Hi all!
I've had this question for a while and I thought that I would post it tonight; where does a Dunmer's Great House name go in his/her full name?
I've seen it at the front and back:
INDORIL Nerevar, INDORIL Brindisi Dorom & HLAALU Helseth have their House name at the front.
Whereas some people have it at the end of their name (can't think of any from the top of my head but there are some).

So can anyone tell me where the House name does for a Dunmer?

Thanks.


P.S. If it is at the front, can/do they have their real sirname after their name? (as seems to be the case with Indoril Brindisi Dorom).

Well you've got Great and sub Houses. Members of Great Houses would use their surname as a suffix, while adoptees from sub houses would use the Great House name as a prefix, with their family name as a suffix. So in the case of Helseth, "Hlaalu Helsesh 'surname'".

It all depends on whether you're a blood relation or someone who has been sworn in / adopted into the House. If you're of blood, it's a surname. If you're adopted, it's a title. At least, that's how I think it works.

The only ones I've noticed to use their Great House names at the beginning of their names are those who are in significant positions of power - Hlaalu Helseth, Hlaalu Athyn Llethan, Indoril Nerevar (all three kings), Indoril Brindisi Dorom (Duke of Mournhold), etc. Note that, for instance, the Councilors of the Great Houses don't seem to use the House names at all - just look at the various House books of 3E 426, where the only one with a House name is Hlaalu Athyn Llethan. House Dagoth seems to spread that name much more liberally throughout its leadership, but it's not a part of the main House system anymore, either.

Interestingly, Hlaalu seems to be a moderately common second-name surname among Dunmer from nobles all the way down to glass miners, but the other Great House names aren't - the only Dres in Vvardenfell is a member of House Telvanni, oddly enough, and there isn't anyone in any game named Redoran, Telvanni, or Indoril at all. Judging by that, the system seems to be that those who have the name by birthright put it at the end, but those who are major figures in Morrowind and are members of a Great House can put it at the beginning. Whether Helseth is a Hlaalu by birth and the second rule simply overrides the first, I don't know, but that would make sense to me and explain the lack of any other surname of his (and possibly his parents Barenziah and Symmachus, since they were Queen and consort of Morrowind themselves, and his sister Morgiah). Mostly speculation on my part, though.



Except, as I mentioned, there's a Dres in House Telvanni, and also a Hlaalu in House Indoril (presumably, as an Ordinator)... it doesn't seem to match up quite that well.

Those characters' surname are "Hlaalu" or "Dres." That has nothing to do with what house they are in.

It's safe to say that not every great house of Morrowind takes it's name from a person/family.

OK. I think I got it now. If someone is initiated into a Great House, their title becomes Hlaalu/Redoran/Telvanni/Indoril/Dres but if your parents were part of a Great House (you were born into it), your sirname becomes Hlaalu/Redoran/Telvanni/Indoril/Dres.
Therefore, King Helseth joined with House Hlaalu just to become King, which I think is right.
Is that right?

That is not correct. House Elf names are organized very simply: House First Last. Helseth Raathim of House Hlaalu is named Hlaalu Helseth Raathim. His predecessor, Athyn Llethan of House Hlaalu, was named Hlaalu Athyn Llethan. Older characters, like Sotha Sil and Indoril Nerevar, had no last names.

It looks like the naming customs of the Dunmer changed over time. The first/last name thing may be Imperial influence that seeped in over the generations.

That's what I was thinking, the Empire might have brought it in and the Dunmer adopted it over time.