The people of Mongolia have been fascinated by genealogy for centuries. Ancestral worship has traditionally been important, and the Mongols have relied on oral traditions, memorizing the name of each generation as far back as they go. Researchers have found some Mongolian oral traditions have family and clan names stretching back as far as the 10th Century!

Under the rule of Genghis Khan, Mongols invaded Eurasian territory in the 13th century. The rule of the Mongols, called the "Tartar Yoke," lasted for more than 200 years. In 1921 when Russian revolutionaries gained control of Mongolia, they wanted to eradicate the name of Genghis Khan and make the Mongols forget their past as a way of getting revenge. The Russians arrested and executed the nobility who claimed direct descent from Genghis Kahn and his sons. In 1925, the Russian rulers abolished the use of all family and clan names. Between 1922 and 1940, around 100,000 Mongols were executed or imprisoned.

Over the next few decades, family names were forgotten and Mongols went by one name. Many people never knew that they had ever had a family name! This caused problems due to the fact that many people had the same name. For example, there were 4 members of Parliament with the name Batbayar.

Recently, there has been a restoration of national identity in Mongolia, and many people have been searching for their roots. New identity papers are being issued and in 1991, President P. Ochirbat issued a decree for the restoration of family names. People were free to pick their own names and since then, 60% of the people of Mongolia have chosen the Genghis Khan family name, Borjigid. Others have chosen their profession, an animal, or have researched and found out their ancestral family name.

To see where else in the world we have collected, click here.

Source: http://www.mongoliatoday.com/issue/5/names.html