Somali Formal name presentation

[James Dahl]

I've noticed that in Somali names, most people just use their name and their father's name, but royalty and bigwigs tend to include their grandfather's name as well.

Which is more correct? Is there a custom that dictates whether your name should include your grandfather's name?

[zingii]

We go by our first name first, then fallowed by our fathers name, then fallowed by our grandfathers name.
Whe someone asks us who we are, we say our name and fathers name/nick-name.

[Amethyst]

I've noticed that in Somali names, most people just use their name and their father's name, but royalty and bigwigs tend to include their grandfather's name as well.

Which is more correct? Is there a custom that dictates whether your name should include your grandfather's name?

James,

I'd say more of a preference, rather than a strict custom. Most people do introduce themselves with three names, theirs,their fathers, and their grandfathers. The name that usually trumps is the "nick". If ur father has a nick name and ur grandfather's doesnt, ur likely to stop there, and say ur name and then ur "fathers, nick". If its the grandfathers that's the nick and not the father, u'll still in some cases say the father's name first, but be sure to almost ALWAYS say the grandfathers name. Ive seen some people refer to others by their grandfathers "nickname" as the go-to name, so that they are readily recognizable. After all this is how Somali sub-clans are built. People pausing a certain name in the lineage, and huddling up everyone who falls under it as a "Reer". lol.

Btw, those "Royalties or Bigwigs", usually include a title or something before their names too, no?