What you are called and what you decide to call your kids is an interesting phenomenon. If you have been burdened with three or more lengthy, traditional family names, you might retaliate by deciding to give your baby a short, unique name. In the name popularity game, there is no rigid rules or exact science. As the world population grows and changes, new names and flavors come and go accordingly.
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.
In previous centuries, two or three traditional family names were a common occurrence and generally accepted. Kids were not mocked about their names as long as it was a common, well-known version such as Tom, Dick or Harry.
Part of mankind's psychological make-up is the need to be acknowledged. Parents often want to bless and confirm their offspring's uniqueness or potential talents by giving them exotic or unusual names. Many kids have also been named after world events, famous people or the heroes of their parents. Some of these creations started a new trend, while many merely became a life-long embarrassment 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.
Figuratively speaking, the world has shrunk and parents have to also consider the psychological impact of their kids' names in a multi-cultural society. Children can be cruel and millions of kids have suffered immense trauma and bullying at school as a result of a "foreign" or unpopular name.
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.
In previous centuries, two or three traditional family names were a common occurrence and generally accepted. Kids were not mocked about their names as long as it was a common, well-known version such as Tom, Dick or Harry.
Part of mankind's psychological make-up is the need to be acknowledged. Parents often want to bless and confirm their offspring's uniqueness or potential talents by giving them exotic or unusual names. Many kids have also been named after world events, famous people or the heroes of their parents. Some of these creations started a new trend, while many merely became a life-long embarrassment 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.
Figuratively speaking, the world has shrunk and parents have to also consider the psychological impact of their kids' names in a multi-cultural society. Children can be cruel and millions of kids have suffered immense trauma and bullying at school as a result of a "foreign" or unpopular name.
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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