A name is part of one's identity, a brand that you carry with you for life, although you had no part in choosing it. Some people like their birth names, others hate it. Some people resemble their names, while others have nicknames that better suit their looks and personality traits. The reasons why new parents choose a specific name for their newborn is as diverse and disparate as their respective personalities. Name popularity is a fashion trend that ebbs and flows with the tides.
People are influenced by different factors when deciding what to call their baby. Some are inspired by the sound or symbolic meaning of a specific name, while for others it is simply a matter of tradition to pass on family names. In certain cultures, especially boys are expected to carry the full names of their fathers and forefathers for generations to come.
Biblical names such as James, John, Elizabeth, Maria, Martha and Matthew were as common as grass and most families had a member or two heavily burdened with several first names of Biblical origin. Factors such as culture, religion, politics, natural disasters and world events also play a major role in name giving. Many kids were named after famous war heroes, politicians, world figures or even world events - whatever stroked their parents' fancy at the time.
Carrying two or three traditional family names was the norm rather than an exception in years gone by. Especially first-born sons were expected to bear their father's and grandfather's first names, albeit in the form of a nickname or an abbreviated version like AJ or Abe. Nobody found it funny and nobody was mocked because it was generally accepted.
The psychological science behind name giving is interesting. Most parents want to believe their newborn is special and thus want to give the kid a name worthy of that perceived greatness. Millions of kids have been named after a celebrity or famous person - almost as though the parents want to bless their kid with the talents and characteristics of their hero. Should the hero fall into disgrace or become forgotten, the kid is stuck with the name of a fallen, forgotten superstar who has no meaning to the kid.
Luckily, parents have also become more aware of the potential psychological damage an unsuited name can cause. Today, few parents will give a traditional male name to a baby girl, or vice versa, just for the sake of keeping the name in the family. Choosing or inventing a unique, suitable name has also become harder than ever, since most variations of possible names have been exhausted.
Today, most kids grow up in a multicultural society where they are exposed to different cultures and traditions - including foreign names. This also motivates parents to consider sensitive religious and cultural connotations to a name that might cause problems in a multicultural school environment. Shorter, trendy cosmopolitan names that are easier to spell and pronounce, pose less danger and problems than lengthy, old-fashioned traditional ones.
However, the more things change, the more they stay the same. In this regard, names follow the same trends as fashionable commodities and the age old favorites never completely disappear. They may temporarily lie low for a couple of decades before they spike all over again on the global popularity charts.
People are influenced by different factors when deciding what to call their baby. Some are inspired by the sound or symbolic meaning of a specific name, while for others it is simply a matter of tradition to pass on family names. In certain cultures, especially boys are expected to carry the full names of their fathers and forefathers for generations to come.
Biblical names such as James, John, Elizabeth, Maria, Martha and Matthew were as common as grass and most families had a member or two heavily burdened with several first names of Biblical origin. Factors such as culture, religion, politics, natural disasters and world events also play a major role in name giving. Many kids were named after famous war heroes, politicians, world figures or even world events - whatever stroked their parents' fancy at the time.
Carrying two or three traditional family names was the norm rather than an exception in years gone by. Especially first-born sons were expected to bear their father's and grandfather's first names, albeit in the form of a nickname or an abbreviated version like AJ or Abe. Nobody found it funny and nobody was mocked because it was generally accepted.
The psychological science behind name giving is interesting. Most parents want to believe their newborn is special and thus want to give the kid a name worthy of that perceived greatness. Millions of kids have been named after a celebrity or famous person - almost as though the parents want to bless their kid with the talents and characteristics of their hero. Should the hero fall into disgrace or become forgotten, the kid is stuck with the name of a fallen, forgotten superstar who has no meaning to the kid.
Luckily, parents have also become more aware of the potential psychological damage an unsuited name can cause. Today, few parents will give a traditional male name to a baby girl, or vice versa, just for the sake of keeping the name in the family. Choosing or inventing a unique, suitable name has also become harder than ever, since most variations of possible names have been exhausted.
Today, most kids grow up in a multicultural society where they are exposed to different cultures and traditions - including foreign names. This also motivates parents to consider sensitive religious and cultural connotations to a name that might cause problems in a multicultural school environment. Shorter, trendy cosmopolitan names that are easier to spell and pronounce, pose less danger and problems than lengthy, old-fashioned traditional ones.
However, the more things change, the more they stay the same. In this regard, names follow the same trends as fashionable commodities and the age old favorites never completely disappear. They may temporarily lie low for a couple of decades before they spike all over again on the global popularity charts.
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