A 2010 study of 325 million American names by Jean Twenge of the University of San Diego and others found a sharp increase in parents giving their children uncommon names starting in 1983. Parents, suggested its authors, wanted them to “stand out and be a star.”I had not actually considered this before, but a preference for unusual names certainly fits with the competitive individualism of our new age.
I learned a great deal about individualism from "Habits of the Heart - Individualism and Commitment in American Life" by Robert Bellah.
ReplyDelete"I had not actually considered this before, but a preference for unusual names certainly fits with the competitive individualism of our new age."
ReplyDeleteAll depends on how many people do you want to turn around when someone calls out your name.
@Shadow
ReplyDeleteA fine point - population growth creates an impetus for new unique names. Even with them, odds are good each of us knows several biblically named Johns, Davids, Matthews, et cetera. Imagine how many more of those names we'd see if not for newer names.
Of course, the Bible itself is a rich source of usual names. Epaphroditus, anyone? Call out "Tubal-Cain" and see how many people turn their heads.
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