For each culture, the article explains how names are constructed and may be changed or modified under various circumstances. Further, the English translation of a given name in another language may be significantly different when the person comes to live in the United States. Cultures also have different customs regarding changes in a woman's name due to marriage; for example, Italian women and most Arab women do not change their names after marriage or divorce. The concept of "maiden" and "married" names will probably be unknown to them, since they will keep their father's surname for life. In the case of Russians and Ukrainians, law enforcement officers should obtain the full and complete name, including the given name, patronymic, and surname. Also, subjects should be asked to write their names in the Cyrillic alphabet. If their name is similar to a name in question, further investigation may be warranted. A general recommendation for police officers in attempting to identify by name persons from other cultures is to have them write their entire proper name in their own handwriting. For individuals of certain cultures, it may be useful to use various combinations of the proper name when conducting inquiries. To be prepared to conduct investigative work in modern America, with its many diverse cultures-of-origin represented, law enforcement professionals must become familiar with the various customs of name identification in the ethnic groups that reside in their jurisdictions. 8 notes