“Uly“ and “kyzy“ in documents: Ministry of Justice explains the nuances

Tengrinews.kz — A woman in Kazakhstan encountered a technical issue while applying for her child's birth certificate online when the system failed to register her chosen format for the baby's full name. The Ministry of Justice has since commented on the situation.
"Uly" and "Kyzy"
Some Kazakhstani parents prefer to use the traditional forms "uly" (son of) and "kyzy" (daughter of) for their child's patronymic in official documents. The law explicitly provides for this option.
However, in practice, some users report facing difficulties. Parents claim that the information system does not always allow them to register their preferred name format during the birth registration process.
For example, the system reportedly prevents the registration of a patronymic ending in "kyzy" if the surname ends in "-eva." This is exactly what happened to the Kazakhstani woman while she was trying to obtain a birth certificate for her daughter.

"Is this actually prohibited by law, or is it just a system glitch?" she asked on social media.

Response from the Ministry of Justice
According to Kazakhstani legislation, a citizen's name consists of a surname and a first name, while a patronymic is optional.
Note:Under Article 15 of the Civil Code, a citizen's name includes a surname and a first name, with the patronymic being optional. According to Article 194 of the Code "On Marriage (Matrimony) and the Family," a child's surname is determined by the parents' surname during state birth registration. If the parents have different surnames, the child is assigned either the father's or the mother's surname by mutual agreement.
Citizens of Kazakh ethnicity may choose to drop traditional Russian-style endings in their surnames and patronymics (such as "-ov," "-ev," "-ova," "-eva," "-ovich," "-evich," etc.) and replace them with the forms "uly" and "kyzy."
The law also permits using the father's first name with the "uly" or "kyzy" suffix in place of a surname. In such cases, a separate patronymic is usually not specified.

"There is no legislative ban on parents using mixed formats for a child's full name; however, it is advisable to consider the grammar of the Kazakh language when choosing the spelling," the Ministry of Justice clarified.

Consequently, the Ministry explained that the law does not prohibit using a patronymic with "uly" or "kyzy" alongside surnames ending in "-ov," "-ev," "-ova," or "-eva." Nevertheless, parents are encouraged to follow the linguistic norms of the Kazakh language when choosing a name format.
Examples of Name Combinations
The Ministry of Justice noted that the law provides several options for spelling the surname, first name, and patronymic for citizens of Kazakh ethnicity.
Using the name "Akhmetov Serik Aybekovich" as an example, the Ministry demonstrated the various ways it could be registered:

"Aybekuly Serik" — the father's name with the "uly" suffix is used as the surname, so no separate patronymic is required.
"Akhmet Serik Aybekuly" — the surname is written without the "-ov" ending, and the patronymic uses the "uly" form.
"Aybek Serik Aybekuly" or "Aybek Serik" — the father's name is used as a surname. In this case, the patronymic can either be included ("Aybekuly") or omitted entirely.

The Ministry explained that the specific format is chosen by the individual or the parents during the child's registration.
What to do if the software "rejects" the name?
If parents are unable to enter their desired name format through the digital systems of second-tier banks, they can use one of the following registration methods:

via the "e-government" web portal (egov.kz);
at a Public Service Center;
by applying directly to the Civil Registry Office.