Vanity Plate Children: The American Propensity Towards Naming

Main Article Content

Monica Foote

Abstract

In this paper, the factors that have been found to be most important to the naming choices that American parents make will be explored, followed by an examination of the studies that suggest that these factors frequently lead specifically to children being named after someone else. Both direct namesaking and semihomonymous naming will be taken into account and answers as to why people would make these kinds of choices will be sought in the traditions of the people who tend to do this more frequently as well as in the realm of cognitive psychology and the unconscious thought processes that inform our preferences. Finally, a look at a certain aspect of American world view will enlighten us as to why this practice of namesaking has been described as a particularly American phenomenon.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Article Details

Section
Articles