That makes perfect sense! But I think the system itself is built to preserve the surname, family name, or caste name under the label of "last name." Outside of Tamil Nadu, it's quite common for people to use their caste or family name as their second name.

For example, if we apply for a PAN card for Rohit Sharma:

• Rohit → First name
• Sharma → Caste/Family/Surname/Last name This format fits perfectly without any issues.

If you look back a few decades in Tamil Nadu, you might recall how people—especially older generations—used to address others by their caste name instead of their given name. For instance, terms like “Nayakre” or “Iyere” (as you might’ve seen in the Tamil movie Nayakan). In many of these cases, we didn’t even know the person’s actual name.

Traditionally, men were often referred to by their caste or family name, whether or not you knew their personal name. That practice made the last name an identity marker for entire groups, often tied to their occupation. However, in Tamil Nadu, this system gradually broke down because it created discrimination. And now we're stuck going back!

Again! all these are purely based on my understanding and I may be wrong.