The serious business of selecting a baby's name
"Does your name affect your personality?" pondered a participant in the Vernon Area Library's Write Away program.
By J. Hope Babowice
Daily Herald correspondent
Emma and Liam. If you know any babies born in the past year, there's a good chance the baby's parents carefully considered all the name possibilities and settled on one of these names. Emma and Liam are the two most popular baby names in the U.S.
Naming is serious business. After all, a first name is likely to last an entire lifetime.
When choosing a name, parents consider name meanings, the way the first name and middle name coordinate with the surname, and a host of other factors. Emma means universal, Liam means strong-willed warrior or protector.
Can your name affect your personality or possibly determine your future? Will the 2,720 Emmas born in California last year have similar personalities? The ancient Romans said, "Nomen est Omen," which translates to "the name is a sign."
There's good reason to select an easy name, such as Emma or Liam. A study conducted by New York University researcher Adam Alter shows easy-to-pronounce, simple names have their advantages. Those monikers create the perception the people with those names are likable.
Considering a C-suite seat or political career for your baby? People with simpler names are more likely to be promoted and more likely to attain political office. Certainly the study results bear out - recent presidents have had simple names: Jimmy, Bill, George, Ronald and Donald. Notable exceptions are Lyndon and Barack, which haven't inspired much of an uptick in baby first names.
Speaking of bear, more birth certificates have been inscribed with the first name Bear after TV show personality Bear Grylls and other celebrity Bear names.
Want your daughter to be a judge? Name her something traditionally masculine. Women named James, John or Michael, for example, might be more likely to find themselves dressed in a judge's black robes. A 2009 study published by professors from Clemson and George Mason universities call this the result of the Portia hypotheses. In Shakespeare's play "Merchant of Venice", Portia portrays a male attorney so she can present her case in court, traditionally an exclusive realm for men. The name Portia peaked in popularity in 1989, so the nameplate on the next judge you appear before could include Portia, that is, if it's not James, John or Michael.
"Parents should be aware that naming their child does have consequences," cautioned Dr. Yonat Zwebner, Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Zwebner co-authored a study that switches up the name game. Researchers presented face pictures to survey participants who matched the faces to a name with surprising accuracy. Even a computer had some success matching faces to names. Conclusion: Names carry stereotypes that affect social perception.
Some parents regret the name they select for their bundle of joy. A two-year-old study out of England reports that 2 percent of parents have changed their child's first name. Could this inspire the need for expert advice when shouldered with the task of naming? Look to a baby name consultant. Companies like MyNameforLife.com provide "gorgeous names, expert advice," as indicated on the company website, and an added benefit for expectant parents - gift certificates.
Check it out
The Lincolnshire-based Vernon Area Library suggests these titles on baby names:
• "The Name Game: A Look Behind The Labels," by Donna M. Jackson
• "Ignite Your Spark: Discovering Who You Are From The Inside Out," by Patricia Wooster
• "Just My Type," by Michael J. Rosen
• "The Kids' Family Tree Book," by Caroline Leavitt
• "Who Do You Think You Are?," by Dan Waddell