The Orthodox are supposed to name their child after a saint or a godly concept (Sophia, Agapos, etc.). That saint can be an Old Testament or a New Testament saint. Obviously a New Testament saint means anyone in Church history from any culture. It may include reasonable derivations of the saint’s name into another language. For instance, whether you name your child Iohannes, John, Juan, Johann, Yohanan, Yochanan, it is all the same saint’s name, and it should not matter which variation you use.
In some jurisdictions in the USA that still have a strong ethnic tie, there is a strong push to name the child with a name that preserves the ethnic heritage, but it is not mandatory. Because people are always converting, and some of them are named saints, there are always new names entering the list of saints. Also, as languages change, or as people migrate to new countries, names tend to slowly change in pronunciation or spelling, as shown in the different variations of the name Yohanan that I listed above (yes, that would actually have been the “real” name of the Apostle we call John in the English language.
The use of saints’ names also tends to prevent some unfortunate naming mistakes. I think we have all seen some people with unfortunate name combinations, or people whose given name will subject them to ridicule for years. For instance, which of you can remember Moon Unit Zappa? Mind you, she has grown up to be an actress and a singer, but that is not the point.
But some countries are more pro-active in trying to prevent the embarrassment of children. In every continent, there is at least one country that limits what a child can be named, as part of their child-protection statutes. For instance:
Sweden
The part of the law referencing first names reads: “First names shall not be approved if they can cause offense or can be supposed to cause discomfort for the one using it, or names which for some obvious reason are not suitable as a first name.”
If you later change your name, you must keep at least one of the names that you were originally given, and you can only change your name once.
Among the names rejected have been “A” and “Brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb111163.”
China
Most new babies in China are now basically required to be named based on the ability of computer scanners to read those names on national identification cards. The government recommends giving children names that are easily readable, and encourages Simplified characters over Traditional Chinese ones.
Parents can technically choose the given name, but numbers and non-Chinese symbols and characters are not allowed.
Among the names rejected have been “@.” Yes, that it the symbol traditionally used in internet addresses.
New Zealand
New Zealand’s Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act of 1995 doesn’t allow people to name their children anything that “might cause offence to a reasonable person; or […] is unreasonably long; or without adequate justification, […] is, includes, or resembles, an official title or rank.” Officials at the registrar of births have successfully talked parents out of some more embarrassing names.
Among the names rejected have been “Stallion, Yeah Detroit, Fish and Chips, Twisty Poi, Keenan Got Lucy, Sex Fruit, Satan and Adolf Hitler.”
When I read some of the rejected names, it makes me glad that we expect our children to be named after a saint or godly concept. But, here is a question, do you think the USA should have laws that allow a state or county to reject a given name on the basis of some of the reasons listed above by other countries? I do not have a settled opinion on the issue. But, I would certainly try to make sure that once a child becomes an adult, a legal name change is easily and cheaply available to them with less paperwork than it now takes.
It’s a sensible law, but an entirely subjective one. My German exchange sister’s parents, for example, wanted to name her ‘Nicola’ but the Birth registry people insisted that that was not a name, so she ended up as ‘Nicole” (not too different, but not the name they wanted either.)
My oldest daughter is named an antiquated spelling of her name and my youngest daughter is named a kis-Swahili word meaning like the moon–but the reason I chose it is–her father wanted an African name and I wanted a “Mary” derivative. Her name is Kamaria–which is both. All three of my daughters have the Theotokos’ name somewhere in their name.
In the southern United States, often someone is named a family last name thus my aunt whose given name was Etta Walker Hall. My father who was the youngest of the children–several if whom died in infancy was given the name of the state and the capital of that state in which he was born–his parents having gone there for work–(Ohio Columbus)-He refused to saddle one of my brothers with the entire name, but one of my brothers got Ohio as a middle name. Interestingly enough, none of the girls in the family were named family names–only the boys–my mother feeling that all the girl family names were–well–unfortunate. Sallie Pearl, Emma, Etta Walker, Ethel and May–all of which I think are pretty solid old fashioned names.
The name she chose for me I never thought fit me and so at 50 I changed my name (and it is a derivative of a Saint name) Now my middle name I love as it is a derivative of the Theotokos name. But I must say, two of my sister’s were named for what nickname the name would make–Rebecca Suzanne of course is Becky Sue and Victoria Louise is Vicky Lou. One of my brothers is Ernest William–Ernie Billy of course and my youngest brother got Thomas Ohio which was shortened to Tommy Hio when he was a baby–though you would get shot if you called him that now!! Now remember, my father is a southerner!! All of the older brothers and sisters wanted to name my next to youngest sister after a Typhoon, but my Mother nixed that one!! I have two great aunts who had real names, I suppose, but no one called them anything but Boysie and SIssie!! I love names–but there are some saint names I would not give a child either!!
Along the back stretch is Stallion, Yeah Detroit, Fish and Chips, followed by Twisty Poi, Keenan Got Lucy, Sex Fruit, Satan and Adolf Hitler. It’s Stallion by a length, but here comes Fish and Chips on the inside! Round the last turn, it’s Stallion, Yeah Detroit and Fish and Chips. Fish and Chips is making a move! On the inside! At the wire… it’s Fish and Chips by a nose! 😉
I like the idea of saint names. In my neck of the Protestant woods, “strong” bible names are fashionable.