Centuries ago, when the world’s population was vastly smaller than it is today, the question of what to name the baby wasn’t a big one for new parents for one, simple reason there weren’t that many baby names to choose from! It wasn’t necessary to have more than a handful of names for each gender, and most babies were named after relatives or influential figures whose names were already in the available name pool.
In today’s world, expectant parents are faced with an ever-increasing name pool that contains thousands upon thousands of names. Combine this with a host of new name styles and fashions, and there are more names in use today than ever before. But, and this may come as a surprise to you, the factors that influence our particular name choices haven’t really changed much since the days of our ancestors.
Think for a moment about what happens when you meet someone new, say at a dinner party or a business meeting. You look at each other for visual cues about who you are and what you both might be like. You take note of each other’s face, hair, and eyes, and how these features relate to the rest of your bodies. You size up what each other is wearing again, a strong visual cue to what people are all about. You speak a greeting and you may offer a handshake. And you exchange one last piece of key information you give each other your names.
What’s so important about names? Unless you have the kind of job that requires you to name things, you’ve probably never paid serious attention to what they’re all about. In fact, you might not even know what your own name means, its origin, or how you came to get it. You may be wondering what the fuss over picking a name is all about.
Believe me, it’s about plenty. When you have a baby, you find that many things that were once not very important to you suddenly become so. Choosing a name generally zooms right to the top of the list.