Parents seem to appreciate that naming your child is not voting for American Idol, but a lifetime choice. They choose names to last, which may be why biblical names, including Sarah, Hannah, Gabriel, Joshua and Elijah are among the most popular.
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A lot more 2011 baby names seem to have a stamp of ethnicity — but not necessarily their own ethnicity. I wonder how many American girls named Sophia are from Greek or Italian families, how many Isabellas are Spanish or Italian, or how many Aidens, Ryans and Conners are even a scintilla Irish.
Family names are still passed between generations, but a lot of Americans pointedly give names to their children that aren't tied to their past or taken from their family. They mix, invent and come up with names that ring with new hopes and dreams. That's why lists like this change and are worth reading. They remind us that Americans name their children for the people they hope they'll be.When I heard this on Saturday morning I could not help but think of our current conversation about ethnicity and our earlier conversations about whether ethnic group membership is voluntary. Simon's comments suggest that at least some aspects of it are indeed voluntary: names, for one. And, with more constraints, language.
His remarks also highlight an important feature of all dynamics related to identity: to what extent is identity tied to the past and to what degree is it directed toward the future. I assume that there is always some of each, even if the past orientation is only a desire to escape it. Simon mentioned that top names from 1955. For girls, it was Mary. Now that name is down around 150. In contrast to colonial New England, biblical names in general are pretty thin at the top of the list. That is as interesting as the shifts in names regarded as ethnically identified.
1 comment:
I have always thought that what a person names their child says a lot about them. For some families, a name that ties to their ethnic background or historical tradition is important. As the majority of our nation becomes 3rd, 4th or 5th+ generation Americans, it could be interesting to look at parents of what countries of origin feel the need to maintain that specific kind of attachment. My own parents chose to give my three siblings and I names that were not passed down within the family and did not specifically tie to our heritage. When I was younger, I used to want a name that was passed down from generation to generation really badly...
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