Surely every parent thought about whether there are rules for choosing a name for the child and what determines the choice of a name? Our ancestors solved this question simply – turned to the clergy. Now, most often, mothers and fathers choose the name of the newborn on the principle of “like – not like”. But in some families there is a heated debate if the tastes of relatives do not coincide. At the same time, a wide variety of arguments are used, from the church calendar to horoscopes, from family traditions to numerology.
Harmony
For those who do not attach particular importance to subtle matters, it is enough for the name to sound beautifully and evoke pleasant associations. But it is worth considering that it should be combined with the middle name and last name. The extravagant foreign name and ordinary Russian patronymic (Kleopatra Ivanovna, Apollon Petrovich) can discord with each other, and the combination of an exotic name and a simple surname (Malvina Sergeeva, Mercury Ivanov) usually causes a smile.
The choice of a name by patronymic is also important. So, if the name ends in a consonant, and the middle name begins with it (for example, Mark Konstantinovich, Vladimir Rodionovich), then the pronunciation will be difficult. Before choosing a name for the child, check the initials. They should not be a funny or ridiculous word. When choosing a name for boys, that in the future they will become fathers and give a middle name to their children. Therefore, it is important that not only the name, but also the middle name formed from it should sound beautiful.
Saints
Among the Orthodox, the choice of a name according to the calendar is popular today. Saints, or the Orthodox Monthly, is a church calendar for each day of which there is a day of remembrance for one or more saints. According to church tradition, the name of the baby can be chosen from the list of those saints who are glorified on the child’s birthday, on the eighth day, when the rite of giving the name is performed, or during the period of 40 days, when the sacrament of Holy Baptism is usually performed. But this is not a strict rule.
Therefore, if there is a desire to name a baby in honor of another saint, then there are no obstacles to this. It is believed that the name chosen by the clergy is the name of a guardian angel who will protect a person throughout his life.
Seasons
There is a theory that children born at certain times of the year have their own character traits, and they need to choose a name based on these characteristics. How to make the right name selection by month of birth or time of year? It is believed that “winter” children are most often of a solid nature, therefore it is better for them to give melodic names so as not to aggravate some of the character traits laid down by nature (Ulyana, Anastasia, Maxim, Timofey, etc.). “Spring” – vulnerable, indecisive, soft.
For them, it is worth choosing names that give free rein to victory and firmness in beliefs (Elizabeth, Margarita, Victor, Alexander, etc.). “Summer” are impulsive and emotional. Solid names will suit them, which will become a kind of protection for them (Olga, Anna, Yuri, Egor, etc.). “Autumn” children have a light character, they do not need additional character correction by name.
Meaning of the name
Some parents are sure that the chosen name guarantees the child certain traits of character, temperament and even fate. Numerous collections of names offer ready-made “recipes” in case parents want their son to grow up a strong-willed and strong leader, and his daughter to be obedient and affectionate.
Believe it or not in the meaning of the name – moms and dads decide for themselves. But sometimes it’s useful to get information about the history, origin (etymology), cultural tradition of each specific name for a boy or a name for a girl.
Traditions
When choosing a name for a child, many parents rely on family traditions, believing that this gives a person a sense of belonging to the family, an understanding of their roots, and possibly some predictability of the future. For example, in some families children are named solely in honor of grandparents, great-grandfathers or great-grandmothers. Others have special “patterns”, for example, the names of all children must be double or begin with the same letter. Some of the parents consider only the choice of an Orthodox (or Muslim) name, while someone seeks to give their children international names.
Psychologist Julia Pirumova: “When a name is chosen in honor or in memory of relatives, this can create an unnecessary burden on the fate of the child, which is supported not by esoteric factors, but by quite everyday family messages.”
Originality
Choosing a rare name for the child, parents want a bright fate for him. Indeed, a person with an unusual name immediately attracts attention. Most often, the original options are long-forgotten old names, as well as foreign ones that are not common in a particular country. But sometimes the imagination of creative moms and dads knows no bounds. For example, model Anna Vyalitsyna called her daughter Alaska, and actor Edward Norton brings up a son named Atlas. Our celebrities are not far behind.
Director Valeria Gai Germanika chose the names of Octavius and Severin for her daughters, and the children of the figure skater Marina Anisina and the actor Nikita Dzhigurdy are Mick Angel Christie and Eva Vlad. How can one explain this choice of names? For example, TV presenter Olga Shelest, the mother of Muses and Iris, answered this question this way : “If you raise a child in love and respect for yourself and others, he will be able to live in comfort with a name, even if it is very unusual. I felt that I could call the daughters that way, so I gave them such names. And I am against stereotypes. ”
Lawyer Alexander Arutyunov: “You can name a child by any name! Family law does not contain any restrictions on the name of the child… But surely the time will not come when you want to change the unique name of the son or daughter to normal? Keep in mind that this is terrible hassle! ”
Astrology and numerology
Choosing a name for a newborn is a difficult task. Therefore, some parents turn to horoscopes for help. They believe that choosing a name according to the zodiac sign will bring the child good luck and guarantee him a happy fate. Numerology is also popular today – choosing a name by date of birth. Numerologists believe in the magical power of numbers and assure that they can choose the most favorable name that will enhance the positive qualities of the middle name and last name, mitigate the negative traits and emphasize the positive. Official science is rather skeptical of such theories, but this does not stop parents.
Tests
On the Internet there are many tests that will help you choose a name for the baby. Is it worth it to take such questionnaires seriously, everyone decides for himself, but, as you know, every joke has a grain of truth. And some parents are ready to rely even on a random choice of name. For such moms and dads, there are programs for choosing a name for a child online.
Moms share their experiences
In parent forums, the topic of choosing a name for a child is one of the most popular. Moms talk about their know-how:
- “Movement.” “The choice of a name for the boy was difficult for us. Before the birth I lay and pronounced the names I liked. Five male names have already been named, and now in the sixth version, “Demyan,” the baby confidently pushed the leg in my stomach. We named our son. The choice of the name Demyan was successful – the son makes us happy every day! ”
- “Signs”. “Even before pregnancy, I heard the sign“ the more letters coincide in the names of parents and children, the stronger the family ”. I’m Natalia, my husband is Anatoly, and we decided to name Vitaly’s son. I believe that the choice of the name of the son is right! We have a very friendly family, complete mutual understanding. ”
- “Notes.” “Choosing a name for our daughter was difficult for us. And then it turned out that a random choice of name is the most successful. We wrote the most beautiful female names on leaflets and put them in a canvas bag. Then they shook it and took out a note from there, on which was written “Anya.” “This leaflet is still kept in the dowry at our Annie along with a tag from the hospital and a baptismal shirt.”
- “The eldest child to help.” “We did not take into account any rules for choosing a name for a boy. When we arrived from the hospital, our eldest daughter, 3-year-old Maria, saw her brother and said: “This is Misha. Masha and Misha will be friends. ” “My husband and I agreed, and decided to name our son Mikhail, although we had other options.”
- “Prophetic dream”. “Choosing a name for a child in a dream is about me!” A month before the birth I had a dream that I was shaking a little girl in my arms and calling her Katya, although my husband and I did not even consider this name. We called our baby. As it turned out later, I also pleased my mother-in-law: she always wanted a daughter, Ekaterina, but she only had one son. ”
- “Collective mind”. “Choosing a woman’s name was a difficult task for me and my husband. From the first month of pregnancy until the birth I actively communicated with expectant mothers in one of the forums on the Web. They became literally native people for me: they always supported me in difficult situations and helped with advice. I turned to them for help. My husband and I liked the names Anastasia and Veronika, but we could not choose one. I asked the girls to vote. By a majority of votes, Veronica was chosen. Now we have a beautiful daughter, Nick. ”
