What goal does Tajikistan’s approved baby name list serve?

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Tajikistan’s approved baby name list is meant to promote Tajik culture and reduce foreign and radical influence in first-name choices.
The government of Tajikistan runs an approved register of baby names designed to promote Tajik culture while curbing the influence of Russia and radical Islamism. Names considered foreign by officials are excluded from the list, and the rules apply only to ethnic Tajiks. The register was rolled out 10 years ago and was last updated in February.
It is designed to promote Tajik culture
The approved names register is explicitly framed as a tool to promote Tajik culture through the names families choose for their children. The system operates as a state list, with officials determining which first names fit the register’s standard and which do not.
It targets both Russian influence and radical Islamism
The list is also intended to curb the influence of Russia and radical Islamism. In practice, that approach shows up in how officials exclude names they deem foreign, positioning the register as part of a broader effort to shape identity through naming.
President Emomali Rakhmon links the policy to identity and historical origins
President Emomali Rakhmon said in 2019 that it is “absolutely unacceptable” to “glorify the foreign” in first-name choices, adding that it “distances future generations from their historical origins.” The naming rules are tied to his broader stated goal of tightening the state’s approach to Islam and reshaping national identity.
The list is updated and applies only to ethnic Tajiks
Parents seeking birth certificates must use names that appear on the register, and the list was last updated in February after being rolled out 10 years earlier. The policy applies only to ethnic Tajiks, and families can face rejection when a preferred name is removed or never appears on the approved list.

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What goal does Tajikistan’s approved baby name list serve?

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