Bellevance
先輩
- 15 Jan 2009
- 101
- 9
- 28
I've always thought that, as labels, as emblems of identity, our given names (and the degree of affection we feel for them) are a fascinating linguistic phenomenon. In every culture, naming is a creative act. Parents, in naming their children, write their children's first mention in the world. And a child's given name provides that child with associations and relationships that will resonate all his or her life.
The decisions parents make in choosing names are an often overlooked reflection of popular culture in every part of world, subtly influenced by the spirit of the age, the arts, religion, politics, and so on. They are a poetic expression of cultural taste.
All the same, it's sometimes a mystery how certain names achieve traction in the popular consciousness. Mothers and fathers often choose names from literature--from the Bible, in particular. My wife and I named our daughter, Dounia, after Raskolnikov's loyal sister in CRIME AND PUNISHMENT. The state of California was named after a character in a Spanish novel.
The girl's name "Madison" became quite popular after the movie, "Splash," starring Daryl Hannah and Tom Hanks, was released in 1984. When the mermaid character (Hannah) names herself after a street sign in Manhattan, the Hanks character objects, saying, "But it's not really a name."
It is now. In recent years, on the list of the most popular first names in the US, Madison has achieved number three, after Emily (1) and Emma (2).
The U.S. Social Security Administration maintains lists of the most popular given names in America, decade by decade. My mother, who was born in 1919, is named Dorothy. In the late 1800s, before the very popular Oz books came out, the name Dorothy didn't crack the top ten among the most popular girls' names in America. The perennial number one in those years was Mary. But in the decade following 1900, when L. Frank Baum's first Oz book, THE WIZARD OF OZ, was published, Dorothy rose to number seven; in the next decade, as more and more Oz books found their way into homes and libraries, Dorothy rose to number three. During the 1920s Dorothy was number two, after Mary. During the 1930s it slipped to six.
Today it's another story. The most popular girl's name in the 1990s was Ashley, followed by Jessica, Emily, Sarah, and Samantha. Mary dropped to 41. And Dorothy--after names like Destiny (82), Kiara (179), and Hunter (503)--had fallen all the way to 565.
If you're interested in this subject, check out the Social Security Administration's Popular Baby Names Web site, at:
Popular Baby Names
What is it about a period of time in a culture that influences parents (often without their realizing it) to choose a certain name over all the others? How are the practices and trends in naming children different in Japan and in the rest of the East from those in the West? Any thoughts?
The decisions parents make in choosing names are an often overlooked reflection of popular culture in every part of world, subtly influenced by the spirit of the age, the arts, religion, politics, and so on. They are a poetic expression of cultural taste.
All the same, it's sometimes a mystery how certain names achieve traction in the popular consciousness. Mothers and fathers often choose names from literature--from the Bible, in particular. My wife and I named our daughter, Dounia, after Raskolnikov's loyal sister in CRIME AND PUNISHMENT. The state of California was named after a character in a Spanish novel.
The girl's name "Madison" became quite popular after the movie, "Splash," starring Daryl Hannah and Tom Hanks, was released in 1984. When the mermaid character (Hannah) names herself after a street sign in Manhattan, the Hanks character objects, saying, "But it's not really a name."
It is now. In recent years, on the list of the most popular first names in the US, Madison has achieved number three, after Emily (1) and Emma (2).
The U.S. Social Security Administration maintains lists of the most popular given names in America, decade by decade. My mother, who was born in 1919, is named Dorothy. In the late 1800s, before the very popular Oz books came out, the name Dorothy didn't crack the top ten among the most popular girls' names in America. The perennial number one in those years was Mary. But in the decade following 1900, when L. Frank Baum's first Oz book, THE WIZARD OF OZ, was published, Dorothy rose to number seven; in the next decade, as more and more Oz books found their way into homes and libraries, Dorothy rose to number three. During the 1920s Dorothy was number two, after Mary. During the 1930s it slipped to six.
Today it's another story. The most popular girl's name in the 1990s was Ashley, followed by Jessica, Emily, Sarah, and Samantha. Mary dropped to 41. And Dorothy--after names like Destiny (82), Kiara (179), and Hunter (503)--had fallen all the way to 565.
If you're interested in this subject, check out the Social Security Administration's Popular Baby Names Web site, at:
Popular Baby Names
What is it about a period of time in a culture that influences parents (often without their realizing it) to choose a certain name over all the others? How are the practices and trends in naming children different in Japan and in the rest of the East from those in the West? Any thoughts?