The Factors Influencing the Naming Practice in the Algerian Society

Abstract

Abstract: This paper reports on the findings of a study that aims primarily at uncovering the prime factors that direct name choices in Jijel, a province in the Northeast of Algeria. The data were elicited through the administration of a questionnaire to a randomly chosen sample of 150 Algerian males and 150 Algerian females from families in the province of Jijel. The subjects of both genders were taken from three different generations, namely the young generation, the middle-aged generation, and the old generation. Importantly, 50 participants were selected from each single generation. They were asked to identify the factors that they think are prominent in the naming process in their region and to add others if there are any. The findings indicate that the naming practice in the Algerian society has gone through the following path: from a focus on religious, cultural, and family factors in the old generation for both genders, to a more influence coming from the religious factor for both genders in the middle-aged generation. As for the young generation, males’ names are still highly influenced by religious beliefs while females’ names have shifted towards “trendy or fashionable” ones. Keywords: