Mongolians Ordered to Choose Surnames

After generations of living with just one name, Mongolians are now rushing to invent last names for themselves to meet a June 27 government imposed deadline, according to the Times. During the Soviet era surnames were banned in Mongolia, but now citizens are required to choose their own second name "to fight incest and make official records more intelligible."

Interestingly, Mongolians now face the same dilemma of Europeans over 1000 years ago - what to call themselves. Many are opting for Brjigem, the clan name of Genghis Khan, making it as common a surname as Smith in America and England. Others are choosing their name based on where they live or their occupation. The same way our surnames came about hundreds of years ago.