You probably have already noticed that in Hungary the surnames and first names are written in a reverse order unlike anywhere else in Europe. It is called ‘eastern name order’. The reason is that the ancestors of the Hungarians who founded the country migrated here from Central Asia. Nowadays only a few countries use officially the eastern name order outside of Hungary: China, Japan, South and North Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam.

Another interesting fact: In Hungary, given names can be chosed by the parents from an official list of several thousand names. If the intended name is not on the list, the parents have to apply for approval at the Research Institute of the  Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Names have to be written and pronounced easily, should not be derogatory etc. Foreign names must be spelled following Hungarian phonetics e.g. Jennifer becomes Dzsenifer.

For more interesting facts, historic details, urban legends and beautifully illustrated maps, Kinga Tittel’s handy Budapest guide book, Fabulous Budapest is available online HERE or you can buy at the CitySightseeing Budapest office at 1075 Budapest, Károly körút 21.

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