Why do we put so much emphasis on a name’s etymology, when many name meanings are unknown, debatable or irrelevant outside of their original cultural context?
This is something I have wondered for a while. Many supposedly “bad” meanings resulted from people ignoring the religious or historical context of a name (for example, with [name_f]Dolores[/name_f]).
Some supposed meanings (like “bitter” for [name_f]Mary[/name_f]) are debated by scholars, yet people still repeat them as fact. To me it seems odd to discard a name just because of a possible meaning, especially if that name has more positive associations.
I am def in the boat of caring about a name’s meaning and etymology. One of my big pet peeves is when people pick a name outside of cultural etc context, and don’t take their time to research it sufficiently.
With that said, you are certainly correct that the meaning and origin of a name can often be debated. I think there is always a little bit of mystery to every name that has a long history of usage, such as the ones you mention. I am currently researching “original” Slavic names (ie, pre-[name_m]Christian[/name_m]) and it’s extremely hard - sometimes you can’t tell whether the name has a “truly” Slavic root, or whether it’s, for instance, derived from an originally Sanskrit root. I think to this end, the names remain a mystery. It also reflects the truth that there is little cultural “purity” to be found, as it seems to be human tradition to wander and mix and be inspired by others.
Finally, names have different types of meanings- there is the etymological meaning, but also the cultural relevance (eg of “[name_f]Mary[/name_f]”). I think meaning (as far as we can determine it) can be overridden by other criteria, for example if we’re talking a family name (although I still like to check the etymological meaning on those, too).
I don’t care much about meaning (though if they’re nice, I’d likely mention them more often) but I can understand why some people may not want the first thing they give their child to be associated with something negative (and some names do have negative meanings that aren’t debatable).
Meaning won’t stop me from using a name. However I will bring it up to SO if it’s nice to try and convince him (@felicity, [name_m]Asher[/name_m], etc)
Some cultures have really in depth naming traditions, and the name is thought to be closely linked with the spirit of the child or what the child will grow into.
[name_m]Even[/name_m] when your culture doesn’t have this, the child may one day research their own name (I know I did) and it can be a part of identity formation. That being said, sound is so important to me. I feel like resonance is a kind of meaning. So meaning is not my first consideration, but something I use to whittle down the list of sounds I’m drawn to.
For me I can remember when I was younger and searching up the meanings of mine & my friends names. [name_u]Alexis[/name_u] means ‘defender of men’ and since then always thought I my children should have a name with a good meaning so they aren’t like disappointed (?) if they were to search up theirs. I also believe it is something you carry around with you, during your life.
A name’s meaning is the most important thing about it for me. Nearly all names we use in English are inherited from different, usually ancient cultures, and I’m fascinated by what values parents over the ages have chosen to embed in their child’s name. It gives an incredible insight into what other cultures and eras cherished and considered important, and for me this is part of what makes us human.
We may not be able to understand the meanings of names on first glance anymore, but we mustn’t forget that they are still there. When we address someone as, for instance, [name_m]Robert[/name_m], we are calling him “bright fame” without realising it. I think it’s hugely important to be conscious of names’ meanings as much as we can so that the labels we give our children will be appropriate to them.
The cultural and religious meanings that names have accumulated over the years is just as important for me. It’s also important to look at the intention behind the meaning wherever possible; [name_f]Dolores[/name_f] means sorrows, but the sentiment that motivated the name to be used in its original culture was one of religious devotion – a feeling that is relevant to many parents outside of Spain. The etymological meaning of [name_f]Mary[/name_f] has been lost to time, but the religious significance of the name has more than replaced it.
I also do think that associated meanings add something to a name’s make-up. [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f] probably originally meant “ancient north”, but the name has been associated with [name_f]Helen[/name_f] (“light”) to such an extent that it could be said to have acquired a second meaning. All these factors come together and contribute to what makes the name what it is, and to whether the message it carries is a positive or a negative one.
Meaning is important for my top girls name, as I intend on using it to honour my dad who picked a name with a combined meaning for me. Otherwise a good meaning is a big bonus, and can persuade me to love a name, but a bad one won’t put me off. I think literal meanings can sometimes be emphasised, because non namenerds won’t be looking into the context of the meaning. I remember looking up name meanings in school, and we definitely weren’t doing in depth research. I think name meaning can come from many different sources, and although literal meaning is a part of that, there’s much more to it.
An important point for me is that, when it comes to ancient names, many of their origins have been lost to time and the “meanings” that we read today are basically just scholarly guesses.
Take [name_m]Claudius[/name_m] and [name_f]Claudia[/name_f], for example. [name_f]Do[/name_f] they come from Latin and mean “lame” or do they come from [name_f]Sabine[/name_f], an entirely different ancient language? Scholars don’t agree.
I would also say that it’s hard for modern-day people to understand the intention behind ancient names unless they are really familiar with language, culture etc.
I understand what you mean. When there are ambiguities over the meaning, I think the best you can do is to educate yourself on the different possibilities, and, ideally, to embrace them all. I don’t think that the meaning being unclear makes it any less important. That’s why typical [name_u]Baby[/name_u] Name books with a one-word meaning for each name are the bane of child-naming. Meanings are always ever so much more complicated than that, and so the understanding the parents have of the name often ends up being over-simplistic if not downright wrong.
Thanks for opening this interesting discussion - it’s nice to have such an interesting topic to think about
I kind of have a foot in each camp… I like names very much on how they look and sound, however I can be put off but a negative or boring meaning (even though the meaning of a name isn’t what makes me choose it in the first place). I think, in my mind at least, meaning is important because I want the name to be positive, cheerful, etc. I want to label this human that I love with something that denotes goodness.
I care very much about meanings, although not necessarily the prescribed meanings from long ago, but I don’t really understand how people just name children going on a sound of name, or a trend, and not something that means something to them (a special song/ band, folk story, family member, cultural background, etc). I get that I am in a minority with this [name_m]IRL[/name_m], and probably here also, and I realise this isn’t necessarily the type of ‘meaning’ the OP intended?
