Forenames and social stratification

Abstract

The apparently innocuous act of naming a newborn baby anywhere in the world belies the parents’ cultural baggage of social expectations and ethno-cultural customs that have evolved over generations. In this chapter we argue that the choice of forenames that parents select for their children is by no means a random one. A multitude of cultural, religious, linguistic, geographic and socioeconomic factors play an important role in the forename/s chosen for a new member of a family. When these forenaming preferences are carefully studied over time, space and social groups, evidence repeatedly shows that forename choice follows very clear “fashion waves” and changes in cultural preferences. These choices in return leave distinct cultural traits in forename distributions by ethnic, social and religious groups. The factors driving forenaming choices operate both at the individual and societal levels through internal and external influences in parents. A review of these studies in several countries is presented providing additional clues that allow us to disentangle social strata in a population, especially with respect to ethnicity in forenaming practices.