Many Armenian surnames were once patronymics first used by distant ancestors or clan founders. Nowadays in Azerbaijan, patronymics sometimes replace surnames in unofficial use. Most Greek surnames are patronymics by origin, albeit in various forms depending on ancestral locality. The "nasab" () is a patronymic or series of patronymics. Like many patronymics, these have become common surnames in Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking regions. Georgian last names derive mostly from patronymics, nicknames and places of origin. Instead, the Byzantines used nicknames and patronymics to distinguish rulers of the same name. Clan names precede the patronymics and given names, e.g. Besud Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj. Another theory attributes the Iberian -ez style patronymics to Germanic (Visigothic) rather than Latin influence. Such Turkic patronymics were officially allowed in the Soviet Union. The suffix is a Slavic diminutive, originally functioning to create patronymics. Real patronymics are handled like additional first names, i.e., one must still have a surname. They are used with names that originated as patronymics. Finns did not address each other by patronymics in colloquial speech. Some adopt non-Slavonic patronymics as well.