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Informationen zum Autor Kathy Ishizuka Klappentext Bigger and better than ever! this comprehensive reference provides all the information parents need to choose the best name for their baby. Packed with thousands of new choices and the latest findings on how our names can affect our personal and professional lives! this book makes finding the perfect name easier than ever. Discover: Place names: Jamaica! Dakota! Sierra Surnames for first names: Madison! Harper! Taylor Names from nature: Lark! Pearl! Sage Names from mythology: Daphne! Thea! Gareth 10 issues to consider before naming a baby Concise overview of the most popular name categories Completely revised horoscopes to predict a baby's talents and tendencies And much more! INTRODUCTION How We Choose Names Parents-to-be may be overwhelmed by the responsibility of naming their baby. It is, after all, their first formal act as parents, and subject to the scrutiny of family, friends, and community. A name can proclaim parents’ hopes for their child and how they define themselves as a family. Your personal, religious, and cultural identity can be measured, in part, by the name you give your child. Understanding the importance of the task before them, many parents feel overwhelmed because in our culture there are no guidelines and few traditions concerning the naming of babies. What has been described as your first gift to your child is a personal choice, and is often decided in what may seem to be an arbitrary manner. Despite the private nature of your decision, you will undoubtedly be subjected to many opinions along the way. Even before Aunt Edna (or another relative) puts in her two cents, you will probably encounter some material on the subject. Popular baby-name books abound. Most are references of a general sort; however, there are also books that recommend celebrity names, names of soap opera characters, and names scientifically measured for professional and personal success. One best-selling book defines every possible subgroup of names, which are cleverly headed and classified according to style. Parents can choose, in menu fashion, which style they aspire to. Most recent on the market is a board game devised for selecting a name, step-by-step. While a good baby-name reference (like the one you have in your hands) can help guide you in your quest, your final choice remains a personal one. Does the name sound pleasing? Is it meaningful? Does it honor your family? Only you can make these decisions for yourself and your child. So relax, trust your instincts, and savor the joyful process of discovering your child’s name. What’s in a Name? For years psychologists have speculated that a person’s first name can somehow influence his or her life. Here are some recent findings on the significance of names. Feminine Names: A widely published British study seemed to confirm that girls with feminine names like Lucy and Rose did indeed have more girlish personalities. However, this result may have had more to do with the traditional parents who named them. Another study on women with masculine names (Dean, Randy, etc.) revealed that they were no more likely to be unfeminine than women named Deborah or Elizabeth. Yet another study compares the relationship between women’s names and corporate hiring. It contends that, at least in white-collar circles, there is prejudice against sexy names—in other words, a Crystal may be passed over for promotion in favor of an Amanda. Children and Their Names: New research in this area has debunked a widely accepted theory that academic achievement and “social competence” are linked to the popularity of a child’s name—in other words, that Ashley and Michael would have more friends and be more favorably graded by teachers than their less popularly named peers, such as Agnes and Myron. The researchers concluded...
