Personal names serve to distinguish one individual from another. Since
man first began walking the earth, each individual has had a distinctive
name. Creating a totally original name for a child is traditional in many
cultures; however, in the American culture the normal practice is to
choose a pre-existing name. The purpose of this report is to explore the
naming process and to determine if there is a significant difference in
the names chosen in different regions of the United States.
Any mother or father can verify that selecting the right name is not an
easy task. They will be inclined to agree that there are many factors to
consider before naming a child. They include namesakes, ethnic origins,
gender, popularity, sounds/rhythms, pronunciation, religion, spelling,
stereotypes, meaning, and initials.
Namesakes can lead to confusion even when followed by a Jr. or III.
This is a result of taking the name of a parent and choosing to give a
child the exact name. Parents often vary the middle name of a son who
carries his father's first name and call the son by a middle name, but the
potential for confusion still exists (Hook 12). Namesakes can often lead
to unhappy choices for children's names. For example, Mildred is an
appropriate name for Great-aunt Mildred, but for some reason it does not
seem fitting for a young child. It is wiser to name a child a name that
you would choose on its own merits and not just to compliment a loved one.
Many parents today are beginning to name children names that are
popular in other parts of the world. When choosing a name that is of a
different ethnic background or that is foreign-sounding, the parent should
consider whether the name will be a burden on the child because it may be
frequently mispronounced or misspelled. It is always wise to stay away
from names with accent marks because the child may constantly be asked to
explain it.
Some parents today find it important to keep with religious traditions,
naming their children as the church wishes. Roman Catholics traditionally
choose saints' names, sometimes using Mary as a first name for each
daughter and pairing it with different middle names, like Mary Catherine
and Mary Margaret (Crandall 36). It is a common practice for Jewish
families to name their children after deceased family members.
Traditionally, these names are found in the Bible. Protestants often give
a child a name that can be found in either the Old or New Testaments of
the Bible. Black Muslims, on the other hand, prefer to use Islamic names.
It is not uncommon to find children with names suitable for either
gender. Many parents are disregarding the sex of their baby and choosing
unisex names such as Robin, Pat, Chris, Lee, and Erin. However, it is a
common occurrence to find children with names that seem to be
traditionally male or female. Many argue that it is a nuisance to require
a child to explain what sex he or she is (Lansky 2).
In 1990, more than 87% of all baby boys and 80% of all baby girls were
givenone of the 100 most popular names (Lansky 3). Children with a very
popular name may feel that they must share it with others, while a child
with a very uncommon name is likely to feel that it is uniquely his or
hers (Browder 17). However, children with more popular names generally
have an easier time gaining acceptance from their peers (Kolatch 32).
When choosing names, parents often consider how a name will sound and
its rhythm. Alliteration, as in Tina Turner or Pat Paulson, is fine, but
rhymes, like Jack Black or Wanda Fonda, invite teasing (Lansky 2).
Punning names, and other displays of wit, may sound funny, but living with
a joke name is no laughing matter (Browder 33). It is agreed upon by most
naming specialists that it is best to use unequal numbers of syllables,
like Dwight David Eisenhower. When first and last names have equal
numbers of syllables, it is often best to use a middle name with a
different number of syllables; this helps to create a pleasing effect.
When pronouncing words, there is often more than one way to say them;
this is also true for names. For a young child it is a burden to
constantly have your name mispronounced and to have to correct people all
the time. When choosing names it is best to remember that if you pick a
foreign name, like Jesus or Genevieve, you should not expect people to
pronounce them as they do in the old country (hay-soos and zhan-vee-ev)
(Lansky 2).
It is also best to stay away from unconventional spellings because that
tends to confuse people. "Ordinary spellings have the force of common
sense behind them. It is an unnecessary irritation tohave your name
frequently misspelled; on the other hand, a new and different spelling can
give an old name a new twist" (Browder 32). For example, consider the
effect of changing the last few letters of a name: Cathy, Cathie, Cathey,
Cathee. While the different spellings may be unique and cute, they often
influence others.
Most names carry with them a general idea of what the person with that
name should be like. In other words, they create stereotypes. Many names
call to mind physical or personality traits that often stem from a
well-known namesake, real or fictional (Lansky 4). For example, Abe is
often referred to as someone who is honest, while Adolph refers to someone
who is cruel. Raquel generally brings to mind someone who is beautiful,
while Albert usually is thought of as someone who is fat. An image of a
name will often affect its owner's self-image, as well as they way he or
she is perceived by others (Dunkling 32).
Names have literal meanings. When searching for a name, many people
choose names that mean something significant to them. For example, David
means "beloved," while Jennifer means "white" or "fair." Often when
people choose between several names that are equally appealing, they look
up the literal meanings to help tip the balance.
Before settling on a name for a child, one should consider the
initials. Adam Scott Smith is a nice name, but it would be a little
embarrassing to have ASS stamped on luggage (Lansky 3). One should
consider the child before deciding on a name which the child has to live
with for a lifetime.
There are many different children's names. It has often been thought
that certain names were popular in different regions of the country. In
the South parents are more apt to name a baby with what northerners would
call a nickname, like Bessie or Bobbie (Lansky 29-30). Easterners seem to
favor traditional names, as well as French variants of traditional names,
like Elizabeth and Christopher (Lansky 30). Northerners tend to name
children after the Bible more than southerners, like David and Mary
(Lansky 31).
As every decade comes and goes, so do popular names. Names associated
with one generation are not always popular with another. Names popular in
one generation may decline in the next or a name's popularity may rise or
hold steady. In 1990, 3.6% of the baby boys born were named Michael, 3.5%
were named Matthew, and 2.2% were named James. Topping the female name
list that same year were the names Jessica with 2.8%, Sara with 2.2%, and
Brittany with 1.8% (Lansky 6-10).
By contacting high schools around the country, I was able to determine
the most popular names during the birth years of 1976 and 1977. During
the 1970's, there were many athletes, television, movie, and radio
personalities, as well as many famous political figures, that influenced
names given to children. Parents often considered the names of famous
people throughout history for their own children. At New York's Warwick
High School, the most popular male names for seniors born during the
years 1976-77 were David and Jason, accounting for 7.2% of the
population. Michael was next with 6.4%, and Timothy had 5.6%. The most
popular girl's name was Jennifer (8.7% of all females). The name Karen
was second (4.0%), while Kimberly, Amy, Erin, Heather, and Nicole each
had 3.1%. The female names tend to reflect names made popular by TV and
the movies. On the other hand, the male names seem to reflect the
influence of the Catholic Church, which is dominant in the North.
David, Michael, and Timothy are all names of saints, which reflects the
Roman Catholic tradition of choosing saints' names for children.
In West Milford, NJ, I also found that eleven of the top twelve most
popular male names for 1976-77 were also saints' names. The most popular
names for boys were Christopher (8 in a population of 112), John (7),
Scott (5), and Daniel, Michael, and Joseph (4 each). Boys' names that had
three each were Stephen, Robert, Paul, Patrick, Matthew, and James. Among
the West Milford girls, there were five Jessicas (out of 110 girls), four
Rebeccas, and three Susans, Stephanies, and Amys.
In Hampton, VA, at Kecoughtan High School, traditional names appeared
to be the most common popular names for boys born in 1976 and 1977.
Robert topped the list with 5.2% of the male population, while Jason had
4.6% and Stephen 4.0%. The girls' names, like in the North East,
reflected the trendy names of the time. Once again, Jennifer topped the
list with 6.5% of the population, while Michelle came in second with 3.0%.
Seven names shared third place: Tracy, Heather, Natalie, Nicole, Rachel,
Stacey, and Tanya.
In Sumter, SC, names for children born in 1976 and 1977 had
similarities with the names in Virginia. James was the most popular (5.5%
of the population), followed by Michael (5.1%) and Christopher (3.8%). As
in other areas, the girls' names were trendy for their time. Jennifer was
the most popular with 3.2%, followed by Allison, Kimberly, and Melissa,
all with 2.8%. Stephanie rounded out the list with 2.3%.
In the South, at Mosley High School in Panama City, FL, boys' names
continued to follow the trend set in the North. However, where
Christopher was popular in New York, New Jersey, Virginia, and South
Carolina, it did not appear in the top five. Instead, Chris, a clipped
form of the name, was used as the birth name for 5.1% of the boys at
Mosley. As stated previously, southerners more frequently use nicknames
or shortened forms as first names, and this seems to bear out that thesis.
Jason and Michael were the second most popular names (4.7% of the
population each), and David was in the third spot, with 3.9%. The girls'
names once again reflected a broad range of trendy names for the time
period. Jennifer was once again the most common name for girls, with
4.1%, followed by Stephanie (2.8%) and Melissa and Kelly (2.3% each).
Kansas rests at the center of the country, and, at Pottawattamie High
School, the names for the males are similar to those on the East Coast.
Matthew was the most popular, with 7.8% of the boys sharing that name,
followed by Christopher, Michael, Daniel, and Ryan, all with 4.7%.
Justin, David, and Paul rounded out the three most popular, with 3.1%
each. the girls' names, however, reflect originality, as there were only
two names that were shared by more than one student. They were Christy
and Misty, both with 5.0%.
One might expect the West Coast names to reflect the Spanish or Mexican
ethnic influence, and the data base bears this out. Maria tied for the
fourth most popular girls' name, while Jose placed third among boys'
names. However, in Santa Maria, CA, Michael, David, and Christopher
shared the first-place spot (3.6% each of the male population). The most
popular girls' names, as in other regions, reflected the trend of using
Jennifer (7.1%), Amy (6.0%), and Michelle (2.2%).
In the United States, certain male names were consistently the names of
choice in 1976 and 1977. Michael was popular throughout the country,
appearing the most frenquently. Christopher was also frequently used;
however, in Florida the clipped form Chris was more common. Jason, David,
and Robert were also common throughout the country, each appearing in the
top few in four of seven states. This tends to support the notion that
there were no major differences in the most common names for males
throughout the United States in 1976 and 1977. There also appears to have
been no significant difference in the pattern of female names in different
regions of the United States during those years. The popular names all
seem to reflect the trendy names of their time. There were students at
all schools with the most popular names. The name that appeared most
frequently was Jennifer. Heather, Amy, Stacy, and Melissa all appeared as
top names in four of the states.
From Adam ("man of red earth") to Zara ("brightness of dawn"), a name
can reflect roots, tradition, originality, stereotyping, association,
astrology, and many other factors. There are over 13,001 names,
nicknames, and variations to choose from, but, in the end, we are who we
are, and a name is just that. A name.
Works Cited
- Browder, Sue. The New Age Baby Book. New York: Workman Publishing, 1987.
- Crandall, Ralph. Shaking Your Family Tree. Philadelphia: Yankee Publishing, 1986.
- Dunkling, Leslie. The Guiness Book of Names. London: Guiness Superlatives, 1986.
- Hook, J. N. Family Names. New York: Macmillan, 1982.
- Lansky, Bruce. The Best Baby Name Book in the Whole Wide
World. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1984.
The Attendance Offices of the following schools provided lists of students:
- Kecoughtan High School, Hampton, VA
- Mosley High School, Panama City, FL
- Pottawattamie High School, Rossville, KS
- Santa Maria High School, Santa Maria, CA
- Sumpter High School, Sumpter, SC
- Warwick High School, Warwick, NY
- West Milford High School, West Milford, NJ