Teknonymy is the practice of referring to parents by the names of their children. This practice can be found in many different cultures around the world.

An example of teknonymy can be found among the 'Malays' of Cocos (Keeling) Islands, where parents are known by the name of their first-born child. For instance, a man named Hashim and his wife, Anisa, have a daughter named Sheila. Hashim is now known as "Pak Sheila" (literally, "Sheila’s Father") and Anisa is now known as Mak Sheila (literally, "Sheila's Mother").

Teknonymy can also be found in:

• the Korean language
  Korean language
  Korean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
  
  ;
• the language of the Madurese people of Indonesia;
• Balinese culture.
• the Arab world
  Arab world
  The Arab world refers to Arabic-speaking states, territories and populations in North Africa, Western Asia and elsewhere.The standard definition of the Arab world comprises the 22 states and territories of the Arab League stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the...
  
  . For example, if a Saudi man named Hasan has a child named Malik, Hasan will now be informally known as "Abu Malik" (literally, "Malik's father").
• The Betsileo of Madagascar;
• West Africa; and,
• Amazonia.