Tamil naming system causing issues abroad and on international applications. How are others handling it?
I’m Tamil and my name follows the usual Tamil format with an initial + given name and no actual surname/family name. This has started becoming a real problem while dealing with foreign companies, international project applications, verification systems, travel-related forms, and other platforms that strictly expect a first name and a last name. What makes it worse is that in many of our official documents, the surname field was handled poorly by authorities by simply putting the initial into the surname column, even though it is not really a surname. A lot of foreign systems also do not accept single-letter surnames, so forms either fail or force us to enter something else. But then when we enter a different surname just to complete the application, it no longer matches the passport or ID exactly, and verification ends up incomplete or rejected. I wanted to know how other Tamil people are dealing with this issue long-term, especially those studying or working abroad. Did you continue using the initial somehow, expand it, repeat your given name, or officially change your name to add a surname? If anyone has legally updated their name, how difficult was the process, how long did it take, and did it create issues with passports, certificates, bank accounts, visas, or employment records later?