A baby’s name becomes part of her identity, as well as her introduction to the world. Like a birthmark, a baby’s name is attached to her from the beginning of her life and possibly until the end.
One of the trickiest tasks new parents face is providing the right name for their baby. Many of us roll our eyes when we hear that a celebrity has named their baby after a fruit or a comic book character.
The name you choose for your child will impact the rest of her life. Research has shown a link between a person’s dislike of his or her name, and self-esteem.
Jean Twenge of San Diego State University said, "The relationship is so strong that when people want to measure self-esteem in a more subtle way you can do it with the name-letter task."
The name-letter task is a method in where subjects report whether they like different letters of the alphabet. Participants with high self-esteem select and like the letters, particularly the first, in their names.
A new study from MooseRoots, a scientific genetic history research company, found certain names are tied to those who have been called geniuses.
The survey by MooseRoots analyzed more than 14,750 names from "notable philosophers, writers, mathematicians, scientists, inventors, artists, composers, Nobel laureates and MacArthur fellows," and identified what names are shared between them.
Researchers found that the most common name for female geniuses is Mary, and John is the name that shows up most frequently for geniuses who are male.
In an interview the company said, "It’s much easier to climb the ranks of the elite when you have a bit of a head start. Prepare your child for greatness by giving him a name that has been borne by many accomplished people."
Every year, the Social Security website tracks and releases the most popular baby names in each state. This year, Noah and Emma were on the top of the list.
However, these names are not the most popular in each state. While Noah was most popular in only nine states, Emma was trendy in 22 states across the United States. Other popular names by state include:
• Harper – North and South Dakota
• Henry – Minnesota
• Benjamin - Massachusetts
• Isabella – Florida
• Jackson - Wyoming
In Mississippi, four of the top 12 names for boys are Brayden, Ayden, Aiden and Jayden. In Alaska, Aurora is one of the top names for girls, and Lincoln is the second-most popular boys’ name in South Dakota.
According to David Figlio of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, "There is a reason why baby name books are extremely popular. We're always trying to think about the first bit of a child's identity and so if we as a society pay a lot of attention to names it makes a lot of sense that people's names might influence how they think about themselves and the way in which people might think about them."
Sources:
"Good or Baby, Baby Names Have Long Lasting Effects." Livescience.com. June 13, 2010.
http://www.livescience.com/6569-good-bad-baby-names-long-lasting-effects.html
"When Your Regret the Name You Chose for Your Baby." HuffingtonPost.com. January 18, 2016.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/when-you-regret-the-name-you-chose-for-your-baby_us_56980638e4b0778f46f8afb6
"Popular Baby Names by State." Goodhousekeeping.com. January 18, 2016.
http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/parenting/a36426/popular-baby-names-by-state
"26 Baby Names for Your Future Genius." The Deseret News. January 16, 2016.
http://national.deseretnews.com/article/16656/26-baby-names-for-your-future-genius.html
Top 5 Baby Names By State For Births In 2014. Official Social Security Website. January 16, 2016.
https://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/state/top5_2014.html
Reviewed January 19, 2016
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith