We don’t think we’ve ever hidden the fact that we are obsessed with baby names. Like, we end up either discussing or writing about them every single day.
Any today is no different except we’re not bringing you a list of adorable names, we’re bringing you a few naming traditions from around the world.
You never know, they might help if you’re finding it difficult to pick the perfect moniker (because a lot of them mean that you don’t choose)…
Keeping it in the family
In Greece and Spain, parents tend to follow the tradition of naming their children after the grandparents, starting with the father’s parents. Sure, it means that the child’s name isn’t necessarily unique but it’s actually a lovely way to honour the family.
It’s all about timing
Some African regions pick names that reflect on the time of birth, for example the day on which the baby was born, or their position in the family, such as Mosi which is the term for ‘first-born’, according to the Behind The Name website.
A sign from above
Hawaiians were apparently of the belief that an ancestral god would send a name for their newborn via a sign or dream. If this was the case here and now, chances are we’d be calling our daughter Ryan Gosling!
The choice of godparents has never been so important
Back in the day in England, a baby was usually named after their godparents. At this time, these people would have been chosen based on their socioeconomic status as opposed to their closeness to the new parents.
Mixing it up
According to The Perfect Name: A Step-by-step Guide to Naming Your Baby, Utah Mormons combine the first names of parents or grandparents. So there could be a little Johnry (John and Mary) or Siniam (Sinead and Liam) running around. Maybe not… but you get the point.
