Baby Name Origins

Amazing Origins of Baby Names

The enchanting process of naming a baby is usually discussed by parents and other close members of the family well before the baby arrives. In fact, they have nine months in which they can discuss and occasionally debate the issue. In almost all cultures, it is not a casual affair by any stretch of the imagination. In India for example, a priest is called in to name the baby and several religious rituals are performed to bestow good luck on the baby and to please the gods. Very often, the name that is eventually registered is a different one from the one given by the priest. In most parts of the world, baby name origins have a clear cut history, track record and rationale. Before we tell you more about baby name origins and how little ones are endowed with their primary identity, Let us share a few facts on file with you.

Baby Name Origins and Standard Baby Naming Practices

It goes without saying that once you choose the name of your little baby, the baby will carry the name you have selected for life. In certain cases, a name can cause laughter and mirth. Many countries have a law that at the time of registration of a child's name the state can object to it and prevent the registration of a name if it is found inappropriate.

Common Ways of Naming Babies

The most common originating source for naming babies have been after celebrities of the parents choice and after names of friends and relatives. One trend that has begun is naming babies after a geographical feature or attribute. Jordan is one such example. It originates both from the name of a famous basketball player and a river from which the country has been named. Similarly, Athena originates from the ancient Greek city Athens. Jamaica Kincaid is the name of a well known novelist, and the name of the island state is part of his name. Similarly, James Cameroon, the well known movie personality also bears the name of the islands. Did Britney Spears' parents draw inspiration from Britain? We really don't know.

A name like Abdullah would most certainly seem unfamiliar especially to a western audience. It literally means "servant of God" in Africa. However, a slight twist to that and we have Abdul and Abdullah both of which have the same meaning and can be found occurring all the way through the Middle East, the Indian sub continent all the way till Indonesia.

Biblical Origin of Baby Names

Biblical names have always been popular in the west and amongst Christians. A name like Adelaide means kind and is also the name of a city in Australia.

Many have heard of the song groups ABBA, their name was derived from their initials. Strangely, the word Abba is a Hebrew name meaning father and is again used as a common noun meaning father in India. The Hebrew boy's name Aaron means lofty while the uncommon girl's name Achava means friendship.

Exotic Names and Exotic Origins of Baby Names

Chinese names are hard to place as baby boy names or baby girl names. This is because of our unfamiliarity with the language. Tao means peach in the context of a girls name, in another context it could mean the path. Chu Hua means chrysanthemum and has nothing to do with dogs. Ushi means ox, this is just the sort of name that would draw laughs even in China. Po Sin means grandfather elephant and is a boys name, while Dingbang means protector of the country.

There are names like Jan, Juan, John, Jon which are derived from the same word. So even if they seem from a far country of different languages they are actually the same. Many names actually have the same root origin.
So far there have been very few people naming their babies after children from China. Picking up names from another language is another popular method in baby naming.

Negative Origins of Baby Names

A look at some names from across the globe would be educative. Firstly, in almost no cases, do names have a negative meaning, though they may have a negative meaning in some other language. Tome Kruise and Kate Holmes named their daughter "Suri." This was attacked by linguists who believed that the word meant "go away" in Syrian. However, "Suri" is a common family name in India.

So there you have it. Most baby names have either single or multiple origins and it is always a great idea to research the baby name's origin before finalizing a name for your baby.