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Anonymous Posted 13 years ago
Grammar

Last name first or last

Hi. Please help. I think Americans put the last names last and the first names first. Then I think I heard an American friend of mine telling me that the name of UN Secretary-General should be written as Ban Ki Moon even though "Ban" is the last name. Why is that?

Also, should we put a period after "U" and "N" in the abbreviation "UN" in "UN Secretary-General"? Thank you for your help in advance.
  

Top answer

Anonymous I think I heard an American friend of mine telling me that the name of UN Secretary-General should be written as Ban Ki Moon even though "Ban" is the last name Because that is how he refers to himself. Note that 'Ban' is not his last name; it's his family name or surname, which happens, in Korean, to be placed first in the whole name.

— Fivejedjon

  • Anonymous I think I heard an American friend of mine telling me that the name of UN Secretary-General should be written as Ban Ki Moon even though "Ban" is the last name Because that is how he refers to himself.
  • Note that 'Ban' is not his last name; it's his family name or surname, which happens, in Korean, to be placed first in the whole name.
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5 Answers
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Anonymous I think I heard an American friend of mine telling me that the name of UN Secretary-General should be written as Ban Ki Moon even though "Ban" is the last name
Because that is how he refers to himself.

Note that 'Ban' is not his last name; it's his family name or surname, which happens, in Korean, to be placed first in the whole name.
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AnonymousAlso, should we put a period after "U" and "N" in the abbreviation "UN" in "UN Secretary-General"? Thank you for your help in advance.
The Chicago Manual of Style says not to use periods if the abbreviation consists of all capitals, except that they permit "U.S.", which is traditional (as an adjective). Type "UN".
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Hi. Thank you both of you. I did not realize there was a different between the last name and the last name - more so there would be situations where the difference would arise and be counted as making a difference. Now, please help me with the following situations. I realize the following might warrant long answers. I also like to mention that Mr. Chan Ho Park, who, I believe, played in the Major
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The answer to all that is ask the person whose name it is. I will call them whatever they say.
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Many Europeans and Americans assume that the name that comes first is the forename. Thus most of us assumed that Mao Zedong was the son of Mr and Mrs Zedong, who gave him the name Mao.
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