What is a Skin Name or Kin Name

Many Aboriginal people have a skin name. Skin Name is an Aboriginal-English term derived from the English term 'Kin Names'. A skin name is a name given to an Aboriginal person at birth based on the combined skin names of their parents, or given by their community. A skin name is not a surname or last name.

Skin names are an important aspect of Aboriginal culture as it governs an individual's right to own certain Dreamings, as well as define their relationships and connections to traditional land and extended family.

	Western Desert Language Groups		Utopian Language Groups
	Warlpiri	Pintupi/Luritja	Arrente	Alyawarre	Anmatyerre
M F	Jungarrayi Nungarrayi	Tjungarrayi Nungarrayi	Kngwarreye	Kngwarrey	Kngwarreye or Ngwarai
M F	Japanangka Napanangka	Tjapanangka Napanangka	Penangke		Penangke
M F	Japaljarri Napaljarri	Tjapaltjarri Napaltjarri	Peltharre	Apetyarr	Petyarre or Pitjara
M F	Japangardi Napangardi	Tjapangati Napangati	Pengarte		Pengarte
M F	Jupurrula Napurrula	Tjupurrula Napurrula	Perrurle	Apwerl	Pwerle or Pula
M F	Jangala Nangala	Tjangala Nangala	Angale		Ngale or Ngala
M F	Jakamarra Nakamarra	Tjakamarra Nakamarra	Kemarre	Akemarr	Kemarre
M F	Jampijinpa Nampijinpa	Tjampitjinpa Nampitjinpa	Ampetyane		Mpetyane or Mbitjana

Often people in the same language group refer to each other as 'brother', 'sister','aunty' or 'uncle' etc. This does not mean they are biologically related, but refers to their relationship to each other as set out by their Skin Name. If two women have the same Skin Name they might refer to each other as 'sister'.

Skin Names are spelt differently across different languages and dialects, for example Petyarre and Pitjara are the same name. These variations in spelling are a result of the process of writing and recording languages that were traditionally only spoken languages.

Traditionally, these kinship systems governed all social interactions including marriage.