The Art of Naming

Source The Isle of Man is an interesting little island situated between Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales. English is spoken there but Manx Gaelic was traditionally spoken in the past. This Celtic language is closely related to the Irish language as well as Scottish Gaelic. However, Manx Gaelic is now considered endangered of dying out. It was thought to have died out in the 1970s but some are trying to revive it today. Over the centuries, the Isle of Man has been under Welsh, English, Scottish and Viking rule but it now has its own democratic parliament. Culturally, it is influenced by Celtic and Nordic origins but it is viewed as a tourist location for the UK which gives it some British influences as well. The Isle of Man has also had specific traditions when it comes to the birth and naming of a child. In the early 1900's, a man named W.W. Gill wrote a collection of "Manx Scrapbooks" that depicted Manx folkways after 1918 and before his death in 1964.  In h...

Featured Australian Names: Rafferty  &   Freya For this month's World-Wide Wednesday, I thought I'd explore a land that is more similar to the US than the previously featured countries. I'm talking about "the land down under." In my research, I couldn't find any information about specific baby naming customs or traditions, but the continent definitely has some regulations in place.  Obviously, like most places, obscene or offensive names or words cannot be used. A name may not be exceedingly long to where it becomes impractical, nor can it contain special characters or punctuation. Any name that resembles an official rank or title like Lord, Lady, Princess, Queen, Father, Sir, Admiral or Doctor are not allowed, but one that slipped through the cracks is Duke. Click here  for a bit more information on other naming laws and regulations throughout Australia. Like the US and other English-speaking countries, Aussie children traditionally are given th...

For the third installment of World-Wide Wednesday, we'll take a look at the naming traditions in Africa. Featured African Names: Kato & Zola For most Africans, baby-naming is extremely important. They place a high value on the name choice and its meaning. Many believe that it will have a major influence on the lives of the child and the family as a whole.  There is a delicate balance between giving a child a name that is too ambitious and a simple name that may not yield high enough expectations. Of course, Africa is a very large continent and it is home to hundreds of different languages and customs. Traditionally, African parents like to give names that reflect the time and day of the birth, the environment in which the baby was born or other related circumstances like gender or birth order. Many African names also reflect the parents hopes, aspirations and dreams for the child, or they may have to do with their fears, their religious beliefs and their own philosop...

Spanish baby-naming traditions vary slightly from country to country, but overall, they are very similar. These customs appear in Spain, Mexico, certain islands in the Caribbean, Central America, and South America. The latter four are grouped together and called "Hispanic America." In Spain, people today tend to bear a single given name and two surnames, or perhaps a "composite first name" like Juan Pablo followed by two surnames. The first surname is the father's first surname, and the second is the mother's first surname. Occasionally, the father's and mother's surnames could be reversed, but every sibling must have the same two surnames in the same order. It is so important that if the parents cannot agree on whose surname goes first, it is taken to court for an official to decide. For example, if a man named Alberto Sanchez Hernandez and a woman named Maria Ruiz Gonzales have a son named Eduardo, the child's name would most likely be Edua...

Inochi (Life) Once a month, I will venture into international waters and find "exotic" and "foreign" names that are common in that particular native land.  For this first installment of "World-Wide Wednesday" where I find interesting name choices from around the world, I thought I'd focus on Japanese names. Authentic Japanese names can be so wonderful! Its a shame that some Japanese immigrants to the US feel the need to "Americanize" their name, or choose a boring, English name like Jerry or Lee.  However, there are many that keep the name their parents gave them. I read that it is traditional to have a big celebratory feast for the infant on its "Oshichiya" or its seventh day of life. They hang on the wall a very special "Shodo," or name plaque, that has the child's name inscribed in Japanese characters on very special paper. Clearly, they take baby-naming very seriously! How many of us even had a celebrato...