Striking consistency in Popular Girls' Names in Northern Europe for 2010
Have you guys taken a look at the top girls' names in Switzerland (German)? I'm kind of blown away by the consistency in style and sound of these names:
- Lena
- Mia
- Lara
- Alina
- Lea
- Laura
- Sara
- Anna
- Léonie
- Julia
- Nina
- Elena
- Jana
- Elin
- Lina
- Sophie
- Chiara
- Lia
- Livia
- Selina
- Luana
- Emma
- Sophia
- Alessia
- Sarah
- Sofia
- Lisa
- Noemi
- Nora
- Lorena
They don't follow the "liquid name" style trend that's popular here in the US that Laura blogged about this week, which tend to involve similar sounds but be longer.
How would you characterize these? Fairly short--most in the 3-5 letter range. Lots of L's and N's. Lots of a's and e's, with a few i's and then o's thrown in.
If you take a look at the top girls' names in Denmark, Francophone Switzerland, Sweden, Austria and Belgium, you see some variety, but also a pretty striking consistency.
Any thoughts on this trend?
By dorit
Wed, 07/18/2012 - 3:35pm
Wed, 07/18/2012 - 3:35pm
Replies
Trends are very international these days. If it's popular in one country, it gets popular in its neighbors rather quickly. I called my German niece's name of "Lily" half a year before her birth. With the Y.
I wonder if the internet enabling the dissemination of information about trends has something to do with this...
I guess there is perhaps less diversity to naming traditions in these countries than in an immigrant nation like the US. That could account for a great deal of the consistency. Other thoughts?
German parents don't have the enormous choice of baby names you have in the USA. Strict laws and official lists limit the choice.
The name has to reflect the gender of the child (exceptions can be made for "traditional" boy/girl names like Kai and Sascha), can't be a place, brand or last name. If you want to give your child an exotic name, you have to prove that it already exists first, so no made-up names or extreme spellings.
Most Germans find American style naming a bit weird (including myself, but I'm getting a more open mind by just reading this forum every now and again).
Exactly, and not just for Germany: most European countries have at least some restrictions on what can go on a birth certificate. Many have lists of approved names, and it takes quite a bit of work to deviate from those lists. In Hungary, for example, if you want a name that's not on the list, you have to either put in an appeal/application for the National Academy to vet the name, or you have to show that one or both parents are not Hungarian, and that the name is "normal" for the parental culture/language. People do have the same desires for "unique" names, so they do jump through the hoops -- on our trip this spring, we met a little girl named Berna, which was not on the list the year she was born. (Bernadette is an old standard, but the parents didn't want the common nickname Detti. Like I said about the same desires/beliefs/concerns/misconceptions as American parents...)
It's not the same as having a list, but even in Scotland registrars have the right to refuse to register a child's name. In practice, this would be if it was actually offensive or unsuitable, rather than innovative. They don't have this right in England or Wales (not sure about the situation in Northern Ireland), and it occurs to me that it would be interesting to see if this trust in parents is repaid, or whether many truly unsuitable names have slipped through the net.