Public Reactions to Unusual Names

Abstract

Abstract A sample of lower income Blacks, lower income Whites, higher income Blacks, and higher income Whites in the United States were asked about children's first names, the reasons the names were selected, and the identity of the persons who named the children. The most frequent reason for naming children in all four groups was “I/we just liked it.” The Whites were more likely than the Blacks to have named the child after a family member. Shoppers were then asked to rate the unusual names, along with a random sample of usual names, on six attributes: successful, moral, healthy, warm, cheerful, and gender appropriate. The shoppers were divided into eight groups in a two-income levels, two sexes, and two races design. The ratings were higher for usual names for all six attributes for all eight groups of raters. Although the unusual names had negative connotations for a wide variety of people in the community, name choices were usually the result of parents' current nonrational preferences.