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$Title{Baby Names and Customs}
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$Author{
Editors of Consumer Guide
Harder, Kelsey}
$Subject{Baby Names Name Custom Customs}
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The Ultimate Baby Name Book


Baby Names and Customs


     As long as there has been language, there have been names.  Naming is the
first task of speech through which we differentiate one person or thing from
all others.  Every society has a naming system, and all these systems have
certain elements in common.  Everywhere, each child is assigned a sound or
series of sounds that will be his or her name.  Since that name is a part of
the language of the child's parents, it immediately identifies the child as
belonging to a particular society.  So our names identify us both as
individuals and as members of a group.
     Throughout Africa, a child's naming day is a festive occasion that
usually occurs a week or so after the birth.  Girls are named sooner than
boys, but only by a day or two.  One of the older people bestows the name,
first by whispering it to the newborn child, who should know its name before
anyone else does.  The elder then announces the name to everyone attending the
ceremony.
      Many native Americans developed naming systems in which a person's
individual name included the name of his or her clan.  For example, all of the
members of a clan that has the bear as its totem animal have names relating to
bears, such as Black-Bear Tracks and Black-Bear Flashing Eyes.  In some
tribes, children are given secret names that are not revealed until the child
reaches puberty or some other important stage of life.  In other tribes, an
event at a child's birth may become the child's name.  Today, a person living
on a reservation may have one name at home but a different name when he or she
is off the reservation.
     In China, many people follow a tradition of changing their names at
different times in their lives.  A person will have a baby, or "milk," name; a
marriage name; an occupational name; and a name that's used among friends.
Names are believed to reflect the character of the person, and great care is
taken in selecting a child's milk name.  This is usually done about a month
after the child is born, and the parents attempt to create an original name.
Many girls are given names that signify beauty, such as Sweet Willow or
Morning Star.  Boys are given names that reflect strength and good health.
     In Europe, there are many traditional naming customs.  In Denmark, the
father's name is passed on to his child with the addition of -sen (son of) or
-dattr (daughter of).  In France, a baby's name must be selected from a list
approved by the Justice Ministry.  In Russia, children have a family name, a
given name, and a middle name that is their father's given name.  All the
children in a family have the same middle name.
     In some families, names are influenced by religious customs.  Many Roman
Catholics name their children after saints.  A calender of saints lists at
least one saint for each day of the year, so a child may simply be given the
name of the saint on whose day he or she is born.  For example, a boy born on
July 12 might be named Jason; a girl born on June 19, Elizabeth.  Traditional
belief holds that this saint is the patron of the child and watches over
him or her on earth and in heaven.
     Jewish names are some of the oldest names still in use today.  A
Jewish boy is named officially when he is circumcised on the eighth day after
his birth.  A girl is named as soon as possible after her birth.
Traditionally, a Jewish child is not named for a living person for fear that
the Angel of Death will mistake the child for the older person if their names
are the same.  Since some Christians use Old Testament names for their
children, many traditional Jewish names are also common names among the
general population.  These names include David, Jeremy, Daniel, Rosa, Mary,
and Sarah.
     Many Black-Americans have begun to give their children names from Kenya,
Nigeria, Ghana, and Tanzania.  Some older people have also changed their names
to African or Moslem names.  Since slaves were assigned the surnames of their
owners and given common first names, choosing African names is a way for
Black-Americans to acknowledge their heritage before slavery.
     Hispanic-American babies may have several saints' names, and both male
and female saints are considered to be appropriate for both boys and girls.
Hispanic-Americans also choose names that are more religious than the names
that are preferred by many other Americans.  Boys are named Jesus, Angel, and
Salvador.  Girls are often named in honor of the Virgin Mary, with names such
as Conception, Encarnacion, Maria, Dolores, and Mercedes.  Girls are also
given traditional boys' names with the feminine ending -a.  Petra, a variation
of Peter, is an example of this kind of name.