Orphan and Bastard Surnames

[Feyvolta]

I know this probably has come up before but I'm struggling to find a specific answer and I would love if we could get some sort of official response to this.

I know that in Ishgard the surname given to orphans of the Brume is Myste but I was wondering if other city states give a surname to their orphans also?
Additionally do the other city states have bastard surnames akin to Greystone in Ishgard?

Finally for those races that tend to be grouped in clans or tribes such as Miqo'te and Au Ra - do they have a surname that dictates that one is an orphan? For example, a male Keeper that does not know their mother. What name would they have since convention dictates the name is derived from the mother?

Thank you all in advance for replies!

[MikkoAkure]

Someone can and probably will correct me, but I was under the impression that Thancred's surname "Waters" is the Lominsan equivalent.

For your other questions, I'm not sure if it matters too much. Everyone all over Hydaelyn has their own naming conventions and some are more based on location than race. For example, hyur culture seems to be dominant across the world. Their language is now standard, and their names tend to vary depending on where they are and they tend to effect the names of those around them. Raen au ra and far-eastern roegadyn have the same naming conventions as far-eastern hyur. Ilsabard au ra have the same naming conventions of the hyur lands they migrated to.

For that reason, instances like miqo'te where a name is supposed to be something specific relating to a parent, there's nothing stopping them from making a new name up or adopting a hyur name. If a male moon keeper wasn't raised in his own culture, there wouldn't really be a reason for him to follow miqo'te naming conventions. Or if he was raised by a hyur but wanted to keep to his racial culture, he may take "Gwen'a" and then the Gridanian version of an orphan surname.

The naming conventions are there to explain NPC names and to provide guidelines to "canon" and "lore-friendly" PC names. What you do with it though is up to you and at least to a certain point, a character with a naming convention that doesn't match what is expected has the potential to be interesting. For everything else, like the missing orphan names from other city-states, there's head-canon.

[Cilia]

The only bastard surnames I'm aware of originate from Ishgard (with its previously strict social strata that makes sense), and include only "Myste" (as used by various characters such as Fray and Leofard) and "Greystone" (i.e. Haurchefant). Aymeric seems to have escaped being stuck with such a name and the social stigma that comes with it by virtue of being born to a house of nobility despite being the Archbishop's bastard son.

None of the other city-states are particularly keen on separating nobles from commoners (Gridania doesn't care much about lineage, while Ul'dah and Limsa are both meritocratic in their own ways; we don't know enough about Ala Mhigo to really tell one way or another). Being based on feudal Japan Doma might get into it, but I don't know how bastard children were handled socially in that context (just that even contemporary Japan heavily stigmatizes them).

[Morningstar1337]

I would assume that "Sands"and "Woods" are the equivalents for Thanalan and The Twelveswood respectibly, but that is only speculation extrpolating from "Waters" and I don't remember seeing any NPCs with thsoe surnames

[ObsidianFire]

Limsa definetly wouldn't care about lineage and if you're a bastard or not. They're a nation built from escaped slaves and people escaping all sorts of bad situations. The most we've ever heard of someone reference who they are related to is Merlwyb when she talks about the time she dueled her father to the death and Captain Cravllian when it's heavily hinted he doesn't want Ishgard to find out that the son of Count Durendare is still alive somewhere...

Thancred is a street rat, but then so is like... a lot of people we meet in Limsa and none of them have his surname either. From what I remember, "Waters" was the name Lousioix gave Thancred when he went to Sharlayn and needed a surname. Actually, yeah, here... from "One Name, One Promise".

To commemorate the occasion [going to Sharlayn], Thancred was to claim the surname of “Waters.” Such flourishes had been unnecessary on the Lominsan streets, but would be indispensable in more respectable locales. Thancred chafed at first, not keen to declare his lowly heritage to all and sundry, but Master Louisoix would brook no opposition. “Thaliak, guardian of rushing rivers and purveyor of knowledge,” the sage mused. “A lad such as yourself could do far worse for a protector.” And so Thancred grudgingly accepted the name he would come to wear with pride.

So yeah, it sounds like Limsa at least doesn't care a lot for Surnames in general (at least hyur surnames) and probably doesn't give a rip about if people are bastards or not so long as they're worth their salt.

[Enkidoh]

Aymeric's case is rather unique though as he was the illegitimate son of a senior clergyman, and not just any clergy, the Archbishiop, and who are expressly forbidden to have children. And that is an indescretion Thordan most definetely did not want out in the open, as goodbye leading Ishgard if that came out, as Cilia pointed out.

So it makes sense Aymeric wasn't given the usual 'Greystone' nobility bastard surname but took his father's surname - his lineage was hushed-up by those in power, although it didn't stop the rumours being circulated about Aymeric's true heritage (rumours Estinien dismissed as "lies and slander"), but Aymeric's impassioned plea to Thordan before and after the Vault all but confirmed it.

[Iscah]

Aymeric specifically was adopted by a childless noble. The Borel name comes from his adoptive family, not Thordan's.

[Enkidoh]

Aymeric specifically was adopted by a childless noble. The Borel name comes from his adoptive family, not Thordan's.

Ah yes, that's right, thanks for that clarification, I couldn't remember who his surname came from (and just assumed it was Thordan's).

Thanks again for clarifying that.

[Cilia]

Aymeric specifically was adopted by a childless noble. The Borel name comes from his adoptive family, not Thordan's.

Ah yes, that's right, thanks for that clarification, I couldn't remember who his surname came from (and just assumed it was Thordan's).

Thanks again for clarifying that.

That must be info in a lore book, cuz I don't remember it being stated anywhere in-game. Regardless, I was of the mind that Aymeric's biological mother was a noble, but him being adopted makes much more sense.

I learned something today!