Naming Patterns in Rural South-Central Nebraska
A common strategy in naming a newborn is “namesaking,” that is, the practice of naming the newborn after a specific family member. Namesaking may be considered a unique form of parental investment, advertising the connection between the newborn and specific kinfolk. Namesaking patterns were assesse...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University Library System, University of Pittsburgh
2016-07-01
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| Series: | Names |
| Online Access: | http://ans-names.pitt.edu/ans/article/view/2083 |
| Summary: | A common strategy in naming a newborn is “namesaking,” that is, the practice of naming the newborn after a specific family member. Namesaking may be considered a unique form of parental investment, advertising the connection between the newborn and specific kinfolk. Namesaking patterns were assessed in rural, south-central Nebraska by examining 841 birth announcements printed in a local newspaper during the calendar years 1994 and 2014. Results indicated that male newborns were significantly more likely to be namesaked than female newborns; first-born children were more likely to be namesaked than later-born children; and namesaked newborns were more likely to be named after paternal relatives than maternal relatives. These findings suggest that namesaking may be a way of preserving familial connections within rural, south-central Nebraska.
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| ISSN: | 0027-7738 1756-2279 |