Curiosities about Names
Apart from their surname or last name, most British and American children
are given two personal names by their parents, a first name and a middle
name . These names are sometimes called Christian names or given names. Some
people have only one given name, a few have three or more. Friends and
members of a family who are of similar age usually call one another by their
first names. In some families, young people now also call their aunts and
uncles and even their parents by their first names. Outside the family, the
expression be on first name suggests that the people concerned have a
friendly informal relationship.
When writing their name American commonly give their first name and their
middle initial , e.g. George M Cohan . Both given names are used in full
only on formal occasions, e.g. when people get married. In Britain many
people sign their name on checks using the initials of both their given
names and their surname, e.g. J E Brooks , but many write Joanna Brooks at
the end of a letter. The full name (= all given names and surname) is
usually only required on official forms.
Parents usually decide on given names for their children before they are
born. In some families the oldest boy is given the same name as his father.
In the US the word junior or senior , or a number, is added after the name
and surname to make it clear which person is being referred to. For example,
the son of William Jones Sr (Senior) would be called William Jones Jr
(Junior) and his son would be called William Jones III ('William Jones the
third').
Many popular names come from the Bible, e.g. Jacob, Joshua, Matthew, Mary,
Rebecca and Sarah , though this does not imply that the people who choose
them are religious. Other people give their children the name of somebody
they admire, such as a famous sports personality, or a film or pop star. In
Britain the names William and Harry have become common again since the sons
of Price Charles were given these names. In the US Chelsea was not a common
name for a girl until President Bill Clinton's daughter Chelsea came to a
public attention.
Names such as David, Michael, Paul and Robert for boys and Helen, Jane and
Susan for girls remain popular for many years. Other, e.g. Darrell, Darren,
Wayne, Tracey, Jade and Zara are fashionable for only a short period. Names
such as Albert, Herbert, Wilfrid, Doris, Gladys and Joyce are now out of
fashion and are found mainly among older people. Some older names came back
into fashion and there are now many young women called Amy, Emma, Harriet,
Laura and Sophie . The birth announcements columns in newspapers give an
indication of the names that are currently popular.
People from Wales, Scotland or Ireland, or those who have cultural
background from outside Britain, may choose from and additional set of
names. In the US Jews, African American or people of Latin American origin
may also choose different names.
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