Is the name Naz, male or female?

[221b]

I have to write to someone called Naz Begum, and I don't know if it's a man or a woman!

Please help as I would like to address him/her properly!!

Many thanks

Helen

[joko]

in my experience its male - but you really never know...

it is perfectable acceptable to say "Dear Naz Begum," so just play it safe.

[The Big Gill]

I think you'd be best off following joko's advice - I believe 'Naz' can be a shortening of both female and male names.

[butterfly23]

Naz could be short for a male or female name but Begum is female, so I would go with Ms.

[naz_nomad]

I'm a guy ..if that helps

[naz_nomad]

Something wrong with your Liver?

[221b]

Nothing wrong with my liver!

Should there be?

[joko]

surely begum is the surname....?

[221b]

I don't think so Joko as Begum often seems to be used as a title - as in Her Highness, the Begum Aga Khan...

I'm wondering if Begum means married woman and is sort if instead of Mrs?

In which case I don't want to call her Ms Naz Begum!

Think I'll go with your first suggestion and say Dear Naz Begum!

This is all getting a little complicated...

[campbellking]

Live in a community with lots of Asians and have only ever met female 'Begums'.

[naz_nomad]

Naz Begum is a member of the British Liver Trust ... sorry I was putting 2 and 2 together and getting 5

[jno]

all these say it's a female title:

http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=begu m

http://www.subir.com/rushdie/glossary.html

http://www.artoflegendindia.com/library/dictio nary/

[jno]

sorry... I meant Begum

[Dawnio06]

i belieze naz to be short for both male and female male names as begum is both a male and female surname

[Dawnio06]

Naz can be short for both male and female names... and I believe Begum to be a surname

[Dawnio06]

sorry.. was doing 2 things at once and thought i hadnt replied

[butterfly23]

Begum is often referred to as a surname here, but is actually more like a middle name.

[Kim A]

I was always led to believe that Begum is a courtesy title (like Mrs) given to married women of Asian extraction, from very specific religious groups. I can't for the life of me remember which one, but we had a lot of Hindu families, as well as Sikh and Muslim in the area where i worked in local government and we had to be very careful about correct address forms.

[Dawnio06]

My single friend as the surname Begum... so the theory of it being for a married woman must have some loop holes....

[Dawnio06]

Maybe in some religions it does have a actual meaning or only to be used for one sex but then like a lot of things it could have been widely out of these rules laid by the religions? Maybe...if tht makes sense

[jno]

so it means something like 'queen' - which wouldn't stop a woman being called Mrs Queen, or a man being called Mr Queen... so Naz Begum could be male or female. So joko's answer must be the best: Dear Naz Begum....