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HelpRe: Taboo names becoming less... taboo?
in reply to a message by erb816
I'm not sure. Isn't Cain an English surname as well? Sound wise, Cain is very on trend. It only ranked #956 in 2021, so I'm guessing the association is what is keeping it back. It does sound like cane, so that might be a draw back too.
It doesn't look like Jezebel has ever appeared in the top 1000 names in the USA, so it seems like it is still an unusual choice. There have always been people into counter-culture or with a love of the transgressive, so it is hard to know if the taboo is gone or if some people are attracted to the idea of deliberately breaking a taboo. Alternatively, the parents might have been thinking of some quasi-feminist reinvention of the character.
The name Delilah has certainly become more popular of late, but, considering that the Puritans were the ones who apparently popularized it in English speaking countries first, I'm not sure if the use of names from unsavory Bible characters is purely a sign of lack of religiosity? Some people doubtlessly were just going for the sound and a song reference. In the case of the Puritans, I think they liked to use names that set them apart by using names that other denominations wouldn't consider. Maybe it was similar to naming a kid Humiliation to reflect on human frailty or something?
There have always been people who were given names that would be considered odd in their era/culture/society. For instance, there is record of someone named Ananias in the 16th century, and, considering that most people went to church back them, you'd think the parents would have known that Ananias was the guy struck down by God for lying. Maybe Ananias's parents just vaguely remembered the name from the Bible and thought it sounded nice? Meanwhile, the neighbors probably all considered it a weird choice.
I think what is considered taboo shifts over time. We might phase out one taboo and introduce another.
It doesn't look like Jezebel has ever appeared in the top 1000 names in the USA, so it seems like it is still an unusual choice. There have always been people into counter-culture or with a love of the transgressive, so it is hard to know if the taboo is gone or if some people are attracted to the idea of deliberately breaking a taboo. Alternatively, the parents might have been thinking of some quasi-feminist reinvention of the character.
The name Delilah has certainly become more popular of late, but, considering that the Puritans were the ones who apparently popularized it in English speaking countries first, I'm not sure if the use of names from unsavory Bible characters is purely a sign of lack of religiosity? Some people doubtlessly were just going for the sound and a song reference. In the case of the Puritans, I think they liked to use names that set them apart by using names that other denominations wouldn't consider. Maybe it was similar to naming a kid Humiliation to reflect on human frailty or something?
There have always been people who were given names that would be considered odd in their era/culture/society. For instance, there is record of someone named Ananias in the 16th century, and, considering that most people went to church back them, you'd think the parents would have known that Ananias was the guy struck down by God for lying. Maybe Ananias's parents just vaguely remembered the name from the Bible and thought it sounded nice? Meanwhile, the neighbors probably all considered it a weird choice.
I think what is considered taboo shifts over time. We might phase out one taboo and introduce another.
This message was edited 2/14/2023, 1:19 PM
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