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A Sinhalese name or Sinhala name may contain two or three parts: a patronymic, one or more given names, and sometimes a surname, which was often absent in the past. [1] Full names can be rather long, and hence are often shortened, by omitting or abbreviating the family name and one of the given names, as in R. M. S. Ariyaratna. [2]
Family names can be distinguished by the suffix -ge or -ghe, [2] though this suffix may accidentally result from a particular transliteration of a Sinhalese word, such as simhe or simghe (lion). [3]
Given names can be masculine, feminine and gender neutral.
Sinhalese surnames often originate from Sanskrit. However, as a consequence of the Portuguese invasion of Sri Lanka, during the 16th and 17th centuries, many Portuguese language surnames were adopted among the Sinhalese people. As a result, Perera and Fernando eventually became the most common names in Sri Lanka. [4]
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Sinhalese names usually consists of three parts. The first part is the patronymic name (family name) of the father, ancestor name or 'house name', which often has the suffix ‘-ge’ at the end of it, this is known as the 'Ge' name (ge meaning house in Sinhalese). The second part is the personal name (given name) and the third part is the surname. [5]
For example, in the name Rajapaksha Mudiyanselage Siril Ariyaratna, Rajapaksha is the first part of the family name, Mudiyanselage is the 'Ge' name (second part of the family name) and Siril and Ariyaratna are two given names. [2]
Some names contain a family name, a given name, and a surname (Type 1) while some names contain only a family name and a given name (Type 2). Modern Sinhalese names do not contain a family name and only contain a given name and a surname (Type 3).
| Family name | Given name | Surname | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | Nawungala Jagodage | Chaminda Jayalal | Senaratne |
| Type 2 | Nawungala Jagodage | Chaminda Jayalal | - |
| Type 3 | - | Chaminda Jayalal | Senaratne |
| First name + Middle name | Last name | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 (a) | Nawungala Jagodage Chaminda Jayalal | Senaratne | Surname used as the Last name |
| Type 1 (b) | Chaminda Jayalal Senaratne | Nawungala Jagodage | Family name used as the Last name |
| Type 2 | Chaminda Jayalal | Nawungala Jagodage | Family name used as the Last name |
| Type 3 | Chaminda Jayalal | Senaratne | Surname used as the Last name |
The Portuguese and Dutch being in Sri Lanka has left a legacy where many Sinhalese people converted religion or took on foreign names through intermarriage or adoption. [6]
The Sinhalese people, also known as the Sinhalese or Sinhala people are an Indo-Aryan ethno-linguistic group native to the island of Sri Lanka. They are the largest ethnic group in Sri Lanka, constituting about 75% of the Sri Lankan population and number more than 15.2 million.
Sinhala, sometimes called Sinhalese, is an Indo-Aryan language primarily spoken by the Sinhalese people of Sri Lanka, who make up the largest ethnic group on the island, numbering about 16 million. Sinhala is also spoken as the first language by other ethnic groups in Sri Lanka, totalling about 2 million speakers as of 2001. It is written using the Sinhala script, which is a Brahmic script closely related to the Grantha script of South India.
Silva, da Silva, and de Silva are surnames of Portuguese or Galician origin which are widespread in the Portuguese-speaking countries including Brazil. The name is derived from Latin silva. It is the family name of the House of Silva.
Rodrigo is a Spanish, Portuguese and Italian name derived from the Germanic name Roderick, given specifically in reference to either King Roderic, the last Visigothic ruler or to Saint Roderick, one of the Martyrs of Córdoba . The modern given name has the short forms Ruy, Rui, and in Galician Roy, Roi.
Burgher people, also known simply as Burghers, are a small Eurasian ethnic group in Sri Lanka descended from Portuguese, Dutch, British and other Europeans who settled in Ceylon. The Portuguese and Dutch had held some of the maritime provinces of the island for centuries before the advent of the British Empire. Burgher people are often referred to as belonging to one of two sub-groups, either Dutch Burghers or Portuguese Burghers, though both are of mixed descent.
Karava is a Sinhalese speaking ethnic group of Sri Lanka, whose ancestors migrated throughout history from the Coromandel coast, claiming lineage to the Kaurava royalty of the old Kingdom of Kuru in Northern India. The Tamil equivalent is Karaiyar. Both groups are also known as the Kurukula.
Rajapaksa or Rajapakse is a Sinhalese surname. Notable people with the surname include:
Govigama is a Sinhalese caste found in Sri Lanka. They form approximately half of the Sinhalese population and are traditionally involved in agriculture. The term Govigama became popular during the last period of the Sinhalese Kingdom of Kandy. Its members have dominated and influenced national politics and Sinhalese Buddhism.
Bathgama a Sri Lankan caste predominantly in the Kandyan provinces, the traditional occupation of which was the cultivation of rice paddy. Hence the name Bath (rice) and Gama (village) in the Sinhala language.
Sri Lankan place name etymology is characterized by the linguistic and ethnic diversity of the island of Sri Lanka through the ages and the position of the country in the centre of ancient and medieval sea trade routes. While typical Sri Lankan placenames of Sinhalese origin vastly dominate, toponyms which stem from Tamil, Dutch, English, Portuguese and Arabic also exist. In the past, the many composite or hybrid place names and the juxtaposition of Sinhala and Tamil placenames reflected the coexistence of people of both language groups. Today, however, toponyms and their etymologies are a source of heated political debate in the country as part of the political struggles between the majority Sinhalese and minority Sri Lankan Tamils.
Perera is a surname of Portuguese origin. The name is a variant of the common Portuguese surname Pereira. There are other variants in the Iberian Peninsula: Perer (Catalan), Perero, Pereros, Pereyra, Pereyras, Das Pereiras, Paraira (Portuguese), Pereire, Pereyre (Pyrenees), Pereiro, Pereiros (Galician).
Walauwa or walawwa is the name given to a feudal/colonial manor house in Sri Lanka of a native headmen. It also refers to the feudal social systems that existed during the colonial era.
Sinhala slang is used by speakers of the Sinhala language in Sri Lanka, as well as many other Sinhala-speaking individuals.
Vedda is an endangered language that is used by the indigenous Vedda people of Sri Lanka. Additionally, communities such as Coast Veddas and Anuradhapura Veddas who do not strictly identify as Veddas also use words from the Vedda language in part for communication during hunting and/or for religious chants, throughout the island.
Peiris, Peries or Pieris is a surname attributed to the Sinhalese people of Sri Lanka. It is a common surname in the coastal regions of the island nation.
The Kingdom of Kotte, named after its capital, Kotte, was a Sinhalese kingdom that flourished in Sri Lanka during the 15th century.
Portuguese Ceylon is the name given to the territory on Ceylon, modern-day Sri Lanka, controlled by the Portuguese Empire between 1597 and 1658.
De Abrew is a Sinhalese surname derived from the Portuguese surname De Abreu.
This is a bibliography of works on Sri Lanka.
Dosi is a traditional Sri Lankan confectionery, similar in nature to fruit preserves or candied fruit. The dish is prepared by boiling segmented fruit in sugar and allowing it to cool in order for the sugar to crystallise on both the surface and the inside of the fruit. Dosi are traditionally served as a snack, during the day or after a meal. It is a dish that is commonly served by Sri Lankan Malays as a part of traditional Eid al-Fitr celebrations, marking the end of Ramadan. It is also popular during weddings, religious festivals and other social functions and celebrations. Variations include the addition of cardamom and/or cinnamon and/or rose essence.