In many families, finding a name for their child is a ritual and a lengthy process; or, in my parents’ case, a last minute resort to the hospital’s book of baby names. Despite their different approaches, both of these methods have one thing in common: importance given to meaning.
Parents always nitpick the negatives and positives attributed to particular names. They scour the internet for alternate meanings because their child will certainly not be named something that translates to “evil,” or anything related. Most importantly, they won’t name their child after the co-worker that always arrives late and chews gum all day, every day. Interestingly enough, there is a very good reason for that.
Associative learning
Associative learning is when stimuli in our environment helps us predict future events. The example used by the NIH was as such: “the painful experience of having been bitten by a dog can result in the development of fear of dogs causing one to avoid places where dogs can be encountered.”
This same concept is applicable to name-personality associations. This is why so many parents tend to avoid naming their children after people whom they have had unfavorable experiences with, and why so many people avoid or dislike a person with a certain name. Without even knowing them personally, some will associate the names with the experience they’ve had with others.
Brent Singerton (11) shares a similar experience: “I knew a Nathaniel once, and he was the happiest guy on earth. Every time I hear that name, I immediately remember that guy and how enthusiastic he was.”
Alexa Ruiz (11) also shares her positive characterization: “When I think of the name Emma, I associate it with someone who is kind and calm because most of the Emmas I’ve met tend to be nice and patient.”
However, these associations aren’t limited to direct experience. People can also create a connection between events and future occurrences through situations they have never experienced before. Social media is a great example of an influence outlet. Constant exposure to these characterizations creates a pattern, and the pattern becomes the social norm.
Popular stereotypes
I hear the term ‘Surfer Dudes’—guys with long hair and relaxed personalities—get thrown around quite frequently, and is typically associated with a small pool of names. A website specializing in parental guidance shares some of them: “Logan, Dylan, Kai, Bodhi, Brody, [and] Riley.” I have seen my fair share of Brodys online trying to teach me how to surf and clean surf boards, so I think that’s a fair selection of names.
Gen Z and social media have had a particularly heavy hand in the characterization of some of these names. A popular one is the name “Karen.” If you ask anyone to define a Karen, a likely response will be that they are always asking for the manager, but BBC explains it further as “a widespread meme referencing a specific type of middle-class white woman, who exhibits behaviours that stem from privilege.” As a member of Gen Z who sometimes uses this name, I apologize to all of the nice Karens; I know you’re out there.
A name more recently characterized through social media is “Kevin Nguyen.” I only heard of this recently, but the internet has gone crazy, especially among the American-Vietnamese communities. A “Kevin Nguyen” is characterized as an Asian party boy who drinks boba, is a crazy raver, and has a pretty impressive wallet.
I could go on and on with the amount of name stereotypes that exist, especially with the expansion of social media; however, many of these stereotypes can be harmful to people. Not only that, but personal experiences. My only advice is try not to rely on past experiences to determine compatibility with people who have certain names. It’s better to begin human interactions at base zero, with no prejudice, just good vibes.
