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From: cw@vaxwaller.UUCP (Carl Weidling)
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: The meanings of names
Message-ID: <197@vaxwaller.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 23-Jan-85 17:46:16 EST
Article-I.D.: vaxwalle.197
Posted: Wed Jan 23 17:46:16 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 25-Jan-85 06:50:34 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: Varian, Walnut Creek, CA
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	I'm curious about naming conventions in various languages. In
English a few first names still have meaning, particularly women's names,
for example:  Prudence, Hope, Faith, Ernest. Of course many names are
derived from words or expressions in other languages like Greek, Latin,
Hebrew, and Old English, but I'm referring to names that mean something in
the current language.  I wonder how much significance is attached to the
meaning in the current culture.  When an English language couple names
their child "Charity", are they really trying to make some kind of statement?
I seem to recall reading that in old New England people would give names that
were little mottoes making complete sentences, "Charity begins at home"
for instance.  That would be making a statement.  If the names are significant
then what about nicknames? In the movie "Little Big Man" one of the minor
characters was Dirt_On_The_Nose, I remember wondering if he would be likely
to be called "Dirt" or "Nose" for short.
	Having spent two years in the Navy stationed in Japan I know a little
about Japanese conventions.  The names have meanings, probably because they
are written in kanji, which are Chinese ideograms that convey meaning rather
than sound.  I met women named Haruko, Natsuko, and Akiko (Spring child,
Summer child, and Fall child, I didn't meet any Fuyuko's though). Among men's
names , for instance, Makoto means Truth, and Star Trek's Mr Sulu's first name
is Hikaru which means light ray. I don't know how much signicance the Japanese
attach to these meanings though.  One would assume that all the Natsukos were
born in the summer. Do any Japanese out there want to clarify this?
	So anyway, what groups are there in which people are named things that
really mean something in the modern vernacular?
				Regards,
				Carl Weidling