>>we were told to use the term "last name" as they "won't understand what the word surname means". I don't know how true that is.
Not even first name / last name always works.
In Chile, for example, it's;
1) first name
2) second name
3) apellido paterno
4) apellido materno
Typically they will use one of the first two (with no consistency as to which) and the third as their day-to-day name.
Mostly I resort to asking simply "name?" and then letting them sort out what I mean.
It's typically only English speakers who get their panties in a knot over such things. Most intelligent people living an international/multi-cutural life have got better things to do with their time and in any case have a level of familiarity with the differences in such terms. And where doubt arises it's only ever confusion, not the offence beloved by the more ignorant.
Last edited by: No FM2R on Thu 24 Sep 20 at 20:43
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