[PDF] Indian Naming System | Name In Pan Card, Passport, Aadhaar

Name In Pan Card, Passport, Aadhaar, Indian Naming System: A name provides a person with a unique identity and differentiates him/her from others. The famous play writer William Shakespear, in his play Romeo and Juliet, had said, “What is in a Name?”. But today, a name is the only identity that a person can be recognised with. For the official records, one’s name has to be correct and properly filled in.

Most of the time, it is seen that people find it difficult to fill their names in the forms of Aadhaar, PAN card, and Passport. They often commit mistakes in filling their names which are later incorrectly printed on PAN, Passport, or Aadhaar, and they go through a lot of hassle to correct that name.

People with initials in their names often find it difficult to fill their first, middle, and last names in the forms. Here in this article, we will discuss the procedure to fill forms of various documents, such as Aadhaar, PAN card, etc.

Filling Form for Permanent Account Number

A permanent Account Number, commonly known as PAN, is a 10 digit alphanumeric code given to each taxpayer registered with the Income Tax department. It is a unique identification allotted to the taxpayers by the Income Tax Department. All the financial transactions carried out by a person is recorded with the Income Tax Department with the help of PAN. The Income Tax department is responsible for issuing the PAN to each taxpayer. The PAN’s front-end operations are carried out partly by the UTI Infrastructure Technology and Service Limited and the National Securities Depository Limited since 2003.

To get your PAN card, you can either apply online on the IT department portal or get it offline by going to the income tax office. To apply for the PAN card, one has to fill the application form for PAN, and the following are the points that one should adhere to while filling the name for PAN.

  • While filling in your details in the PAN application form, always remember not to use abbreviations for the First name and Last Name or Surname.
  • When you fill the PAN application form, there are precisely 25 boxes for Name to be filled. So, it can be said that the PAN cannot have a Name that exceeds 25 characters.
  • Filling the names of parents is mandatory in the PAN application form. Father’s name has to be filled by every individual. Married women will also have to fill in their father’s name and not their husband’s. Mother’s name is optional for PAN application.
  • One should check in the appropriate box as to whose name to be printed on the PAN card, father’s or mothers. If no box is checked, then the father’s name will be printed.
  • If you want to get your PAN card with a single name, that means without middle name or surname. You have to fill your name in the place of surname, leaving the first name and middle name blank.

Filling Application for Passport

A passport is an official document, which proves the citizenship of a person. An Indian Passport is an official document provided by the Government of India to each of its citizens to facilitate their travel abroad. The passport allows the people of India to travel Internationally and provide proof of Indian citizenship. Before applying for a passport, here are some of the points you need to focus on. Here are the instructions to be followed to fill name in the application form for a passport.

  • The Name in a Passport can have up to 75 characters, unlike PAN. A name having 75 characters can be printed on a passport.
  • Always keep in mind that the name on a passport cannot contain initials. They have to be written in expanded form.
  • A person should not enter honorific titles awarded to him/her. Titles such as Doctor, CA, or Major are not allowed on a Passport.
  • A person can ad two words in his/her surname on a passport. For example, a person having the surname Roy Choudhary can add both their surnames on a passport.
  • Some people in the country do not have a surname; in such a case, the person can enter only the first name leaving the space for surname blank. Not having a surname on a passport can invite problems for persons travelling abroad, as some countries emphasise surname for issuance of VISA.

Filling Application for Aadhaar

Aadhaar has emerged as one of the essential identification documents in the past years. It is almost needed in every document verification process across India. Aadhaar is a 12 digit identification number provided to every individual of India. This identification number serves as the proof of identity and address of the bearer. The Unique Identification Authority of India or UIDAI is the department that issues the Aadhaar card to the residents of India. Any person, irrespective of age and gender, who satisfies the verification process of UIDAI can enrol himself/herself for Aadhaar. Before filling the application form for Aadhaar, here are some of the instructions that one needs to pay attention to.

  • A person can use the initial in his/her name for the Aadhaar card. All one requires is to provide the document which proves his/her identity.

Documents Serve as Proof for Aadhaar

The documents that serve as proof for Aadhaar enrollment are:

  • Passport
  • PAN
  • Voter ID card
  • Driving License
  • Identity cards issued by PSUs
  • Arms License
  • Photo Identity card issued by recognised educational institute
  • Kissan Photo Identity
  • Freedom Fighter Photo Identity
  • Pensioner Photo Identity
  • Ration card

Naming System In Different Regions of India

In India, the naming system varies from region to region, depending on various naming conventions. Names in India are influenced mainly by caste, religion, and other beliefs. The naming system in India creates many issues while filling forms for official documents across the country. Let’s have a look at the different naming styles in the different regions of our country.

Naming System In Northern Region

In the Northern families, the children are named in a typical manner where their family name or surname follows their first name. In states like Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Punjab, people name their children with given names followed by their family name or surname.

Naming System In Western Region

People belonging to western states, like Maharashtra and Gujrat, have the custom to take up their Father’s name in addition to their first name. For example, Jethalal, who belongs to a Gujrati family and his father’s name is Champaklal, His name on official documents will appear as Jethalal Champaklal Mehta. Mehta being his family name or surname.

Naming System In Southern Region

Most people living in the southern part of India have abbreviated forms of their name. In the southern state of Tamil Nadu, it is expected that a family name or surname comes before the first name. For example, the name Kumbham Nagarjuna Rao would be written as K.N. Rao. Here, Kumbham is the family name, and Nagarjuna Rao is the given name.

Naming System In Eastern Region

It is common in the eastern states like West Bengal and Odisha to address name in the following order, First name, Middle name, and Surname. In States like West Bengal, the middle name is not the father’s name. For example, Subhas Chandra Bose, Here Chandra, the middle name is not father’s name.

Conclusion on Name In Pan Card, Passport, Aadhaar, Indian Naming System

A name provides an identity to a person and proves him/her as a country’s resident. It is essential to have a common name across all the official documents to avoid any confusion. If a person has both first name and surname, then it’s easy and straightforward, but a person with initials of name or only first name has a hard time applying for official documents.