Dubai:
Qatar families prefer names of popular television serial characters than the traditional ones while choosing names for their kids.
If the data from the Births Registration Department is to be believed, the trend in naming babies in Qatar has witnessed a major change as traditional Qatari names like 'Fahad',
'Fitais' and 'Smaikh' are giving way to 'Rahaf', 'Lamis', 'Mohanad', 'Teem', 'Gharam' and 'Asmahan', thanks to characters in popular TV soap operas.
"Traditionally Qataris used to name their children after their parents and relatives. But it seems that parents have been impressed by the famous characters in some recent Turkish and Arab soap operas and started to name their newborns as 'Mohanad', 'Lamis', 'Rahaf' who were very famous characters in the series. Even some tribes started to choose from these new names," Zekrayat al-Mohannadi, head of the Births Registration Department, told the 'Gulf Times'.
According to a list of names given to newborns last year, 'Rahaf (niceness)' was chosen for 60 girls, while 84 were named 'Lamis (soft)'.
"When you go through the records, you will find that these new names account for 25 per cent of the names currently used by parents," al-Mohannadi said.