Mia or Leia, Svetozar or Elisha … These are far from the most unusual names that are given to children today. Why do parents do it? We deal with the psychologist Nina Bocharova.
Many parents, already at the stage of expecting a child, are thinking about how to emphasize his individuality, choosing an original, unexpected, bright name for him.
In search of inspiration, some turn to the saints. There they can find both Varlaam and Filaret, as well as Vassian, Efrosinya, Thekla or Fevronia. No wonder — before the revolution, parents mainly used the church calendar when deciding how to name their offspring.
Today, popular films, series, pseudonyms of artists come to the rescue. Recently, Daenerys, Jon and Arya have been in fashion, as well as Leia and Luke. And several girls became Madonnas.
“By naming a son or daughter after historical figures, literary, mythological or film characters, parents want to endow the child with those qualities that they like in the chosen characters,” explains psychologist Nina Bocharova.
In 2020, Russian parents chose the names Olimpiada, Spring and Joy for their children, and one boy was named Julian. They even remembered the long-forgotten name of Stalin, which was especially popular in the late 20s.
In the 21st century in Russia, preference is given to old Russian and pseudo-Russian names: for example, Dragoslav
By the way, there has always been a fashion for certain names. For example, in Soviet times, a child could receive the name Dazdraperma (from the abbreviation “Long live the First of May!”), Algebrina (from the word “algebra”), Idlena (“Lenin’s ideas”), Partizan and even Oyushminald (“Otto Yulievich Schmidt on an ice floe «). This is how the desire to “build a new world” within the framework of a single family was manifested.
When the USSR sent the first man into space, the boys were called Yuri. And when the first woman went there, many newborn girls became Valentines.
In the XNUMXst century in Russia, many prefer Old Russian and pseudo-Slavic names: for example, Dragoslav and Volodomir. The most daring parents realize their fantasies by engaging in spiritual practices and assigning some esoteric meaning to the name. For example, a boy may be called Cosmos, and a girl may be called Karma.
What are adults guided by when they think about what to name their son or daughter? “Choosing unusual names,” says Nina Bocharova. “Parents want to emphasize the individuality of the child through the name, to distinguish him from others.”
Sometimes the motives can be socio-cultural, related to national or religious affiliation, the expert adds.
Unfortunately, when naming a child in an extraordinary and catchy way, parents think more about their own ambitions, and not about the person who then has to live with this name, the psychologist recalls. They do not seem to understand that an unusual name can be a reason for harassment. And the grown-up son or daughter will eventually hate him and, perhaps, even change him. Luckily, it’s not hard to do now.
It is best to start by analyzing how a name can affect a child’s life in society.
What then to take into account when choosing, if not your own imagination? A combination with a patronymic, surname, or date in the Saints? How not to make a child unhappy?
“It is best to start by analyzing how the name can affect his life in society. Will it be comfortable for him to be so different and stand out, will there be comic nicknames, prefixes, will they make fun of him. How the name will affect the ability to communicate and self-identity. After all, this name should be given to the child, and not to the parents who make the choice for him, ”explains the expert.
During pregnancy, you can choose several options by studying the history of the origin of the name. And after giving birth, look at the person who was born, and decide which one is more suitable. And think a hundred times before calling a child Pronya or Evlampia.