Cameron Miller Assignment 2D Analyze and Argue Section HAMcGough Ocotober 8, 2013

Whats In a Name? Throughout history, names both good and bad have been a driving force of human culture. Names were given for character traits, deeds, and other things that people were known for. These names have lived on as marks of prestige and tradition as well as reminders of our roots. In all of this, a name really defines what we think of ourselves and who we identify ourselves as and this fact can be examined through a cultural and economic lens as well as through our modern perception of names. First, lets look into the cultural aspect of names and how they affect what we think of ourselves. Traditional names from different cultural backgrounds allow for a rich history of the human experience to exist within ourselves. It sets us apart and makes us an individual. The use of cultural names can also give us a clear sense of our roots and where we come from. In dominant societies, names that are often seen as traditional are sometimes traded to match the ones of the dominant culture. In our English speaking culture, more and more families who are non-English are using English names in place of their traditional ones. In addition, English speakers also prefer names that are easier to pronounce, as Manuel Muoz states in his essay Leave Your Name at the Border. This trading of names may not be all of a bad thing however. It gives the person a chance to integrate into the dominant culture and be a part of a mixed bag of history and experience new things because of it. Secondly, there are also economic issues that affect how names define us. Many names are chosen to further the child in life. Authors Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner write in their essay, Trading Up: Where Do Baby Names Come From? that parents, whether they realize it or not, like the sound of names that sound successful. The parents hope that a name will bring success to their child by being a popular and widely cherished name. It can give the person who carries the name a confidence boost and may motivate them to strive toward success in their respective careers. But, there may however an expectation that may be put on the people who carry these names: the expectation that they will be successful. This may put extra stress on the person and they may begin to doubt their identity and who they are when success doesnt come readily. Thirdly, when looking at how names impact our lives, we cant deny that they hold a definite weight, especially in our modern society. When we have a name that is widely considered strong and powerful or is associated with someone who has done something great in the past, we generally feel empowered ourselves. Similarly, when we have a name with a timid or weak background, we begin to feel a little less empowered. In both cases, the complete opposite could be true because of different factors. The one with the timid name could be strong and vice versa. This is where the stigma of association comes. We have expectations for ourselves based on

cultural references and cues that have been hyped up in not only modern media but also legends, whether urban or written. When these expectations are bestowed upon us in names, we are hard pressed to live up to them or hard pressed to overcome them, and many are disappointed when cultural expectations arent met. In the United States in general, baby naming appears to run on zeitgeist. We like to use names that are the next great sensation (see Figure 1) Figure 1: Baby Names for boys in 2012 were fairly uniform and as mentioned before, will guarantee a throughout the country with Mason, Liam, and William becoming the new fad persons place in society. It seems to go Source: Most Common Boys Name hand in hand with capitalism. When a name becomes the next big thing, everyone scrambles to use it much like a commodity, and once the name has run its course, a new and better name will take its place like a new, sweeping innovation. To a person with a commodity name, this may seem like a liability. They may feel as if their name isnt very unique because of the mass naming of the time. Names are a driving force of our culture. They are also driving forces of ourselves and how we define ourselves. There are many cultural, economic, and modern influences that go into our naming processes and determining our thoughts on our own names. As names still continue to be a part of our culture, let us not be wary of our name choosing but also consider what it will mean for the people who carry the names throughout their lives.

Works Cited
Levitt, Steven D., and Stephen J. Dubner. Trading Up: Where Do Baby Names Come From Atwan, Robert. Convergences: Themes, Texts, and Images for Composition. 3rd ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2009. Print.

Muoz, Manuel. Leave Your Name at the Border Atwan, Robert. Convergences: Themes, Texts, and Images for Composition. 3rd ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2009. Print.
Most Common Boys Name in Each State (2012) LandofMaps.com. Web. 8 Oct, 2013