After inquiring, I discovered that it is generally possible to verify a person’s identity, for example, when opening a bank account, through several other methods. Research revealed that Anglo-Saxon traditions have established a common-law system based on the principle - “Whatever is not explicitly prohibited is permitted.” More importantly, there is the principle that “you don’t have to justify your existence or identity to the state” unless there is a specific legal reason, such as suspicion of a crime. Asking someone for their name is considered a form of government surveillance and intrusion. The situation, however, is different in Europe, where citizens have historically been registered systematically. The government of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair attempted to follow Europe’s example but faced considerable opposition and was forced to abandon the plan.
The existing system, which had been in place for seventy years and was also used in the United States, Canada, and Australia, remained in effect, although foreign residents are often required to hold a form of identification card. On the other hand, birth registration was not exclusively a Christian or ecclesiastical phenomenon; it existed in many societies. Ancient Rome maintained birth records for purposes of lineage and inheritance.
Ancient China maintained household registration systems for census and tax purposes for more than two thousand years. This was also the case in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, the correct name for that ancient land. Jewish traditions preserved detailed genealogical records. Several Muslim communities maintained highly accurate genealogical records. Church parish records, used for baptism, marriage, and burial, are perhaps the most accurate records in Christian countries.
However, in 1837, England decided to discontinue its reliance on church records, which had been in place since the 16th century, and adopted a civil registration system. It should be noted that genealogy in some Arab societies was historically more accurate than in most of contemporary Christian Europe. Nevertheless, the use of family names, as they are common today, is a relatively recent phenomenon in our region, having been imposed by Turkey on the countries under its domination in 1934. At that time, Atatürk’s government required all citizens to choose a specific family name as part of its secularization and modernization reforms. This led to the standardization of family names. In Christian communities in particular, it is customary to add a middle name between a person’s given name and their patronymic or family name.
Usually, a saint’s name or the name of a political ally or prominent figure is used to give the child a certain distinction. This practice spread during the Renaissance and became popular among wealthy European families during baptisms. Upon reaching the United States, it became more entrenched and an integral part of Western naming practices. Similar practices are found in Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, and even Egypt, where the name “Muhammad” is added to a male child’s name, such as “Muhammad Marwan.” It is a complex and confusing naming practice that sometimes causes problems for the child. Consequently, its use has declined in recent years.
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