the majority of fijians have two given names, a christian name taken usually from the bible, and a traditional name. a child may be baptized or registered with a surname, usually derived from the father’s traditional given name. it is not unusual for persons baptized with surnames to discard them; some reclaim them later in life, and some who did not originally have one may later adopt their father’s traditional name as a surname. it is not unheard of for fijians to be known by different names at different stages of their lives.