There’s nothing like a talk show to spark an idea for a column. Hosts Kelly Ripa and her husband, Mark Consuelos, recently discussed how people’s first names often serve as clues to the decade in which they were born. Some names that are rarely chosen today were popular in previous decades.
The given name that is chosen by parents can have an influence on a child’s personality over time. When you meet someone new, your name is probably the first thing they learn about you. The name that they hear can reflect how they perceive you. Over time, the perception of your name by others can play a role in how you emerge as an adult.
Since you aren’t the one to choose your name (unless you have a reason to change it later in life), you better hope that your parents pick a good one!
In my case, it was decided that I would be named after one of my grandmothers. Both first names were Mary. My paternal grandmother’s middle name was Ann, and my maternal grandmother’s name was Ellen. My mother was the “winner” of that conflict! Since both Mary and Ellen have meanings related to “light” or “torch,” I decided that those names must symbolize me as being the “light of their life.” When I was born, my father was 50 years old, and my mother was 40. I am an only child and couldn’t have asked for better parents. I hope that I have lived up to the meaning associated with both my first and middle names!
As I looked back at the first names of my neighborhood friends’ parents, I have come to the conclusion that names beginning with the letter “E” were definitely popular. There were Evelyn Myers, Edna Clark, Etta Haigh, and Esther Webber. There were a couple of “G” names, Gladys Burke and Gertrude O’Neill.
Let’s take a look at what these first names mean. Evelyn is a “desired child”. Edna is a “delight or pleasure.” Etta is “ruler of the home.” Esther is a “star.” Gladys is a “princess or ruler,” and Gertrude is “steadfast and enduring.”
The two women I knew best from that group were Edna and Gertrude. Edna was truly both a delight and a pleasure, and Gertrude was steadfast, especially in her later years when she was a widow and lived alone next door to us.
I guess only the families of the other women can tell you if they were “true” to the meaning of their names! Of course, in reality, most mothers pick a name based on the way it sounds when said with their last name. But it’s also fun to know the meaning.
The husbands’ names of the women mentioned above are not particularly indicative of that time period, so let’s look at a few names that are.
George is associated with a farmer or earth worker. After my grandmother’s first husband died, she re-married a man named George. He lived up to his name as he raised chickens and loved working in his gardens.
Walter reflects a man who has power and is a ruler.
Leon has courage and strength.
Eugene is associated with a noble and well-born man.
If you know anyone with these names, see if their personalities match the meanings associated with them.
When it comes to first names, I bet a child named “Mary” or “John” is much quicker to learn how to spell and write their names than Esmeralda!
So, “What is in a name?” More than you might think!
