When and Why Did Humans Begin Naming Each Other?

This is an extremely broad question that inspired the fields of Onomastics and Anthroponomastics

Onomastics

This is a broader area that includes the study of name practices and encompasses different fields such as anthroponomastics, toponomastics, history, sociology, philosophy, and linguistics. This area of study has identified that names have deep meaning, and act as a foundation to human identity.

Anthroponomastics

From the Greek - anthrōpos, 'human', and ὄνομα onoma, 'name'. This area is more specific, and focuses on personal names by examining their etymology, historical usage, cultural significance.

Reflecting on the Past

The concept and practice of naming can be traced to the earliest, prehistoric human civilizations. Humans began naming one another as a form of communication and to create individual identities. They probably began as specific vocalizations and/or hand gestures and evolved over thousands of years to more complex naming practices.

This evolution experienced a boost with the invention of writing. Recording a name reflected the personal traits, occupations, or beliefs of the individual. Carving or writing names allowed for them to be immortalized. This practice varied around the world. Consider the hieroglyphs found in the tombs of Pharaohs of ancient Egypt. They used complex symbols found in nature to record the names and important details about the deceased that we can still view and appreciate all these years later.

Recording names to documents became a crucial part of record keeping. Several ancient cultures relied only on single names. Ancient Greeks, like the famous philosophers Plato, and Aristotle, had no surnames.

Later, humans developed surnames to specify one Adam from the next, indicate lineage, location, or occupation.

Parental Surname

A parental surname takes influence from a father or mother’s name. Any surname that ends with “son” such as Johnson indicates that it was originally given to children of men named John.

Occupational Surname

Occupational surnames were originally assigned based on one’s job in Medieval times. Many English-based examples such as (Black) Smith, Carpenter, or Weaver, are easy to decipher. A lesser-known example would be the surname Sawyer, which was given to men who used manual saws to cut (or saw) wood. This occupation is now more commonly known as a lumberjack.

Locational Surname

We can pinpoint where our ancestors may have lived based on locational surnames, which came from general areas. Hill, Lake, Bush, Field, and Stone are all examples of this type of surname. Some locational surnames would specify a town or city. The name Leonardo Da Vinci meant “Leonardo, from Vinci”.

Descriptive Surname

Descriptive surnames are not as literal as the above categories. These names might have come from physical traits, behavior, personality or other factors. Surnames that specify a colour might have been used to describe someone with similar-colored hair, clothing or complexion. These surnames were also symbolic if referring to one’s personality or other abstract traits.

Some surnames are loosely tied to these categories, such as ones derived from animals. If someone could run fast, the surname Wolf might have been used. If they were known to be sly, Fox might have been an appropriate surname to adorn them with. If they were a gentle soul, Lamb might be used. A more recent example of this type of surname was observed after slavery was abolished in the United States, some freed slaves who did not want to be known by the names of their former owners chose to go by the surname “Freeman”, literally free man.

Recent Naming Practices

Along the road of name evolution, instead of naming an adult by their location or occupation, humans began choosing names for their own offspring in infancy. At first, due to high infant mortality rates, it was considered bad luck to name a baby before their first birthday since many babies did not survive that long. After one-year, babies have stronger immune systems and are more resilient to injuries and disease. This is why a child’s first birthday is still such an exciting and special milestone. With increasing populations, the rise of literacy, and record keeping, officials began keeping records of births, marriages and deaths. For this, names were necessary for every individual. Eventually It became the law that every newborn baby required a name. When faced with this responsibility, families adopted given naming practices that originated from different areas.

Names Inspired by Nature

Some people who live, work in or have a deep appreciation for nature choose baby names rooted in nature. There are countless girl name options that honour flowers, seasons or other elements of nature that embody beauty. Daisy, Summer, and Robin are all adorable names found in nature. Alternatively, to reflect the opposite of beauty, bolder natural elements are commonly used as boy names such as River, Rain, Storm, and Rocky.

Family Names

Some families choose to re-use a name that has already been used within their family. In Greek culture, it is expected that a baby is named after one of their four grandparents. Other cultures choose to honour relatives or ancestors by using their name for a new addition. This is a safe option for families that have trouble choosing a name.

Biblical/Religious Names

It is well documented that the most common name on earth is Muhammad including all the spelling variations. An estimated 150 Million males hold this given name. This is the name of the Prophet Muhammed who founded the Islamic faith. The most common female name on earth is Maria, derived from Mariam which holds great significant Biblical meaning. This name means “beloved”, and is also associated with the name Mary, the mother of Jesus, a central figure in Christianity. Joshua (Jesus), Joseph, Rachel, Benjamin, Elizabeth, John, Chloe, Jacob and many more names are found in the Bible and have been used by Christian families. Jewish families gift babies with names that hold strong significance as well. Adam, Eve, Noah, David, Hannah, Abigail, Isaac, Jerome, and many more are some beautiful names with Hebrew origin.

Influence of Pop Culture

Along with the invention of the motion pictures and recorded sounds, this naming practice has exploded in popularity in the last century. Baby names jump up and fall down the popular name lists based on pop culture. We are seeing names influenced on actors, singers, models, and media characters.

However, following the pop-culture-name-of-the-moment can leave parents later slightly regretting how they hopped on the bandwagon. A survey of British parents, Napierski-Prancl notes, found that 20% “no longer liked the name they picked for their child,” with one reason being they regretted picking a name that at the time seemed “cool or clever.”