@TheEdVerse On Faerun, what is the custom concerning married couples' surnames? Does the wife take the husband's? Does the husband take the wife's? Do they keep their own? What about children? Whose surname do they take?
— Jim Glass (@Glasstastrophy) March 5, 2020
1)
Most ‘just plain folk’ in the Realms don’t have surnames. They have honorifics (“Garth the Baker” or “Garth the Sly” when a community has more than two Garths; if they have two, they’ll likely be “Garth The Old” and “Garth The 2)
…Younger”).
Unless they have clan names. Or are noble or royal, where inheritance is VERY important.
And even then, the answer is: it will vary. A lower-ranking noble, or a commoner, marrying into nobility or royalty will…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) March 6, 2020
3)
…adopt the higher-rank surname. A widow or widower trying to hold onto a farm or other property of a deceased spouse will take their surname, even if they didn’t use it when the spouse was alive.
Most marrying couples decide… 4)
…among themselves if they will take a spouse’s surname (if they have one) or keep their own. They may legally adopt a spouse’s surname, but continue to use their own when working (in their own shop, or in a time or place when…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) March 6, 2020
5)
…their spouse’s name is unpopular/has a bad reputation). Children usually decide for themselves when coming of age/striking out on their own/starting their first job; until then, they’re usually “Garth of the end cottage” or 6)
…“Garth son of Mul and Drace” or “Garth son of Redhair.”
Which is a very long way of saying: except among particular families, in particular places and times, there is no one custom. There are a lot of customs.#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) March 6, 2020
7)
A dwarf may be proud of her heritage and call herself “Ardra ‘Redhands’ Durth, of the South Forge Durths, of Clan Battlehammer” or she may not be proud of her heritage, and travel and adventure as just Ardra Redhands, using 8)
…only the honorific she personally earned.
A young noble, sent out into the world expecting never to inherit, may decide to hide their lineage for personal safety, and adopt a surname that married into the family generations…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) March 6, 2020
9)
…back (or that of their favourite married-in aunt or uncle) so that instead of being known as Aldus Roaringhorn, they may call themselves Aldus Crownar, because an Amnian merchant from Crimmor settled in Elversult and after 10)
…four generations “from Crimmor” got corrupted into “Crownar,” and a Crownar married a Roaringhorn and was the favourite aunt of Aldus.
In the case of PCs, I’d have the players roleplay the deciding on surnames. For NPCs, you…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) March 6, 2020
11)
…the DM should think on the above and then decide; many folk in the Realms dismiss custom and decide for themselves, even inventing new surnames or adopting those of others they admire. (If your surname happens 12)
…to be “Ugtusk,” you might prefer to be “Tusksword” or “Tusklance” instead.)#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) March 6, 2020
Am I recalling correctly that you once said elsewhere that it’s common for clerics to be Whoever of God’sname? Yes. Many clerics began as temple orphans (kids dropped off at temples for many reasons, for priests to raise), or fled from their families, and want to dedicate themselves to the deity, so they adopt that construction for their name. #Realmslore
— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) March 6, 2020
