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I am working on an undergraduate thesis concerning the causes of personal name changes and their effects on the person and that person's relationship with society. I was wondering if any of you have any anecdotes, resources, tips, ideas, etc. Thanks so much!!
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OK, one suggestion and one story!
Namenerds.com have a section on living with popular names. You have to click around a bit to find it, but there are mini essays and it's quite fun.
My husband's cousin was named Mandeville, for family reasons, and became known as Mandy. The instant he turned 21 and legally could change it, he did - to Carl. Very macho! He is, and I would say this to his face, a conscienceless, gold-digging sex maniac (perhaps the result of his early years of embarrassment?), so we were amused at the name change - if you pronounce Carl the English way so the R disappears and you get Cahl, it sounds like the Afrikaans word which means . But I don't think that was his intention!
Your research project sounds most interesting!
Namenerds.com have a section on living with popular names. You have to click around a bit to find it, but there are mini essays and it's quite fun.
My husband's cousin was named Mandeville, for family reasons, and became known as Mandy. The instant he turned 21 and legally could change it, he did - to Carl. Very macho! He is, and I would say this to his face, a conscienceless, gold-digging sex maniac (perhaps the result of his early years of embarrassment?), so we were amused at the name change - if you pronounce Carl the English way so the R disappears and you get Cahl, it sounds like the Afrikaans word which means . But I don't think that was his intention!
Your research project sounds most interesting!
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Hmmm. You might want to mention the idea of having a name that is much to popular, or a name that is much too uncommon, or unusual for the sex. For instance, Marion, on a boy, or the extreme amount of Susans and Debbies in the 60's, or a child named Chickganawanna.
If you would like more info, please don't hesitate to post!
Lala
If you would like more info, please don't hesitate to post!
Lala
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There is no fixed list of accepted names in Germany like there is in Denmark, so it's up to the registrar to accept a name or to refuse it. Of course he has got books to look up the name, but even if he doesn't find it he can decide to accept it.
One point is the gender: at least one of the given names has to have a clearly recognizable gender. So a boy can have Maria as a given name (which used to be fairly common until maybe fifty years ago, think of the composer Carl Maria von Weber) or Eike (which can be both m. or f.), but he must have a second given name.
A second point is the well-being of the child, who should not suffer from his name. And this is where courts come in: if you don't accept the decision of the registrar you can bring an action against the state and sometime you will be successfull. There was a couple a few years ago who wanted to name their child Pumuckel, which is the name of a comic character and it sounds really rediculous in Germany. But they succeeded. Poor Pumuckel! So much about Cardboard.
But you can make up a name, if there are no bad associations going with it. We called our daughter Wiona, which is a mix of Winona and Fiona, and it was accepted.
The custom to name a child after the day's saint is now dying out in Germany except in some very conservative areas like in parts of Bavaria.
Andy ;—)
One point is the gender: at least one of the given names has to have a clearly recognizable gender. So a boy can have Maria as a given name (which used to be fairly common until maybe fifty years ago, think of the composer Carl Maria von Weber) or Eike (which can be both m. or f.), but he must have a second given name.
A second point is the well-being of the child, who should not suffer from his name. And this is where courts come in: if you don't accept the decision of the registrar you can bring an action against the state and sometime you will be successfull. There was a couple a few years ago who wanted to name their child Pumuckel, which is the name of a comic character and it sounds really rediculous in Germany. But they succeeded. Poor Pumuckel! So much about Cardboard.
But you can make up a name, if there are no bad associations going with it. We called our daughter Wiona, which is a mix of Winona and Fiona, and it was accepted.
The custom to name a child after the day's saint is now dying out in Germany except in some very conservative areas like in parts of Bavaria.
Andy ;—)
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I hope I get you right: you are talking about individuals who change their name at a certain time? Like from John to James?
In case you do: I have experienced one case of the kind (here in Germany). About then years ago here was a young man (I think he was 23) by the name Erdman. This translates "earth man" and it sounds just as horrible in German. You might think of dwarfs or creatures of the kind, or else of a miner - or both. In fact the name is a literal translation af Adam, but nobody realises that here. That man was suffering from his name, and so one day he decided to have it changed to Christian, which is as common in Germany as anywhere else in a western society. Plus it sounds a bit alike.
Everybody could feel with him and encouraged him to take this step, and he lived happily ever after …
But this isn't a fairy tale, but a true story and the name change indeed was an important change in the life of that young man.
I hope this may help.
Andy ;—)
In case you do: I have experienced one case of the kind (here in Germany). About then years ago here was a young man (I think he was 23) by the name Erdman. This translates "earth man" and it sounds just as horrible in German. You might think of dwarfs or creatures of the kind, or else of a miner - or both. In fact the name is a literal translation af Adam, but nobody realises that here. That man was suffering from his name, and so one day he decided to have it changed to Christian, which is as common in Germany as anywhere else in a western society. Plus it sounds a bit alike.
Everybody could feel with him and encouraged him to take this step, and he lived happily ever after …
But this isn't a fairy tale, but a true story and the name change indeed was an important change in the life of that young man.
I hope this may help.
Andy ;—)
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Thank you for your story. Yes, I am talking about individuals who change their name at a certain time. I'm also looking at people whose names are changed by others through pressure (a country's laws, cultural naming customs, etc.)
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