Burmese Naming

Wondering why most Burmese men and women names prefixed with ‘U’ or ‘Daw’? Here is a brief explaination. U is a honorific title for older men who are respected in the community. Though not necessarily true, ‘U’ tend to have higher social status. Meanwhile, ‘Daw’ has almost an identical manner to Burmese married and older men but it refers to women. In general, Burmese do not have a tradition to hand down family surnames.