[2] Family names can be distinguished by the suffix -ge or -ghe,[2] though this suffix may accidentally result from a particular transliteration of a Sinhalese word, such as simhe or simghe (lion).
[3] Given names can be masculine, feminine and gender neutral.
However, as a consequence of the Portuguese invasion of Sri Lanka, during the 16th and 17th centuries, many Portuguese language surnames were adopted among the Sinhalese people.
As a result, Perera and Fernando eventually became the most common names in Sri Lanka.
The Portuguese and Dutch being in Sri Lanka has left a legacy where many Sinhalese people converted religion or took on foreign names through intermarriage or adoption.