Ice Tea
Active Member
Christians:
I don't think it's possible to know a Christian's sect sole due to their first name. In the past it was probably more common for Orthodox to have Arabic names, but oddly enough I've met more Maronites from Zagharta with Arabic names than I did Orthodox from Koura. Anyway, nowadays the difference is practically inexistent.
25% of Lebanese Christian males are probably named Charbel, and probably close to half are named either Charbel, Elie, Elias or George. The rest tend to have mostly French or English versions of Biblical names. Arabic names are EXTREMELY rare in the young generation to the point their peers will even think they're not true Christians.
I've also noticed an increasing trend of naming Christian girls Old Testament and very Jewish names like Esther and Judith.
Maronites tend to share surnames with Assyrians, like Chamoun for example. Whereas the only specifically Melkite surname I can think of is Maalouf. Abdelnour is mostly Orthodox and apart from very Greek sounding names like Kiryacos they mostly share the same surnames with Catholics and other MENA Christians. Even when looking at surnames, it's very difficult to distinguish between Christians.
Druze:
Imo Druze names are VERY easy to spot. When it comes to first names, I've never a Druze named Mohammed or a Druzete named Fatima. Names like Ali or Ahmad were probably more common in the much older generations, but all the younger Druze I've met have either neutral Arabic names or even Biblical/Christian names.
For example, Daniel is so common among the Druze (I'd say almost half of young Druze males) that when I see a Lebanese named Daniel I automatically think he's Druze and not Christian. I did meet 2 or 3 Druze guys named Charbel also. Or even Frenchies like Marcel. The same pattern is true for Druze girls, but Christian names are even more common. For example, I've met as many Druze 'Christinas' as I have Christian ones.
I don't know how to explain, but Druze surnames tend to be instinctively Druze. A surname like 'Hassanieh' or 'Timani' can only be Druze. '-dinne' surnames are very common among them as well. That's how a can distinguish a Druze with a Christian first name from an actual Christian.
Muslims:
I don't really interact with Lebanese Muslims but I've noticed Shias have more Levantine surnames that are shared with Christians. 90% of Alis and Hussein's are Shia of course. Sunnis tend to have much more foreign/Arabian names, Ive met a fair share of Abdulrahmans for example.
Interestingly enough I did see some Muslim girls with names like Julia or Reine. But I've NEVER met a Muslim man with a Western name.
I don't think it's possible to know a Christian's sect sole due to their first name. In the past it was probably more common for Orthodox to have Arabic names, but oddly enough I've met more Maronites from Zagharta with Arabic names than I did Orthodox from Koura. Anyway, nowadays the difference is practically inexistent.
25% of Lebanese Christian males are probably named Charbel, and probably close to half are named either Charbel, Elie, Elias or George. The rest tend to have mostly French or English versions of Biblical names. Arabic names are EXTREMELY rare in the young generation to the point their peers will even think they're not true Christians.
I've also noticed an increasing trend of naming Christian girls Old Testament and very Jewish names like Esther and Judith.
Maronites tend to share surnames with Assyrians, like Chamoun for example. Whereas the only specifically Melkite surname I can think of is Maalouf. Abdelnour is mostly Orthodox and apart from very Greek sounding names like Kiryacos they mostly share the same surnames with Catholics and other MENA Christians. Even when looking at surnames, it's very difficult to distinguish between Christians.
Druze:
Imo Druze names are VERY easy to spot. When it comes to first names, I've never a Druze named Mohammed or a Druzete named Fatima. Names like Ali or Ahmad were probably more common in the much older generations, but all the younger Druze I've met have either neutral Arabic names or even Biblical/Christian names.
For example, Daniel is so common among the Druze (I'd say almost half of young Druze males) that when I see a Lebanese named Daniel I automatically think he's Druze and not Christian. I did meet 2 or 3 Druze guys named Charbel also. Or even Frenchies like Marcel. The same pattern is true for Druze girls, but Christian names are even more common. For example, I've met as many Druze 'Christinas' as I have Christian ones.
I don't know how to explain, but Druze surnames tend to be instinctively Druze. A surname like 'Hassanieh' or 'Timani' can only be Druze. '-dinne' surnames are very common among them as well. That's how a can distinguish a Druze with a Christian first name from an actual Christian.
Muslims:
I don't really interact with Lebanese Muslims but I've noticed Shias have more Levantine surnames that are shared with Christians. 90% of Alis and Hussein's are Shia of course. Sunnis tend to have much more foreign/Arabian names, Ive met a fair share of Abdulrahmans for example.
Interestingly enough I did see some Muslim girls with names like Julia or Reine. But I've NEVER met a Muslim man with a Western name.
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