> To the best of my knowledge the family name or surname is not really a
> middle eastern concept. Usually people are known by their name and their
> fathers name, e.g. Sultan ibn Abdul Aziz. Sometimes they are also known by
> the tribe or clan name, e.g. Faisal ibn Abdul Aziz ibn Saud. I am not an
> expert on this subject but IIRC Tracy Johnson is. so not to put you on the
> spot Tracy but what can you tell us.

This probably falls under the "more than you ever wanted to know" category, but this
was discussed on the Todd Mundt show a couple of weeks ago:

http://www.toddshow.org/ram/tmshow0206.ram from 16:00 to 32:00
Todd is joined by Juan Cole to discuss naming protocols in the Middle East. Cole,
Professor of Middle Eastern and South Asian History at the University of Michigan,
tells Todd about first names, the different meaning behind surnames, and the
cultural importance of clans.

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