pham Minh Thuy
- When the form asks for two fields to fill:
+ In the First name field, you need to enter: Thuy or Minh Thuy
+ In the Last name/ Family name field, you need to enter: Pham or Pham Minh
- When the form asks for three fields to fill:
+ In the First name field, you need to enter: Thuy
+ In the Middle name field, you need to enter: Minh
+ In the Last name/ Surname field, you need to enter: Pham
* For example, if your name is: Nguyen Huynh Minh Anh, when filling out the information form, you should enter as follows:
- In the First name field: Enter Anh
- In the Last name/ Family name/ Surname field: Enter Nguyen
Proper way to fill in Last name on forms
3. Interesting ways to address names in English you should know
- Full name (including both last name and first name): Used when introducing someone (friends) to another person (parents) => to clearly identify the person, providing complete information to the communicator.
- Using Title + Last name (position + last name): Often used when communicating with a boss or someone with a higher position than you (signifying formality, politeness).
- Only Last name (Surname): Using only the last name for addressing, commonly used when referring to celebrities like actors, singers, or football players.
- Only First name: Using only the first name for addressing, used when calling someone of equal or lower status (expressing familiarity).
Thus, in this article, we've provided you with some useful information to help you understand what Last name is and how to fill in first name, middle name, last name in English correctly. We hope you'll know how to accurately and completely record your information when requested.
