Given name 247991 225395926 2008-07-13T13:32:10Z Lo2u 1360588 [[WP:UNDO|Undid]] revision 225284531 by [[Special:Contributions/98.24.175.203|98.24.175.203]] ([[User talk:98.24.175.203|talk]]) <!-- ******************************************************************************************** Note: THIS ARTICLE IS NOT A LIST OF FIRST NAMES. Before adding further examples to those already supplied consider whether they demonstrate anything that the current examples do not and consider explaining your reasoning on the discussion page. ******************************************************************************************** -->{{Wiktionary|Appendix:Most popular given names by country}} A '''Given name''', '''First name''', '''Christian name''', or '''forename''' is a [[personal name]] that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a [[family]], all of whose members usually share the same [[family name]] (surname). A given name is a name ''given'' to a person, as opposed to an inherited one such as a family name.<ref>"A name given to a person at birth or at baptism, as distinguished from a surname" – according to the [http://www.yourdictionary.com/ahd/g/g0136100.html American Heritage Dictionary]</ref> Strictly speaking, the term excludes names acquired by other means &mdash; such as [[#Name changing|changing one's name]]. This article does not generally assume the strict definition. In most European countries and in countries that have cultures predominantly influenced by Europe (North and South America and Australia), the given name usually comes before the family name (though generally not in lists and catalogs), and so is known as a '''forename''' or '''first name''' (see [[#Usage|usage]] below). But in many cultures of the world — such as that of [[Hungary]], various cultures in [[Africa]] and most cultures in [[East Asia]] (e.g. [[China]], [[Japan]], [[Korea]] and [[Vietnam]]) — given names traditionally come after the family name. In East Asia, even part of the given name may be shared among all members of a given generation in a family and the family's extensions, to differentiate those generations from other generations. Under the common [[Western culture|Western]] naming convention, people generally have one or more forenames (either given or acquired). If more than one, there is usually a main forename (for everyday use) and one or more supplementary forenames. But sometimes two or more carry equal weight. Beyond the fact that forenames come before the [[surname]] there is no particular ordering rule. Often the main forename is at the beginning, resulting in a ''first'' name and one or more ''middle'' names, but other arrangements are quite common. <!--The existence of a [[List of people known by middle name]] in Wikipedia suggests that the latter is considered unexpected by many. - i have moved the preceding sentence to a hidden comment, as the list is links to does not exist. i think it must have existed at one time, for the person to state this (but maybe not) if someone thinks this is a relevant sentence, then by all means, unhide it...)--> Given names are often used in a familiar and friendly manner in informal situations. In more formal situations the surname is used instead, unless it is necessary to distinguish between people with the same surname. The idiom "on a first-name basis" (or "on first-name terms") alludes to the fact that using a person's given name betokens familiarity. ==Legality== A child's given name or names are usually assigned around the time of birth. In most jurisdictions, the [[name at birth]] is a matter of public record, inscribed on the [[birth certificate]] or equivalent. In some jurisdictions, mainly [[civil law (legal system)|civil-law]] jurisdictions such as [[France]], [[Quebec]], [[The Netherlands]] or [[Germany]], the functionary whose job it is to record acts of birth may act to prevent parents from giving the child a name that may cause him or her harm (in France, by referring the case to a local judge).{{Fact|date=March 2007}} Even spell-checking of the name is done. ==Etymology== <!-- These are examples and not exhaustive lists. Lists of first names exist at Wiktionary. Before adding any more examples please discuss on talk page.--> Given names most often derive from the following categories: * Aspiring personal traits (external and internal). For example, the name Clement means "merciful". English examples include Faith, Prudence, Augustus, and Fido (The last coming from the [[Latin]] for 'faith'). * Occupations, for example [[George]] means "farmer"[http://behindthename.com/php/view.php?name=george] * Circumstances of birth, for example [[Thomas (name)|Thomas]] means "twin"[http://behindthename.com/php/view.php?name=thomas], or the Latin name ''[[Quintus]]'', which was traditionally given to the fifth male child.[http://behindthename.com/php/view.php?name=quintus] * Objects, for example [[Peter]] means "rock"[http://behindthename.com/php/view.php?name=peter] and [[Edgar]] means "rich spear"[http://behindthename.com/php/view.php?name=edgar] * Physical characteristics, for example [[Calvin]] means "bald"[http://behindthename.com/php/view.php?name=calvin]. * Variations on another name, especially to change the sex of the name ([[Pauline]], Georgia) or to translate from another language (Francis < Tuscan ''Francisco'', "Frenchman," q.v. later in the article). * [[Family name|Surname]]s, for example [[Winston]], [[Harrison]], and [[Ross]]. Such names are common in upper-class American families and often come from families that are frequently intermarried with the family bearing the individual's surname * Places, for example [[Brittany]] and [[Duchy of Lorraine|Lorraine]] * Time of birth, for example day of the week, as in [[Kofi Annan]], whose given name means "born on Friday," or the holiday on which one was born, for example [[Natasha]], a Russian diminutive of [[Natalia]], which means "[[Christmas]]" in Latin * Combination of the above, for example the [[Armenian language|Armenian]] name Sirvart means "love rose" * Names of unknown or disputed etymology, for example [[Mary]][http://behindthename.com/php/view.php?name=mary]. In many cultures, given names are reused, especially [[namesake|to commemorate ancestors]] or those who are particularly admired, resulting in a limited repertoire of names that sometimes vary by [[orthography]]. The most familiar example of this, to Western readers, is the use of [[Biblical]] and [[saint|saints']] names in most of the Christian countries (with Ethiopia, in which names were often ideals or abstractions — Haile Selassie, "power of the Trinity"; Haile Miriam, "power of Mary" — as the most conspicuous exception). However, the name [[Jesus]] was considered [[taboo]] or [[sacrilege|sacriligious]] in most of the Christian world. Similarly, the name [[Mary, the mother of Jesus|Mary]], now popular if not ubiquitous among [[Christian]]s, particularly [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]], was considered too holy for secular use until about the 12th century. In countries that particularly venerated Mary ([[Poland]], as one example), this remained the case much longer; in Poland, until the arrival in the 17th century of [[France|French]] queens named Marie<ref>[http://www.poland.gov.pl/Polish,names,2470.html Polish names<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>. Most common given names in [[English language|English]] (and many other [[Europe|European]] languages) can be grouped into broad categories based on their origin: <!-- *** These are examples and not exhaustive lists. Lists of first names exist at Wiktionary. Before adding any more examples please discuss on talk page. *** --> * '''[[Hebrew names]]''', most often from the Bible, are very common in — or are elements of names used in — the historically Christian countries. [[Theophoric name|Some]] have elements meaning "God," especially "[[Theophory in the Bible#El theophory|El]]." Examples: [[Michael]], [[Joshua]], [[Joseph (Hebrew Bible)|Joseph]], [[David]], [[Adam (name)|Adam]], [[Elizabeth]], [[Hannah (given name)|Hannah]] and [[Mary]]. There are also a handful of names in use derived from the '''[[Aramaic language|Aramaic]]''', particularly the names of prominent figures in the New Testament — such as [[Thomas]], [[Martha]] and [[Bartholomew]]. ** All of the [[Semitic|Semitic peoples]] of history and the present day use at least some names constructed like these in Hebrew (and the ancient Hebrews used names not constructed like these — such as [[Moses]], probably an Egyptian name related to the names of [[Pharoahs]] like Thutmose and Ahmose). The Muslim world is the best-known example (with names like Saif-al-din, "sword of the faith", or Adb-allah, "servant of God"), but even the Carthagenians had similar names: cf. Hannibal, "the grace of the Lord" (in this case not the Abrahamic God, but the deity — probably [[Marduk]] — whose title is normally left untranslated, as [[Baal]]). * '''[[Germanic names]]''' are characteristically warlike; roots with meanings like "glory," "strength," and "will" are common. The "-[[bert]]" element common in many such names comes from ''beraht'', which means "[[bright]]." Examples: Albert, [[Robert]], Alfred, [[Edward]], [[Roger]], Rosalind, Emma, [[Eric]] and [[Matilda]]. * '''[[French language|French]] forms of [[Germanic languages|Germanic]] names'''. Since the [[Norman conquest of England]], many [[English language|English]] given names of [[Germanic languages|Germanic]] origin are used in their [[French name|French forms]]. Examples: Albert, [[Robert]], [[Charles]], [[Roger]]. <!-- *** These are examples and not exhaustive lists. Lists of first names exist at Wiktionary. Before adding any more examples please discuss on talk page. *** --> * '''[[Celtic language|Celtic]] names''' are sometimes [[anglicisation|anglicised]] versions of [[Celtic language|Celtic]] forms, but the original form may also be used. Examples: [[Alan (name)|Alan]], [[Brian]], [[Brigid]], Mòrag, [[Ciaran]], [[Jennifer]], and [[John (name)#Evolution of the name John|Seán]]. These names often have origins in [[Celtic language|Celtic]] words, as [[Celtic language|Celtic]] versions of the names of internationally known [[Christian]] [[saint]]s, as names of [[Celtic mythology|Celtic mythological figures]], or simply as long-standing names whose ultimate etymology is unclear. * '''[[Greek names]]''' can be derived from the [[Greco-Roman]] [[List of Greek mythological figures|gods]], or may have other meanings. Some may be derived from the [[New Testament]] and early [[Christian]] traditions. Some of the names are often, but not always, [[anglicisation|anglicised]]. Examples: [[Eleanor]], [[Stephen]], [[Alexander]], [[Andrew]], [[Peter (name)|Peter]], [[Gregory]], [[George]], [[Christopher]], [[Melissa]], [[Margaret]], [[Nicholas]], [[Jason]], [[Timothy]], [[Chloe]] and [[Zoë]]. *'''[[Latin]] names''' can also be adopted unchanged, or modified; in particular, the inflected element can be dropped, as often happens in borrowings from Latin to English. Examples: [[Laura]], [[Victoria (name)|Victoria]], [[Marcus]], [[Justin]], [[Paul (male name)|Paul]] (from Lat. "Paulus"), Julius, Cecilia, [[Felix]], [[Julia]], [[Pascal (name)|Pascal]] (not a traditional-type Latin name, but the adjective-turned-name ''paschalis'', "relating to the ''Pascha''" — English "Easter"). * '''Word names''' come from [[English language|English]] vocabulary words. Feminine names of this sort — in more languages than English, and more cultures than Europe alone — frequently derive from nature, flower, birds, colors, or [[gemstone]]s. Examples include [[Jasmine]], [[Lavender]], [[Dawn]], [[Asteraceae|Daisy]], [[Rose]], [[Iris (plant)|Iris]], [[Petunia]], [[Rowan]], and [[Violet (plant)|Violet]]. Male names of this sort are less common — sometimes names like [[Bronco]] and [[Wolf]], associated with strong or dangerous animals. (This is more common in some other languages — such as Turkish — than in English). * '''Trait names''' most conspicuously include the Christian virtues, mentioned above, and normally used as feminine names (such as the three Christian virtues — Faith, Hope, and Charity). * '''Nicknames''' Nicknames are often used to distinguish between two or more people with the same given name. Names that are currently in fashion tend to be varied the most. Nicknames are informal forms of names, often made by abbreviating and adding a ''y''. Shortenings reduce the size of a long name, but nicknames can also be the same length as, or even longer than, the original name. Nicknames are often used especially in childhood; in [[English language|English]], [[Robert]] may be shortened to [[Robert|Robby]] and then [[Robert|Rob]]. In [[German language|German]] the names [[John (name)#Evolution of the name John|Johann]] and [[Margaret (name)#Name Margaret in other languages|Margarete]] are shortened to [[Hansel & Gretel|Hänsel]] and [[Hansel & Gretel|Gretel]] in the famous [[fairy tale]]. Examples: [[Victoria (name)|Vicky]], [[Robert|Rob]], [[Danny]], [[Abby]], [[Ali]], [[Max]] and [[Stephen|Steve]]. * '''Feminine variations''' Many masculine names have feminine variations, often multiple ones. Examples: [[Carl (name)#Female given names|Charlotte]], [[Stephanie]], Philippa, [[Jacqueline (name)|Jacqueline]], [[Danielle]], [[Paula]], [[Patricia]] and [[Francesca]]. Frequently, a given name has versions in many different languages. For example, the [[biblical Hebrew language|biblical Hebrew]] name [[Susanna (disciple)|Susanna]] also occurs in its original [[biblical Hebrew language|Hebrew]] version, Shoshannah, its [[Spanish language|Spanish]] and [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] version Susana, and its [[French language|French]] version, Suzanne, and its [[Polish language|Polish]] version, Zuzanna. <!-- *** These are examples and not exhaustive lists. Lists of first names exist at Wiktionary. Before adding any more examples please discuss on talk page. *** --> [[Slavic names]] are often of a peaceful character, the compounds being derived from word [[root (linguistics)|roots]] meaning "to protect," "to love," "peace," "to praise [gods]," "to give," and so on. [[Chinese given name|Chinese]] and [[Korean name|Korean given name]]s are often unique, because meaningful [[Hanzi]] and [[Hanja]] characters can be combined extensively. However, some parents recycle popular given names as well. The names of famous and successful persons are also reused occasionally. Nevertheless, many Chinese and Korean parents invest a tremendous amount contemplating the names of their newborns before their birth, often with comprehensive [[dictionaries]] or with religious guides, formal or informal. Sometimes, especially in traditional families, paternal grandparents are the name-givers. The [[Chinese language]] doesn't have a particular set of words that function as given names, which differs from [[English language|English]]. Any combination of Chinese characters theoretically can be used as given names, but usually not any combination of English letters are used as given names, which sometimes make Chinese people think that there may be more English-speaking people sharing identical full names than Chinese. This is not the case, due to the much larger set of words used as [[family names]] in English. In many Westernized [[Chinese]] locations, many Chinese also take on an unofficial [[English language|English]] given name in addition to their official Chinese given name. This is also true for [[East Asia]]n students at colleges in countries like the [[United States]], [[Canada]], and [[Australia]], and people who wish to do business internationally - both as means to ease communication with people who cannot properly pronounce the Romanized Chinese characters. For example, a Chinese man named "Wuen-lin" might become "[[William#Name variants|Willie]]" in the USA. It's also interesting to note that when Chinese immigrants or students give themselves English given names, they tend to pick an English given name with the initial letter identical to that of their [[family name]]{{Fact|date=June 2007}}, ''e.g.'' a Chinese woman named "Li [[Ma (surname)|Ma]]" might name herself "[[Mary]] [[Ma (surname)|Ma]]" or a Chinese man named "Xiaobing Tang" might name himself "[[Anthony (given name)|Tony]] Tang." Many female [[Japanese name]]s, such as [[Yoko Ono]]'s, end in ''ko'' (子), which means "child." This has caused some confusion among European-Americans, because in some [[Romance language]]s, masculine names often end in ''o,'' and feminine names often end in ''a.'' People used to names like ''Tino''/''Tina'' are surprised that ''Mariko'' or ''Yoko'' is female. <!-- *** These are examples and not exhaustive lists. Lists of first names exist at Wiktionary. Before adding any more examples please discuss on talk page. *** --> Most names in English are specifically masculine or feminine, but there are many [[unisex names]] as well, such as [[Jordan]], [[Jamie]], [[Jesse]], [[Alex]], [[Ashley]], [[Chris]], [[Hillary]], [[Lesley]], [[Joe]]/[[Jo]], [[Jackie]], [[Pat]], [[Sam]]. Often, one gender is predominant. Many culture groups down through history did not gender names strongly, so that many or all of their names were unisex: Norse/Viking, Hebrew (both male and female Noah), Gaullish. Others had gender built in as a matter of grammar: Latin and its descendants Italian and French, Greek. The term '''Christian name''' is sometimes used as a general synonym for ''given name''. Strictly speaking, the term applies to a name formally given to a child at an [[infant baptism]] or "christening", practised by some Christian groups. ==Popularity distribution of given names== The popularity (frequency) distribution of given names typically follows a [[Zipf-Mandelbrot law|power law distribution]]. Since about 1800 in England and Wales and in the U.S., the popularity distribution of given names has been shifting so that the most popular names are losing popularity. For example, in England and Wales, the most popular female and male names given to babies born in 1800 were Mary and John, with 24% of female babies and 22% of male babies receiving those names, respectively.<ref>[http://www.galbithink.org/names.htm First Name Popularity in England and Wales over the Past Thousand Years<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> In contrast, the corresponding statistics for in England and Wales in 1994 were Emily and James, with 3% and 4% of names, respectively. Not only have Mary and John gone out of favor in the English speaking world, also the overall distribution of names has changed significantly over the last 100 years for females, but not for males. This has led to an increasing amount of diversity for female names.<ref>[http://analyticalvisions.blogspot.com/2006/11/names.html Analytical Visions: Names<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> ===Influence of pop culture=== [[Popular culture]] appears to have an influence on naming trends, at least in the [[United States]] and [[United Kingdom]]. Newly famous celebrities and public figures may influence the popularity of names. For example, in 2004 , the names "Keira" and "Kiera" respectively became the 51st and 92nd most popular girls' names in the UK, following the rise in popularity of British actress [[Keira Knightley]].<ref>[http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=184 National Statistics Online<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> In 2001, the use of Colby as a boys' name for babies in the United States jumped from 233rd place to 99th, just after [[Colby Donaldson]] was the runner-up on ''[[Survivor: The Australian Outback]]''.<ref name=ssa>[http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames Popular Baby Names], Social Security Administration, USA</ref> Characters from fiction also seem to influence naming. After the name [[Kayla]] was used for [[Kayla Brady|a character]] on the American [[soap opera]] ''[[Days of our Lives]]'',<!--This is the correct rendering, per the show's title sequence.--> the name's popularity increased greatly. The name [[Tammy]], and the related [[Tamara]] became popular after the movie ''[[Tammy and the Bachelor]]'' came out in 1957. Some names were established or spread by being used in literature. Notable examples include [[Jessica]], a name created by William Shakespeare in his play "[[The Merchant of Venice]]", [[Vanessa (name)|Vanessa]], created by [[Jonathan Swift]]; [[Fiona]], a character from [[James Macpherson]]'s spurious cycle of [[Ossian]] poems; and [[Wendy]], an obscure name popularised by [[J. M. Barrie]] in his play ''[[Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up]]''; and [[Madison (name)|Madison]], a character from the movie ''[[Splash (film)|Splash]]''. [[Lara]] and [[Larissa]] were rare in America before the appearance of ''[[Doctor Zhivago (1965 film)|Doctor Zhivago]],'' and have become fairly common since. Kayleigh became a particularly popular name in the United Kingdom following the release of a song by the British rock group [[Marillion]]. Government statistics in 2005 revealed that 96% of Kayleighs were born after 1985, the year in which Marillion released "[[Kayleigh]]". Popular culture figures do not seem to have to be admirable in order to influence naming trends. For example, Peyton came in to the top 1000 as a female given name for babies in the United States for the first time in 1992 (at #583), immediately after it was featured as the name of an evil nanny in the film ''[[The Hand That Rocks the Cradle]]''.<ref name=ssa>[http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames Popular Baby Names], Social Security Administration, USA</ref> In other instances, names become less common because of negative associations in popular culture. For example, [[Adolf]] has fallen out of use since the [[World War II|Second World War]]. ===Twin names=== In some cultures, [[twins]] may be given distinctive pairs of names. Twin names are sometimes similar in sound, for example boy/girl twins named Christian and Christina or twin girls named Sudha and Subha, or Ojor and Omon in Nigeria. The names may have a thematic similarity such as [[Jesse]] (or Jessica) and James (named after the American outlaw [[Jesse James (outlaw)|Jesse James]]) or Matthew and Mark (named after the first two books of the [[New Testament]] in the [[Bible]]). The oldest ever female twins, who both died in 2000, were named [[Kin Narita]] and [[Gin Kanie]], [[gold]] and [[silver]] respectively in Japanese. ==Name changing==<!-- This section is linked from the first para of [[Given name]] --> People may [[name change|change their names]] for a variety of reasons. In many countries there is a mandatory or voluntary official procedure. Popular reasons for changing one's name include these: * professional reasons (as with actors). * Name is too common or uncommon. * Name is too hard to spell or say. * Name is too long. * Name is too "foreign-sounding". * Name is too "old-fashioned sounding". * To mark a religious rite of passage (in [[Christianity]], for example, this may include baptism, confirmation, ordination, or taking religious vows as a monk or nun). * Family reasons, such as being raised by a step-parent rather than a biological one (most common with children who have no contact with the biological father). * One feels that a nickname is more "oneself" than the given name (or vice versa). * Name is unisex. * Name is not unisex. * Name conflicts with one's spiritual belief (popular in Asian countries; and often amongst converts to [[Islam]]). * To effect a clean break from the past and make a fresh start. * A family member has the same name. * Name is obscene, vulgar or insulting in another language the name's owner later comes to use. * Name is too closely identified with someone who became famous or infamous after that person's birth (for instance, [[Adolf Hitler|Adolf]]). * To reflect the identity of a [[transgender]] person (e.g. Walter/[[Wendy Carlos]]; Jonathan/[[Joan Roughgarden]]). ==Related articles and lists== {{wiktionarypar|Appendix:Names}} * [[Personal name]] * [[Most popular given names]] in many different countries and cultures * [[Name day]]s * By type: ** [[Unisex name]] ** [[Surname]] ** [[Nickname]] ** [[Saint's name]] *** [[Calendar of saints]] ** [[Middle name]] ** [[Pseudonym]] ** [[Slave name]] ** [[Theophoric name]]s ***[[Theophory in the Bible]] *[[Names of God]] ===By culture=== ;Indo-European * [[Germanic names]] ** [[Dutch name]] ** [[German names]] *[[Indian names]] *[[Irish name]] *[[Lithuanian name]] *[[Persian name]] *[[Roman naming conventions]] *Romance ** [[Italian name]] ** [[French names]] ** [[Portuguese surnames]] ** [[Spanish name]] *Slavic names ** [[Bulgarian names]] ** [[Czech names]] ** [[Polish names]] ** [[Russian name]] ** [[Name days in Slovakia]] ;Central Asia, Altaic * [[Names in Russian Empire, Soviet Union and CIS countries]] * [[Hungarian name]] * [[Mongolian name]] ;Semitic / Near Eastern * [[Arabic name]] * [[Hebrew name]] * [[List of Biblical names]] ;East Asia *[[Chinese name]] *[[Indonesian name]] **[[Balinese name]] **[[Javanese name]] *[[Japanese name]] *[[Korean name]] *[[Malaysian name]] *[[Philippine name]] *[[Vietnamese name]] *[[Thai name]] *[[Tibetan name]] ;Africa *[[Akan name]] == References == <references/> == External links == * [http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames Social Security online - Baby Names] - United States [[Social Security Administration]] provides a website where people can search the popularity of names and naming trends in the United States. * [http://www.galbithink.org/names/agnames.htm Given Name Frequency Project] - Analysis of long-term trends in given names in England and Wales. Includes downloadable datasets of names for persons interested in studying given name trends. * [http://www.census.gov/genealogy/names/names_files.html U.S. Census Bureau: Distribution of Names Files] Large ranked list of male and female given names in addition to last names. * [http://www.ssb.no/emner/00/navn/ The Norwegian Bureau of Statistics] maintains a service through which one might learn how many people carry a particular name or combination of names (both given and family). It also shows the historical usage of quite a few first names over the past 120 or so years. * {{CathEncy|wstitle=Christian Names}} * [http://www.nigerian.name The meaning of Nigerian names] {{Names in world cultures}} [[Category:Given names| ]] [[Category:Names]] [[Category:Naming conventions]] [[br:Anv-badez]] [[ca:Prenom]] [[da:Fornavn]] [[de:Vorname]] [[es:Nombre de pila]] [[eo:Persona nomo]] [[fr:Prénom]] [[fy:Foarnamme]] [[he:שם פרטי]] [[lb:Virnumm]] [[nl:Voornaam]] [[ja:名前]] [[no:Navn]] [[nn:personnamn]] [[nds:List vun plattdüütsche Vörnaams]] [[pl:Imię]] [[pt:Prenome]] [[ru:Личное имя]] [[simple:Given name]] [[sk:Krstné meno]] [[sl:Osebno ime]] [[fi:Etunimi]] [[sv:Förnamn]] [[uk:Ім'я]] [[wa:Pitit no]] [[zh:名稱]]