From Adam to Zara

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.

Any mother or father can say that selecting the right name is not an easy task. 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. 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.

It is a common practice for Jewish families to name their children after deceased family members.

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.

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.

It is also best to stay away from unconventional spellings because that tends to confuse people. For example, consider the effect of changing the last few letters of a name: Cathy, Cathie, Cathey, or Cathee.

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. For example, Abe is often referred to as someone who is honest, while Adolph refers to someone who is cruel. Rachel 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 the way he or she is perceived by others.

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."

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. One should consider the child before deciding on a name which the child has to live with for a lifetime.

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 13,000 names, nicknames, and variations to choose from, but, in the end, we are who we are, and a name is just that. A name.

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Дата добавления: 2015-10-26