One of the earliest names ever recorded was Enpap-x. But Alexander and Freya are ancient too. Some names catch on, others fade from glory. Why? And what are the rules on trading in your name for a new one?
Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time.For decades, it was all about Margaret. Sure, Norma, Joyce, Betty and Beryl had their moments in the sun, but in mid-20th century Australia, Margaret was overwhelmingly the most popular girl’s name. There was barely a year between 1929 and 1952 when Margaret wasn’t top of the heap for newborn girls.
The widespread adoption of surnames arrived much later, possibly first in ancient China, around 2000 years ago, to facilitate census-taking. The Romans, too, favoured multiple names, which might relate you to your clan or tribe. He of Brutus fame was Marcus Junius Brutus; a fellow assassin, Gaius Cassius Longinus.
Arabic names are generally divided into three parts: given, middle and family. The middle names reference forebears: the Saudi ruler commonly known as “MBS” has the full name Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud . Many Muslims will give their sons Muhammad as a first name, then, to distinguish them from other Muhammads, a second name they use in daily life, such as Muhammad Firas or Muhammad Hosni.
In Iceland, surnames are usually either parents’ first name, followed by -son or -dottir … Singer Björk Guðmundsdóttir is the daughter of Guðmundur. Not that long ago, you’d find several children in a classroom sharing the same name – David, Mary, Susan, Kylie, perhaps. It’s less likely today, says Jean-Francois Mignot, who researches demographic trends at the French National Centre for Scientific Research in Paris. “More and more parents are choosing relatively original, distinctive and individualising first names for their children, which allow them to appear unique or to stand out from the crowd,” he tells us.
Increasingly, parents are also choosing names that translate internationally, Iceland possibly being an exception, linguist Anna-Maria Balbach tells us from Yale University in the United States. “In most European countries, especially in Central and Western Europe, there is a strong trend towards common name favourites and thus a strong internationalisation of the most popular first names in Europe.” Sofia is currently top across several nations followed by Mia.
A classic botanical name, albeit a contraction of Emilie, not Lily: Lillie Langtry, born Emilie Charlotte Le Breton, in 1885.Viennese psychoanalyst Herbert Silberer wrote: “A man’s name is like a shadow … it follows him all his life.” But what effect does it have on your destiny? The concept of
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