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(nām) pronunciation
n.
  1. A word or words by which an entity is designated and distinguished from others.
  2. A word or group of words used to describe or evaluate, often disparagingly.
  3. Representation or repute, as opposed to reality: a democracy in name, a police state in fact.
    1. A reputation: has a bad name.
    2. A distinguished reputation: made a name for himself as a drummer.
  4. An illustrious or outstanding person: joined several famous names for a photograph. See synonyms at celebrity.
tr.v., named, nam·ing, names.
  1. To give a name to: named the child after both grandparents.
  2. To mention, specify, or cite by name: named the primary colors.
  3. To call by an epithet: named them all cowards.
  4. To nominate for or appoint to a duty, an office, or an honor. See synonyms at appoint.
  5. To specify or fix: We need to name the time for our meeting.
adj. Informal
Well-known by a name: a name performer.

idioms:

in the name of

  1. By the authority of: Open up in the name of the law!
  2. For the reason of; using as a reason: grisly experiments performed in the name of science.
to (one's) name
  1. Belonging to one: I don't have a hat to my name.

[Middle English, from Old English nama.]

namable nam'a·ble or name'a·ble adj.
namer nam'er n.


1. The elliptical construction name of, short for by the name of, is now common informally:
Keep your eyes peeled for a customer on his own, name of Sheldrake—David Lodge, 1991.


2. The idiom you name it, used informally as a colourful equivalent of 'etc.', is first found in print in the 1960s, and is now well established:
Whatever they choose to say, Directors, DG, Higher Command, War Cabinet, Prime Minister, you name it, I'm not sending my units back into Europe—Penelope Fitzgerald, 1980.


3. The idiom to name someone or something after (or for) someone or something else has settled down in current usage as name after in British English and name for in American English:
Wellington, who, as we all know, has a boot named after him—Printing World, 1976
Each chapter is named for the element it recalls—New Yorker, 1987.
The American use occasionally creeps into British contexts, but one is always aware that it is not entirely natural there:
In a city [Melbourne] named for a British prime minister, in a state named for a British queen,...—Sunday Times, 1988
Which Canadian city is named for a Royal Navy captain and great explorer from Kings Lynn, Norfolk?—Liverpool Daily Post, 2007.

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One or more words designating an individual entity. The names of certain specific people, places, and things, called proper nouns, are capitalized. Types of names include personal names (Sheila, Raul), place-names (London, Nairobi), titles of works of art (Mona Lisa, Paradise Lost), brand names (Sanka, Vaseline), names of historical events or eras (War of the Roses, Renaissance), and political, artistic, or philosophical movements (Progressivism, Cubism). Personal names may pass from one culture to another, often changing form — Jochanan (Hebrew), Johann (German), John (English), Ian (Scottish), etc. Family names (surnames) are of more recent origin; the conventions that govern them have existed only since the 11th century. Many hereditary family names came from given names — for example, Alfred, the son of John, might be called Alfred Johnson. Others came from place-names or occupations — Henri from the town of Avignon might become Henri d'Avignon, and Robert, a blacksmith, might become Robert Smith.

For more information on name, visit Britannica.com.

noun

  1. The word or words by which one is called and identified: appellation, appellative, cognomen, denomination, designation, epithet, nickname, style, tag, title. Slang handle, moniker. See specific/general, words.
  2. Public estimation of someone: character, report, reputation, repute. Informal rep. See respect/contempt/standing.
  3. A famous person: celebrity, hero, lion, luminary, notable, personage, personality. Informal big name. See knowledge/ignorance.

verb

  1. To give a name or title to: baptize, call, christen, denominate, designate, dub, entitle, style, term, title. See specific/general, words.
  2. To refer to by name: cite, instance, mention, specify. See specific/general.
  3. To describe with a word or term: call, characterize, designate, label, style, tag, term. See specific/general, words.
  4. To select for an office or position: appoint, designate, make, nominate, tap1. See choice.


n

Definition: celebrity
Antonyms: unknown

v

Definition: choose, designate
Antonyms: ignore, neglect


The significance of names appears early in the Jewish tradition, since the first act of Adam was to give names to all the animals and birds that God had created (Gen. 2:19-20). In the next chapter (Gen. 3:20), Adam names his wife Eve, and a reason is given for chosing this particular appellation. The name of an individual thus came to represent the essence of his or her nature. The name was of such importance that when the individual changed in some way, the name had to be changed as well. Examples of this may be seen in the biblical incidents of Abram, Sarai, Jacob, and Hoshea, whose names are changed to Abraham, Sarah, Israel, and Joshua.

In ancient times it was not unusual for a name to include the name of a god. As long as the worship of Baal had an influence on the Israelites, they had names like Ishbaal. When monotheism prevailed, the use of Baal ceased and names began to include the various titles of God---El, Eli, Yeho. This practice has continued to the present day, with many contemporary Hebrew names still containing the element of God's name.

"How do we know that the name of a person affects his life?" asks the Talmud (Ber. 7b). R. Eleazar's answer indicates that God is responsible for the creation of names and this determines a person's destiny. Taking this as a basic principle, the sages of the Talmud provide scores of explanations for the names of individuals, places, and even animals enumerated in the Bible. Jewish legal codification regarding the spelling of names in Marriage and Divorce documents and in bills of sale is very exacting. This stems from the talmudic discussions where it is maintained that the misspelling of a name invalidates a document and the transaction involved. The naming of a newborn infant takes place on one of two occasions, depending on the sex of the child. A baby boy is named at the Circumcision ceremony; a baby girl is named in the synagogue the first time the Torah is read after her birth. As a throwback to an earlier time when the name was considered to have some magical quality, a baby's name was actually kept secret until the public announcement. This was considered a form of protection, a way of warding off evil spirits who might attack an infant just after birth. The Hebrew form of the name consists of the given name followed by "son" or "daughter" of the father (e.g., Jacob son of Isaac [Ya'akov ben Yitsḥak] or Dinah daughter of Jacob [Dinah bat Ya'akov]). This is the form used in all Hebrew documents and also when someone is called to the Reading of the Law. In recent years it has become customary in many circles to add the mother's name. The mother's name has been used since the Middle Ages whenever a prayer for the return to good health was offered. The Talmud said: "The majority of Jews in foreign parts [the Diaspora] have heathen names" (Git. 11b). However, according to the rabbis, the "Children of Israel did not change their names in Egypt; as Reuben and Simeon they entered and as Reuben and Simeon they departed." The tendency of giving children names common in the non-Jewish environment has continued throughout the centuries. Jews bore names reflecting every society in which they lived, some---such as Alexander---becoming accepted Jewish names. Frequently, Hebrew names were translated into other languages; an example is Baruch, which became Benedict. Conversely, foreign names were translated into Hebrew and especially Yiddish. Fabius-Phoebus became Shraga, an Aramaic word for light, and then, in Yiddish, Feivel. The double name Shraga-Feivel was common in Eastern Europe. Spanish names were likewise taken over by Sephardi Jews.

The practice of changing one's name when seriously ill derives from the Talmud, which states: "Four things prevent the doom of an individual, namely, charity, supplication, change of name, and change of conduct" (RH 16b). The rabbis suggest that changing the name is a way of misleading the Angel of Death. A ritual thus arose, still practised in Orthodox circles, in which an additional name is given to an sick person. This extra name is either Ḥayyim or Ḥayyah or a derivative of thae name, which means "life." From then on the individual goes by both his original name and the new one. In modern Israel, new Hebrew names have been coined and obscure biblical names revived.


Socially, legally, and emotionally, ‘name’, ‘identity’, and ‘status’ are closely linked. The Christian naming ceremony (christening or baptism), has both a religious and an identifying social function: the baby is admitted into the Church, but it is given a name considered attractive in its family's social circle, or is ‘named after’ a relative or friend. As practising genealogists know, inherited forenames are a regular feature of English families, often over many generations—the idea that naming a baby after a living parent is unlucky, mentioned in Camden's Britannia (1586) and occasionally in the 19th century, can never have been widespread. More common in the 19th and 20th centuries has been the belief (still current) that a child should not be given the same name as a dead sibling (Opie and Tatem, 1989: 277-8).

From the mid-19th century onwards, there was a fairly widespread disinclination to mention the baby's name before the christening; it might even be kept secret. Most references imply that it would be tempting fate to preempt the ceremony, but some are explicit that it could give ill-wishers a chance to harm the baby magically (Opie and Tatem, 1989: 278). Most folklorists have taken for granted that the latter notion is rooted in prehistory, since ‘Many savages at the present day regard their names as vital parts of themselves, and take great pains to conceal their real names, lest these should give to evil-disposed persons a handle by which to injure their owners’ (Frazer, 1922: 244). One clear illustration is the fairytale Tom Tit Tot, and further instances can be found among magic practices in England. A written curse or a malevolent image may have the victim's name on it; magically summoning or banishing supernatural beings usually involves uttering their name(s); some verbal charms aggressively address the sickness or injury they are meant to cure (‘Ague, ague, I thee defy!’). Nevertheless, the analogies must not be pressed too far; in particular, whatever ‘primitive man’ may have done, there is no sign that within historic times in England people tried to hide their names from witches, as they did their hair or fingernail clippings.

There has been a strong tradition, especially among male workers and in communities such as the armed forces and schools, of substituting nicknames for proper Christian names. Many of these are conventionally linked to particular surnames, for example ‘Nobby’ Clark, and ‘Dusty’ Miller.

Bibliography
The full bibliography list is available here.

  • Opie and Tatem, 1989: 276-8

American personal names typically include a given name, middle name, surname, and occasionally suffixes. Anglo-American surnames can be traced back to the English adoption of surnames after the Crusades in the thirteenth century. Traditionally, American surnames were transmitted along the male line only. The practice of giving children the mother's surname, or a hyphenated or composite version of both parents' names, was becoming more common by the end of the twentieth century. The assumption that women will assume their husband's surname remains unquestioned in many communities; many other women, however, retain their natal surnames after Marriage or hyphenate their surname with that of their husband. Middle names appeared in the United States and Great Britain at the end of the eighteenth century. By the end of the nineteenth century most Americans received middle names, and by the end of the twentieth century, fewer than 5 percent of Anglo-American children lacked such names. Middle names and suffixes were first popular among the elite and later were adopted generally.

Most twentieth-century American given names trace to three sources: a small stock of traditional Anglo-Saxon names popular in England before the Norman Conquest in 1066, a stock of Norman names introduced following the Conquest, and a stock of biblical names from both the Old and New Testaments. Throughout the nineteenth century the stock of American given names continued to grow as names were introduced by immigrant groups (especially German and Scotch-Irish), surnames occasionally were used as given names, masculine names were transformed to feminine forms (Roberta, Michelle), and many new names were coined. In the twentieth century the pool of American given names greatly expanded, especially since the 1970s. While many traditional names continued in popularity, especially among religious groups who preferred biblical names or those of saints, names gained and lost popularity with increasing speed. In the 1990s the ten most popular names for men and women were given to 20 to 30 percent of children, down from 50 percent or more two centuries ago.

There were two notable trends in naming in the late twentieth century. First, while parents continued to name children after relatives (especially sons after fathers), Family names were more often used as middle names and less often as first names. Second, Americans increasingly selected names that expressed identification with or pride in ethnic, racial, or religious groups. African Americans, for example, after a century of preference for traditional given names, began to draw names from a wider variety of sources and to coin new names. Many chose African names as a means of reclaiming an ancestral link to Africa. Religious conversion to Islam, in its various American forms, added another incentive to import names from non-Western sources. The renaming of boxing champion Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) and the basketball star Lew Alcinder (Kareem Abdul Jabar) brought this practice into the mainstream. Self-naming could also serve ostensibly political purposes. After his release from prison in Massachusetts in 1952, Malcolm Little joined the Nation of Islam, then led by Elijah Muhammad. Considering "Little" a "slave name," he chose his new name, Malcolm X, to dramatize the negation of black identity and manhood under slavery ("X" represented his lost tribal name).

Bibliography

Richard D. Alford, Richard D. Naming and Identity: A Cross Cultural Study of Personal Naming Practices. New Haven, Conn.: HRAF Press, 1988.

Mehrabian, Albert. The Name Game: The Decision That Lasts a Lifetime. Bethesda, Md.: National Press, 1990.

A New Baby, A New Name  
A New Baby, A New Name
What's in a name? Ask any new parents who are trying to come up with a moniker for their newborn. It's one of the first major decisions they make for their baby, and they want to get it right. The US Social Security Administration recently released its list of top American baby names for 2007. For the 12th straight year, Emily tops the list for girls and, for the ninth year, Jacob is No. 1 for boys. Biblical names are popular for boys: the others in the top five were Michael, Joshua, Matthew and Ethan. Rounding out the top five girls' names are Isabella, Emma, Ava and Madison.

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From our Archives: Today's Highlights, May 17, 2008

name. Personal identifying names are found in every known culture, and they often pass from one language to another. Hence the occurrence of Native American place names throughout the United States and the occurrence among American families of names of various linguistic origins (e.g., Roosevelt, Hoover, La Follette, La Guardia). The use of personal names apparently began at a very early stage in human history, with single names of persons presumably coming into use earlier than double ones; in the Bible double names are mainly confined to those who have common forenames, e.g., Judas Barsabas and Mary Magdalene. Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian names were generally formed of two common words, e.g., Hrothgar (Roger) meaning "fame-spear."

English surnames developed in the late Middle Ages and, apart from patronymics (Adams, Jefferson, Jackson, Harrison), have a variety of origins; they come from places (Lincoln, Garfield, Cleveland), from trades (Tyler, Taylor), from personal traits (Stout, Black), and from the calendar (Noël, May). The Irish Mac, meaning "son," and ua, meaning "grandson," were attached to family and clan names as Mac, Mc, or M' and O' (see O), respectively. The O' was apparently not used in Scotland. The Welsh, in translating their patronymic (ap=son of) settled on English forms ending in s, hence Welsh names such as Davis (from David) and Jones (from John). In Icelandic the surname is patronymic, and it changes from generation to generation. French de, when written separately, like German von, is deemed to mark a noble name.

Although in most European cultures the surname follows the given name, Hungarian names tend to reverse this order, as do names in Chinese, Japanese, and other languages. Spanish practice varies by country; one common usage gives a surname combining those of each parent, e.g., Serrano y Domínguez or Serrano Domínguez, for one whose father was a Serrano and mother a Domínguez. In Russian the middle name consists of the father's forename with a patronymic suffix, e.g., Nikolayevich. In the Roman republic three names were used, the forename (praenomen), of which there were fewer than 20; the gens or tribe name (nomen); and finally the family name (cognomen); e.g., Caius Julius Caesar, or Caius of the Caesar family of the Julian gens. An additional name (agnomen) might be added as a nickname or honor, e.g., Africanus, for victory in Africa, in the case of Scipio. Amharic names are concatenations of the child's given name and the father's given name. Native American names often referred to elements in nature or attributed special traits to the person.

In the Western world a woman traditionally adopted the family name of her husband at the time of her marriage. Since the mid-20th cent. women in the United States have increasingly adopted the practice of retaining their maiden, or parental, surname beyond the time of marriage; other women and some couples have adopted surnames that combine those of each partner.

In many cultures the name is of supernatural significance. Besides animistic commonplaces such as naming a child after a lucky person or a wily animal, there are widespread taboo practices, such as not naming a child after a living relative or changing the name on the death of a namesake or avoiding the name of a family totem. In some cultures the name given the child at birth is temporary and is replaced with another at puberty, or whenever the individual attains a new age grade.

In the Judeo-Christian tradition the name has great significance, especially in the case of divine names; thus Jews did not utter the name of God. The ancient Hebrew ben (son of) was affixed to the father's given name to form a family name, although in some religious practices a child was referred to by a formula that substituted the mother's given name for the father's. Christians have traditionally baptized children with an appropriately Christian name, especially the name of a saint, henceforth the patron; an additional name is taken at confirmation. The Puritans discouraged the use of any but biblical first names. The practice of changing names by court action is commonly adopted in order to afford a clear record.

Bibliography

See L. G. Pine, The Story of Surnames (1965); C. M. Yonge, History of Christian Names (rev. ed. 1966); W. O. Hassal, History Through Surnames (1967); R. D. Alford, Naming and Identity (1988); A. J. Kolatch, The New Name Dictionary (1989); S. J. Kupper, Surnames for Women (1990); G. Payton, The Penguin Dictionary of Proper Names (1991).


This entry contains information applicable to United States law only.

The designation of an individual person or of a firm or corporation. A word or combination of words used to distinguish a person, thing, or class from others.

An individual's name is comprised of a name given at birth, known as the given name or first name, selected by the parents, and the surname or last name, which identifies the family to which he or she belongs. Ordinarily an individual is not properly identified unless he or she is called or described by this given name in addition to the surname. This rule has significance, among other times, when students are designated in school records and when parties are called or referred to in legal proceedings, including child custody actions. The general rule is that when identity is certain, a small variance in name, such as that caused by typographical errors, is unimportant.

The method by which an individual can change his or her name is usually prescribed by state statutes and involves filing a certificate in, or making an application to, a court. Whether or not a name change will be granted is ordinarily a matter of judicial discretion.

In recent years, some married women have begun to depart from the traditional practice of taking their husband's surname upon marriage. Instead they retain their birth names, the surnames possessed before marriage. While some states subscribe to the rule that a woman's legal name is her husband's surname, others hold that an individual can be known by whatever name he or she desires as long as such designation is used consistently and in the absence of a fraudulent purpose. A number of states have specifically provided that a wife is not required to use her husband's surname, or that she can use it in her personal life while continuing to use her birth name in her profession.

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naming

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pronunciation

IN BRIEF: n. - The act of putting a person into a non-elective position; Creating a verbal identifier for something..

pronunciation Anthropologists recognize naming as 'one of the chief methods for imposing order on perception.' — David S. Slawson, Source: Secret Teachings in the Art of Japanese Gardens, 1987

LearnThatWord.com is a free vocabulary and spelling program where you only pay for results!

sign description: Both H-hands come down on top of each other at the knuckle.




Quotes About:

Names

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Quotes:

"Proper names are poetry in the raw. Like all poetry they are untranslatable." - W. H. Auden

"Miss: A title with which we brand unmarried women to indicate that they are in the market. Miss, Misses (Mrs.) and Mister (Mr.) are the three most distinctly disagreeable words in the language, in sound and sense. Two are corruptions of Mistress, the other of Master. If we must have them, let us be consistent and give one to the unmarried man. I venture to suggest Mush, abbreviated to MH." - Ambrose Bierce

"You should never name an animal which is not yours to keep, or which you intend to eat." - Deborah Boliver Boehm

"In England, I'm a horror movie director. In Germany, I'm a filmmaker. In the US, I'm a bum." - John Carpenter

"I know there's a Derby out there with my name on it." - Pat Day

"Don't call me an icon. I'm just a mother trying to help." - Princess of Wales Diana

See more famous quotes about Names

noun
noun

one's name (and number) is on (something, esp. a bullet, shell, etc.): one is doomed to be killed by. (1917 —) .
D. Francis The bomb probably had my name on it in the first place (1973). Cf. one's number is on at number noun 4.



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Title; identifying word(s).

  • business n. — a legal title for a veterinary hospital or practice, approved by the local veterinary registering authority and the registrar under the Companies Act or similar authority responsible for the registration of such names.
  • problem n. — key name; key indicant. The name of the problem, which may be a clinical sign, a production average, or a performance figure. A critical identification in a problem-oriented system of record keeping.

n

A word or combination of words by which a person, object, or idea, or a group of persons, objects, or ideas is regularly known or designated.

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categories related to 'name'

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Random House Word Menu by Stephen Glazier
For a list of words related to name, see:

  See crossword solutions for the clue Name.
Ceremonies, such as baptism, can be used to give names.

A name is a word or term used for identification. Names can identify a class or category of things, or a single thing, either uniquely, or within a given context. A personal name identifies a specific unique and identifiable individual person, and may or may not include a middle name. The name of a specific entity is sometimes called a proper name (although that term has a philosophical meaning also) and is a proper noun. Other nouns are sometimes, more loosely, called names; an older term for them, now obsolete, is "general names".

The use of personal names is not unique to humans. Dolphins also use symbolic names, as has been shown by recent research.[1] Individual dolphins have distinctive whistles, to which they will respond even when there is no other information to clarify which dolphin is being referred to.

Caution must be exercised when translating, for there are ways that one language may prefer one type of name over another. A feudal naming habit is used sometimes in other languages: the French sometimes refer to Aristotle as "le Stagirite" from one spelling of his place of birth, and English speakers often refer to Shakespeare as "The Bard", recognizing him as a paragon writer of the language. Finally, claims to preference or authority can be refuted: the British did not refer to Louis-Napoleon as Napoleon III during his rule.

Contents

Etymology

The word "name" comes from Old English nama; akin to Old High German (OHG) and Sanskrit namo, Latin nomen, and Greek ὄνομα (onoma),[2] possibly from the Proto-Indo-European language (PIE): *nomn-.[3]

In mythology

In Arthurian mythology, part of the code of honor and chivalry practiced by knights was that a knight who lost a duel must reveal his name to the victor. It was considered a breach of honor or decorum to reveal one's name before combat. A frequent topos in the legends is that a defeated knight would, after revealing his name, ask the victor what his name was: if the victor turned out to be a much stronger and more famous knight (e.g. one of Arthur's knights) the loser actually saved face, because he was beaten by a knight already held to be stronger than him, and thus there was no shame in defeat. However, if a strong and powerful knight was defeated, and the victor turned out to be a relatively unknown and not particularly strong knight, it was a grave humiliation.

As a result of this pattern, it was considered extremely odd within the rules of Arthurian society when a knight refused to take off his helmet or reveal his identity, even after he had won a duel. Sometimes this happened because the victorious knight simply did not know his own name, as was the case with Lancelot and Percival during their early careers. This inability to reveal their own names even in victory led many to assume incorrectly that they were trying to insult the vanquished.

A major exception to the rule was Sir Gawain: Gawain considered himself to be the greatest of his uncle Arthur's knights; he felt that his honor was so great that he did not need to hide his name before a duel. Thus at the opening of any duel Gawain would openly announce "I am Gawain", as he expected never to be defeated and so it would not diminish his honor to reveal his name.

In religious thought

In the ancient world, particularly in the ancient near-east (Israel, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Persia) names were thought to be extremely powerful and to act, in some ways, as a separate manifestation of a person or deity.[4] This viewpoint is responsible both for the reluctance to use the proper name of God in Hebrew writing or speech, as well as the common understanding in ancient magic that magical rituals had to be carried out "in [someone's] name". By invoking a god or spirit by name, one was thought to be able to summon that spirit's power for some kind of miracle or magic (see Luke 9:49, in which the disciples claim to have seen a man driving out demons using the name of Jesus.) This understanding passed into later religious tradition, for example the stipulation in Catholic exorcism that the demon cannot be expelled until the exorcist has forced it to give up its name, at which point the name may be used in a stern command which will drive the demon away.

Biblical names

In the Old Testament, the names of individuals are meaningful; for example, Adam is named after the "earth" (Adamah) from which he was created. (Genesis 2)

A change of name indicates a change of status. For example, the patriarch Abram and his wife Sarai are renamed "Abraham" and "Sarah" when they are told they will be the father and mother of many nations (Genesis 17:4, 17:15). Simon was renamed Peter when he was given the Keys of Heaven. (Gospel of Matthew 16).

Throughout the Bible, characters are given names at birth that reflect something of significance or describe the course of their lives. For example: Solomon meant peace, and the king with that name was the first whose reign was without warfare. Likewise, Joseph named his firstborn son Manasseh (Hebrew: "causing to forget") as a gesture of forgiveness to his brothers for selling him into slavery.

Biblical Jewish people did not have surnames which were passed from generation to generation. However, they were typically known as the child of their father. For example: דוד בן ישי (David ben Yishay) meaning, David, son of Jesse. In a sense, they used their fathers' first names as their own last names, a practice done by most Muslims today. Similar to Jewish names, the "ben" is in place by "bin" or "ibn" for males, "binte", "binti" or "ibnu" for females to Muslims. Sometimes, names include "Al-", "Ali-", "-allah", "-lah/-llah" or "-ullah" as it means "a servant to God" or "God's servant". They would sometimes indicate the place they or their child live in.

Talmudic attitudes

The Babylonian Talmud maintains that names exert a mystical influence over their bearers, and a change of name is one of four actions that can avert an evil heavenly decree, that would lead to punishment after one's death. Rabbinical commentators differ as to whether the name's influence is metaphysical, connecting a person to their soul, or bio-socio-psychological, where the connection affects his personality, appearance and social capacities. The Talmud also states that all those who descend to Gehenna will rise in the time of Messiah. However, there are three exceptions, one of which is he who calls another by a derisive nickname.

Technical names for names

Names for names
Name of a... Name of name
Person Anthroponym
Place Toponym
Body of water Hydronym
Ethnic group Ethnonym
False name Pseudonym
Author writing under an assumed name Pen name or pseudonym
Item named after a person Eponym
Other names -onym-suffixed words

Naming convention

For Wikipedia's own naming conventions see Wikipedia:Article titles

A naming convention is an attempt to systematize names in a field so they unambiguously convey similar information in a similar manner.

Several major naming conventions include:

Naming conventions are useful in many aspects of everyday life, enabling the casual user to understand larger structures.

Street names within a city may follow a naming convention; some examples include:

  • In Manhattan, roads that cross the island from east to west are called "Streets". Those that run the length of the island (North-South) are called "Avenues". Manhattan streets and avenues are numbered, with "1st Street" being near the southern end of the island, and "219th Street" being near the northern end, while "1st Avenue" is near the eastern edge of the island and "12th Avenue" near the western edge.
  • In Ontario, numbered concession roads are East-West whereas "lines" are North-South routes.
  • In San Francisco at least three series of parallel streets are alphabetically named, e.g. Irving, Judah, Kirkham, Lawton, Moraga, Noriega, Ortega, Pacheco, Quintara, Rivera, Santiago, Taraval, Ulloa, Vicente, Wawona.
  • The same tendency is seen in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, where Arlington Street is followed by roads to the west running parallel to it and named Berkeley, Clarendon, Dartmouth, Exeter, Fairfield, Gloucester, and Hereford.
  • In Washington, DC, east-west streets towards the south (toward the Potomac River) are lettered A, B, C,..., omitting J to avoid confusion on street signs and addresses, but after these are exhausted to the north, the streets are named with simple words in alphabetical order, omitting a few letters such as "x". The first cycle of names consists all of one-syllable words; then followed by a cycle of two-syllable words; then followed by a cycle of three-syllable words, and before these are exhausted, Maryland is reached. (Washington has north-south streets that are numbered, going from west to east.)
  • In Montgomery, Alabama, the old major avenues are named for the Presidents of the United States, in their order of entering office, omitting John Quincy Adams. Hence, these streets are Washington Ave., Adams Ave., Jefferson Ave., Madison Ave., Monroe Ave., Jackson Ave., but not much farther than that. This was just the old plan from a long time ago, and it was eventually dropped. For example, there is not a Buchanan Ave., a Lincoln Ave., or a Johnson Ave.
  • In Brampton, Ontario, different sections of town all have streets starting with the same letter and the alphabetical order reflects chronology.
  • In Phoenix, Arizona, roads east of Central Avenue are termed streets while those west are avenues. A similar system applies in Nashville, Tennessee, but only to the numbered avenues and streets, west and east of the Cumberland River respectively, all of which run roughly north-south.

Large corporate, university, or government campuses may follow a naming convention for rooms within the buildings to help orient tenants and visitors. Otherwise, rooms may be numbered in some kind of a rational scheme.

Parents may follow a naming convention when selecting names for their children. Some have chosen alphabetical names by birth order. In some East Asian cultures, it is common for one syllable in a two syllable given name to be a generation name which is the same for immediate siblings. In many cultures it is common for the son to be named after the father or a grandfather. In certain African cultures, such as in Cameroon, the eldest son gets the family name for his given name, also, giving names such as "Thomas Thomas" (but the names are not European names like this one).

In other cultures, the name may include the place of residence, or the place of birth. The Roman naming convention denotes social rank.

Products may follow a naming convention. Automobiles typically have a binomial name, a "make" (manufacturer) and a "model", in addition to a model year, such as a 2007 Chevrolet Corvette. Sometimes there is a name for the car's "decoration level" or "trim line" as well: e.g., Cadillac Escalade EXT Platinum, after the precious metal. Computers often have increasing numbers in their names to signify the next generation.

Courses at schools typically follow a naming convention: an abbreviation for the subject area and then a number ordered by increasing level of difficulty.

Many numbers (e.g. bank accounts, government IDs, credit cards, etc.) are not random but have an internal structure and convention. Virtually all organizations that assign names or numbers will follow some convention in generating these identifiers. Airline flight numbers, space shuttle flight numbers, even phone numbers all have an internal convention.

Brand names

The process of developing a name for a brand or product is heavily influenced by marketing research and strategy to be appealing and marketable. The brand name is often a neologism or pseudoword, such as Kodak or Sony.

Literary names

In fiction, proper names of people or places are often unique to the work in which they appear. Although, within the work of fiction proper, the name may nonetheless be said to have a certain ethnic origin, the name itself may not actually exist. For example, the character of Ororo Munro (Storm of the X-Men franchise) is of African descent.[citation needed] Her first name, however is not an authentic African name. Names may also be created to either represent ethnic neutrality or corruption of a name with the passage of time. This is a common technique used by science fiction and fantasy writers who may also employ alternate spellings of existing names. Also, many science fiction operates on the premise that racial and ethnic boundaries will cease to exist in the future thus producing names that appear to be mixes of different ethnic sources.[original research?] Yoshiyuki Tomino (creator of the anime Mobile Suit Gundam) is notable for creating character names that are unusual, exotic, and sometimes silly sounding. Examples include Char Aznable (which is actually based on a real person), Bright Noa, Quess Paraya, and Marvel Frozen. The science fiction writer Isaac Asimov has also created names which may or may not be variants or corruptions of existing or ancient names. Examples include Dors Venabili, R. Daneel Olivaw, and Giskard Reventlov. The Star Wars and Dune franchises contains many character names that juggle existing names with created ones; Leia Organa, Ben Kenobi, Paul Atreides, Vladimir Harkonnen.[citation needed][original research?]

.name domains

According to Verisign,[5] the .name top-level domain name (TLD) is designed for individuals to create a presence and make online communications easy and accessible. Not exclusive to registrars, social networking and community sites may also offer .name registration to their members and customers as a value-added service to help establish an individual identity online.[6]

Ethnic names

See also

References

  1. ^ "Dolphins Name Themselves With Whistles, Study Says". National Geographic News. May 8, 2006. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/05/060508_dolphins.html. 
  2. ^ ὄνομα, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus project
  3. ^ "Online Etymology Dictionary". http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=name&searchmode=none. Retrieved 2008-09-20. ; The asterisk before a word indicates that it is a hypothetical construction, not an attested form.
  4. ^ "Egyptian Religion", E. A. Wallis Budge", Arkana 1987 edition, ISBN 0-14-019017-1
  5. ^ Verisign
  6. ^ Verisign

Further reading

External links


Translations:

Name

Top

Dansk (Danish)
n. - navn, betegnelse, rygte, berømmelse
v. tr. - navngive, nævne, udnævne
adj. - navne-, kendt, berømt

idioms:

  • a name to conjure with    af største betydning
  • baptismal name    dåbsnavn
  • by name    ved navn, af navn
  • by the name of    ved navn
  • call someone names    skælde én ud
  • good name    velkendt og respekteret
  • in all but name    faktisk, så godt som, i realiteten
  • in name only    kun af navn
  • in the name of    gøre noget i nogens navn
  • last name    efternavn
  • make a name for oneself    skabe sig et navn
  • name after    opkalde efter
  • name day    navnedag
  • name names    nævne navne
  • put one's name down    indmelde sig, indskrive sig
  • the name of the game    det, det handler om
  • you name it    hvad som helst

Nederlands (Dutch)
noemen, benoemen, opnoemen, vaststellen, dopen (schip), tot de orde roepen (in Parlement), ter sprake brengen, naam, benaming, voornaam, bekendheid, reputatie

Français (French)
n. - nom, titre, réputation
v. tr. - appeler, baptiser, nommer, citer (un nom, un pays), révéler (des sources), révéler l'identité de (d'un suspect), nommer (un capitaine), donner la composition de (d'une équipe), désigner (un héritier), indiquer (un endroit), fixer (un prix)
adj. - nommable

idioms:

  • a name to conjure with    (fig) un nom qu'on évoque avec respect
  • baptismal name    nom de baptême
  • by name    de nom, par son nom, sous un nom, qui répond au nom de
  • by the name of    répondant au nom de, s'appeler
  • call someone names    injurier qn
  • good name    bonne réputation
  • in all but name    sans en avoir le titre
  • in name only    seulement de nom, que le nom, que sur le papier
  • in the name of    au nom de
  • last name    nom de famille
  • make a name for oneself    se faire un nom, se faire une réputation
  • name after    donner le nom de qn à, porter le nom de
  • name day    (Relig) fête, (Fin) deuxième jour d'une transaction en Bourse où le nom de l'acheteur est connu du vendeur
  • name for    nommer (qn) à (un poste)
  • name names    donner/révéler des noms
  • of the name of    du nom de
  • put a name to    mettre un nom à
  • put one's name down    s'inscrire à (une école, un cours)
  • the name of the game    (être) la règle du jeu, (être) la compétition/la perfection qui prime
  • you name it    tout ce que vous pouvez imaginer, tout ce que vous voulez

Deutsch (German)
n. - Name, Bezeichnung, Benennung
v. - nennen, benennen
adj. - Namens...

idioms:

  • a name to conjure with    einflußreiche Person, Organisation
  • baptismal name    Taufname
  • by name    namentlich
  • by the name of    mit Namen, unter dem Namen
  • call someone names    jmdn. beschimpfen
  • good name    Name, Leumund
  • in all but name    im Grunde genommen
  • in name only    nur dem Namen nach
  • in the name of    im Namen, auf den Namen .. lautend, um ... willen
  • last name    Nachname
  • make a name for oneself    sich einen Namen machen
  • name after    benennen nach
  • name day    Namenstag
  • name for    jmdn. nach jmdm. nennen
  • name names    Namen nennen
  • of the name of    namens ... od. mit Namen ...
  • put a name to    eine Sache/jmdn. benennen, einer Sache/jmdm. einen Namen geben, sie od. ihn bezeichnen, etw. mit einem Namen in Verbindung bringen
  • put one's name down    kandidieren, sich vormerken lassen
  • the name of the game    die Devise
  • you name it    was du willst, alles mögliche

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - όνομα, (μτφ.) φήμη, υπόληψη, διασημότητα
v. - ονομάζω, ονοματίζω, δίνω όνομα, βαφτίζω, κατονομάζω, αναφέρω, ορίζω, διορίζω, προτείνω

idioms:

  • a name to conjure with    ξακουστό ή σημαίνον όνομα
  • baptismal name    βαπτιστικό όνομα
  • by name    ονομαστικώς
  • by the name of    με το όνομα, ονομαζόμενος
  • call someone names    βρίζω, περιλούζω με βρισιές
  • good name    φήμη, όνομα
  • in all but name    κατ' ουσίαν
  • in name only    κατ' όνομα μόνον
  • in the name of    στο όνομα του, εξ ονόματος του, εν ονόματι του
  • last name    επώνυμο
  • make a name for oneself    αποκτώ όνομα, φήμη
  • name after    δίνω σε κάποιον το όνομα του...
  • name day    ονομαστική εορτή
  • name names    κατονομάζω, (μτφ.) κατηγορώ επώνυμα
  • put one's name down    δηλώνω συμμετοχή σε
  • the name of the game    το σημαντικότερο, αποφασιστικός παράγων
  • you name it    διάλεξε (το όνομα) εσύ!, πες το όπως θέλεις

Italiano (Italian)
chiamare, designare, nome, fama, celebrità

idioms:

  • a name to conjure with    in nome di
  • baptismal name    nome di battesimo
  • be in the name of    essere intestato a
  • by name
  • by the name of
  • call someone names            coprire di ingiurie
  • good name    nome
  • in all but name    virtualmente
  • in name only    solo per dire
  • in the name of    in nome di
  • last name    cognome
  • make a name for oneself    distinguersi
  • name after    dare il nome di qualcuno a
  • name day    onomastico
  • name names    fare nomi
  • put one's name down    candidarsi
  • the name of the game    l'importante
  • you name it    dite voi

Português (Portuguese)
n. - nome (m), título (m), renome (m)
v. - nomear, dar nome a, citar, especificar

idioms:

  • a name to conjure with    um nome de máxima influência
  • baptismal name    nome de batismo
  • be in the name of    conhecido por
  • by name    de nome
  • by the name of    ser chamado de
  • call someone names    xingar alguém
  • good name    boa reputação
  • in all but name    situação existente, mas não oficialmente reconhecida
  • in name only    apenas aparentemente
  • in the name of    em nome de
  • last name    sobrenome
  • make a name for oneself    criar fama
  • name after    dar o nome de
  • name day    dia de comemoração do santo, segundo o qual uma pessoa é chamada, dia de batismo
  • name names    citar nomes
  • put one's name down    inserir o nome de alguém numa lista
  • the name of the game    objeto ou essência de uma ação
  • you name it    a escolha é sua

Русский (Russian)
назвать, имя, название, слава

idioms:

  • a name to conjure with    влиятельная особа
  • baptismal name    имя
  • be in the name of    быть зарегистрированным на имя
  • by name    по имени, знать имя
  • by the name of    зовут, по имени
  • call someone names    обзывать кого-либо
  • good name    доброе имя
  • in all but name    только имя производителя не дано, но знаем кто
  • in name only    лишь номинально
  • in the name of    именем, во имя
  • last name    фамилия
  • make a name for oneself    завоевать репутацию
  • name after    назвать в честь
  • name day    именины
  • name names    разглашать имена
  • put one's name down    записать чье-либо имя
  • the name of the game    настоящее правило игры
  • you name it    все что хочешь

Español (Spanish)
n. - denominación, nombre, apodo, fama, reputación, celebridad
v. tr. - llamar, denominar, designar, mencionar
adj. - del nombre, famoso, que lleva el nombre

idioms:

  • a name to conjure with    un nombre prestigioso
  • baptismal name    nombre de pila
  • by name    por el nombre
  • by the name of    por el nombre de, llamado
  • call someone names    insultar, poner verde a alguien
  • good name    buen nombre, reputación
  • in all but name    virtualmente, a todos los efectos, en la práctica
  • in name only    sólo de nombre
  • in the name of    en nombre de, a nombre de
  • last name    apellido, nombre de familia
  • make a name for oneself    darse a conocer, adquirir fama
  • name after    poner el nombre de
  • name day    día del santo, día onomástico
  • name for    nominar, proponer para un cargo o premio
  • name names    dar nombres (de implicados)
  • of the name of    llamado/a
  • put a name to    decirle o hacerle acordar a alguien el nombre de algo o alguien
  • put one's name down    apuntarse, inscribirse
  • the name of the game    el propósito, la esencia de, lo fundamental
  • you name it    lo que quiera, escoja, de todo lo habido y por haber

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - namn, skällsord
v. - ge namn åt, döpa, nämna, ange

中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
名字, 姓名, 名称, 给...取名, 说出...的名字, 给...命名, 提名, 姓名的, 据以取名的

idioms:

  • a name to conjure with    威力巨大的名字
  • baptismal name    洗礼名, 圣名
  • by name    名叫, 凭名字
  • by the name of    名叫, 以...的名义
  • call someone names    辱骂某人
  • good name    名声好
  • in all but name    除了名义上外
  • in name only    仅在名义上
  • in the name of    以...的名义
  • last name    姓
  • make a name for oneself    出名, 成名
  • name after    按...命名
  • name day    和本人同名的圣徒纪念日, 受洗日, 命名日
  • name names    公布姓名
  • put one's name down    为...而登记或报名, 为...签名捐款, 申请成为...的后选人
  • the name of the game    问题的关键
  • you name it    你想要什么, 什么都可以

中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 名字, 姓名, 名稱
v. tr. - 給...取名, 說出...的名字, 給...命名, 提名
adj. - 姓名的, 據以取名的

idioms:

  • a name to conjure with    威力巨大的名字
  • baptismal name    洗禮名, 聖名
  • by name    名叫, 憑名字
  • by the name of    名叫, 以...的名義
  • call someone names    辱罵某人
  • good name    名聲好
  • in all but name    除了名義上外
  • in name only    僅在名義上
  • in the name of    以...的名義
  • last name    姓
  • make a name for oneself    出名, 成名
  • name after    按...命名
  • name day    和本人同名的聖徒紀念日, 受洗日, 命名日
  • name names    公布姓名
  • put one's name down    為...而登記或報名, 為...簽名捐款, 申請成為...的後選人
  • the name of the game    問題的關鍵
  • you name it    你想要什麼, 什麼都可以

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 성명, 평판, 가문, 욕설
v. tr. - 명명하다, 지정하다, 임명하다
adj. - 유명한, 이름을 기입하기 위한

idioms:

  • a name to conjure with    주문에 쓰는 이름, 유력한[영향력 있는]이름
  • by name    지명하여, 이름은
  • by the name of    ~라는 이름으로[의]
  • call someone names    ~의 욕을 하다
  • in all but name    (공식적으로 인정되지 않은)특별한 상태에 놓여 있는
  • in name only    명목상
  • in the name of    특정한 사람[기관]의 이름을 쓰는, ~을 대신하여, (의문문을 강조하여)도대체
  • make a name for oneself    명성을 떨치다
  • name after    ~의 이름을 따서 짓다
  • put one's name down    ~의 후보자로 기명하다, 입학[입회]자로서 이름을 올리다
  • the name of the game    중요한 점

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 名, 名前, 評判, 名声, 有名な人, 名目
v. - 名前を付ける, 名前を言う, 提示する, 指定する, 指名する, 任命する

idioms:

  • a name to conjure with    重要な人の名, 影響力のあるもの
  • baptismal name    洗礼名
  • be in the name of    名にかけて, 名において, 権威において, 訴えて, 代理として
  • by name    名前で, 名指しで, 名前が…
  • by the name of    …という名前の
  • in God's name    後生だから, いったい
  • in heaven's name    一体
  • in name only    名目だけの
  • in the name of    名にかけて, 名において, 名目で, 権威において, 訴えて, 代理として
  • make a name for oneself    有名になる
  • name after    ~の名をとって命名する
  • name day    命名日, 聖名祝日
  • name names    名を挙げる
  • one's name is mud    名声は地に落ちた
  • put one's name down    名前を書く
  • rejoices in the name of    と呼ばれる
  • take a person's name in vain    名を濫用する
  • the name of the game    主目的
  • you name it    とにかく

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) اسم, نعت او لقب, سمعه, شخص مشهور (فعل) يسمي, يدعو, يعبن ( شخصا), يحدد‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮שם, מוניטין, אישיות, אדם מפורסם, שם-גנאי‬
v. tr. - ‮כינה, קרא, מינה, קבע, נקב (מחיר)‬
adj. - ‮מפורסם, על שם‬


 
 

 

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