Names

Children are rarely named before their second Mid Summer (or third for the summer-born).  Until then, they are known as either "Babe", "Kit", or "Sweetling".  No one wants to entice the Dark Goddess’ interest by naming a child too soon and marking it as beloved enough to entice Her regard.  A child named before their time, even if they live, is considered unlucky and not likely to prosper in life for being rejected so young by the Mother of Souls.

When the time for naming comes, fathers name their sons and mothers their daughters, giving their names to their children with the suffixes of –(s)sen for sons and    –(s)dan for daughters.  The parent who names the child is the child’s name-parent and responsible for the child’s future.  Only bastard sons  are known by their surnames.  A child of unknown parentage is given the surname of Foundling. 

The nobility is the exception as all the children of a titled noble take that parent’s name for their surname and keep it, regardless of their guild-hall rank, which becomes an honorific.  The only exception is when both parents are titled and have different heirs.  In that case, the parent of higher rank bestows their name upon all the children of that union except the heir to the lower ranked title, who takes that parent’s name.  Not only that, but nobles also have a clan name.  The closer a noble is inheriting a title, the more likely they will be called upon by their clan name before their surname.

When a child is old enough to show responsibility (betwixt the ages of seven and nine) they are apprenticed to a craftsman or fostered with a family of farmers, or in the case of nobles, another noble family.  While normally these considerations are seen to by a child’s name-parent, foundlings must wait until they are of age to make arrangements for themselves.  The normal practice is to hold a foundling in indentured servitude until their thirteenth summer, after which they are legally on their own, though most families that take on a foundling will treat them as they would their fostered children.  Many union-mates may even adopt the child in their union, giving them a name-parent.

Those who go into a craft take the name of their craft for their surname upon achieving Craft Master rank in it.  Even if they achieve Guild Mastery or Higher, most will keep the names of their first Mastery.