The Aims of Names

“A Boy Named Sue”

Different societies tend to have distinct naming conventions, but names matter everywhere. Throughout recorded human history, infant names have been chosen to shape character, guide destiny, and create social standing. Contemporary Western cultures may be less literal about it than many others, but we always name our children with a point of view and a purpose – to fit in or to stand out, to honor traditions or to defy them. No matter how we approach this name game, the consequences are real. As Johnny Cash famously reminds us, names can have a profound effect on life experiences.

The naming of a child is the beginning of a conscious branding process. We’re marketers of our children from birth, looking to signal a “USP.”

When Times Change, Names Change

Naming conventions are never static, and major social upheavals can have especially significant effects. With the arrival of the Norman invaders from France, the English language began shedding old Norse names like Ethelred. Later, the invention of the printing press and the Protestant Reformation inspired people to name children not only after Old Testament figures but also biblical virtues (Faith, Hope, and Charity). Later, industrialization, migration, and literacy dramatically expanded the bank of English-speaking first names – today numbering in the thousands. By contrast, roughly a third of all English men were named John in the 14th century.  

While often meant to anchor us in our traditions, names are also leading indicators of where we are going. Like all aspects of the social media-driven world around us, naming conventions are shifting more rapidly than ever before in ways that say a lot about what we value and who we admire. Three hundred years ago, we might have named our children after kings, queens, and saints. Today, we’re inspired by “Game of Thrones” royalty or by rock stars and celebrities whose esoteric naming practices have launched (among other naming trends) the rush on use of common nouns like Moon, Apple, or North. We may feel that we are in charge of the names we give our children (even if not much else), but we are nonetheless guided by the culture and times in which we live. The influence of pop stars is easy to spot, but closer analysis suggests other invisible patterns, such as rhyme-based shifts in popular names from Jason to Grayson or Emma to Gemma – an intriguing example of how parents subconsciously riff on popular names in pursuit of cautious originality.