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First I'd like to refine the question to answer "what is the oldest name still in use?"
Truly it's an impossible question to answer correctly without a time machine, but we can guess. First, take out history altogether; the oldest written name would be something from Gilgamesh, but there are plenty of ho-hum names from oral traditions around the world that are probably much much older than the fantastical ones put into Sumerian epics.
Chimps will respond to names, but don't seem to give them to each other. So at least we can follow just the hominid line.
So now we're looking at vocal evolution to figure out which sounds our oldest ancestors were capable of making that we still make. This is easier than it sounds--our voices are by far the most advanced of any air-breathing species, and because of this we have developed the ability to make several "low rent" vowel sounds that modulate better and take far less energy.
From the bones of various human ancestors we can actually see our vocal abilities making huge leaps--our vocal range is a big part of what sets us apart from every other species.
The older, not-as-advanced sounds are those we still make reflexively. For example, when you get surprised or feel a sudden jolt of adrenalin you'll still make a gasping your ancestors have been making for well on 16 million years. However you'll note nobody's name has that sound in it, because for the last 125,000 years or so you've been able to make an 'H' sound instead. So "Harry" or "Hari" or "Hah-Ri" can't be any older than your voicebox being low enough in your throat to make the 'H' audible.
The consonants that we make off of our teeth needed a completely modern tongue to produce, so things like 't' or 'th' or 'z' or 'l' or 'n' are out. So are consonants that require vibrations, like 'v' or 'b' though those are a little older. There's some special muscles in our lips, about 1 million years old, without which we wouldn't have separated 'pf' into 'p' and 'f'. Also about that age are throat muscles that could constrict enough to produce 'k' and 'g' sounds (including the throaty 'ch' like in "Chaim" that most native english speakers have never used). The oldest consonant sounds then are things like 'd' and 'm'.
From the bones of various human ancestors we can actually see our vocal abilities making huge leaps--our vocal range is a big part of what sets us apart from every other species.
Vowels however are where the most interesting things happened. Every other primate, including our ancestors until about 600,000 years ago has an air sac that works like a speaker to make our sounds louder. By losing that thing we were able to get really precise with vowel sounds, and only after that did 'e' and 'i' and and 'u' and most of the variations of those really become useful. It can truly be said that the oldest names are those that will make you ooh and ah.
So the oldest names still in use? Ma and Da.
Truly it's an impossible question to answer correctly without a time machine, but we can guess. First, take out history altogether; the oldest written name would be something from Gilgamesh, but there are plenty of ho-hum names from oral traditions around the world that are probably much much older than the fantastical ones put into Sumerian epics.
Chimps will respond to names, but don't seem to give them to each other. So at least we can follow just the hominid line.
So now we're looking at vocal evolution to figure out which sounds our oldest ancestors were capable of making that we still make. This is easier than it sounds--our voices are by far the most advanced of any air-breathing species, and because of this we have developed the ability to make several "low rent" vowel sounds that modulate better and take far less energy.
From the bones of various human ancestors we can actually see our vocal abilities making huge leaps--our vocal range is a big part of what sets us apart from every other species.
The older, not-as-advanced sounds are those we still make reflexively. For example, when you get surprised or feel a sudden jolt of adrenalin you'll still make a gasping your ancestors have been making for well on 16 million years. However you'll note nobody's name has that sound in it, because for the last 125,000 years or so you've been able to make an 'H' sound instead. So "Harry" or "Hari" or "Hah-Ri" can't be any older than your voicebox being low enough in your throat to make the 'H' audible.
The consonants that we make off of our teeth needed a completely modern tongue to produce, so things like 't' or 'th' or 'z' or 'l' or 'n' are out. So are consonants that require vibrations, like 'v' or 'b' though those are a little older. There's some special muscles in our lips, about 1 million years old, without which we wouldn't have separated 'pf' into 'p' and 'f'. Also about that age are throat muscles that could constrict enough to produce 'k' and 'g' sounds (including the throaty 'ch' like in "Chaim" that most native english speakers have never used). The oldest consonant sounds then are things like 'd' and 'm'.
From the bones of various human ancestors we can actually see our vocal abilities making huge leaps--our vocal range is a big part of what sets us apart from every other species.
Vowels however are where the most interesting things happened. Every other primate, including our ancestors until about 600,000 years ago has an air sac that works like a speaker to make our sounds louder. By losing that thing we were able to get really precise with vowel sounds, and only after that did 'e' and 'i' and and 'u' and most of the variations of those really become useful. It can truly be said that the oldest names are those that will make you ooh and ah.
So the oldest names still in use? Ma and Da.
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