Tradition, common law and custom in the naming practices of Iceland
Abstract
Tradition, common law and custom in the naming practices of Iceland
This paper describes the triplicity of tradition, common law and custom as they are uniquely combined in the naming practices of Iceland. Present-day family names and first names have been determined by the naming practices of the Norwegians who settled on the island in the 9th century. Today these traditions are protected by the established laws requiring all names to fit in with the grammatical and orthographical rules of Icelandic (Althingi, 1996). The author illustrates the wide range of possible choices using a few examples. After analysing the changes of customs, the author describes today's naming practices in the country.
