Naming a child is always a difficult task for parents. What makes it even harder is that the combination of first and last name needs to sound good as well. Given the fact that the last name is usually unchangeable and fixed at birth, parents want to find a first name that fits the last name with regard to word length, vowels, consonants, rhyming and rhythm. These choices often happen unconsciously and perhaps the feeling for a well-sounding name is partly determined by our cultural socialisation.
In this paper combinations of first and last names will be analysed. A data set of 214 names will be examined from a linguistic point of view with the aim of finding the best combination for a euphonic name and identify underlying patterns. The analysis will show that English parents are very conservative when it comes to the sound patterns of their children’s names.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- The Phonology of First Names
- Syllables and word length
- Stress position
- Phonemes
- Methodology
- Name Corpus Analysis
- Name length
- Stressed syllables
- Phoneme combinations
- Conclusion
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper examines a dataset of 214 English names, both first and last names in combination, from a linguistic perspective, and tries to find the best combination for a euphonic name and identify underlying patterns. The aim is to understand how English parents choose first names that sound good with their children's last names and to explore the linguistic factors that contribute to this. This analysis will consider the relationship between syllables, stress position, and specific phonemes in determining the euphony of names. The findings will be compared with existing research on the phonology of English names.
- The influence of syllable structure and word length on name euphony
- The role of stress position in first and last name combinations
- The impact of specific phonemes and their combinations on name perception
- Potential gender-based differences in name phonology
- The relationship between first and last name phonology and the concept of euphony
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The introduction explores the complex decision-making process involved in choosing a child's name, emphasizing the importance of euphony. The paper outlines its objectives and methodology, which involves analyzing a corpus of English names from the 2007 birth register of Shropshire.
The second chapter delves into the phonology of first names, reviewing existing research on syllable structure, stress position, and phonemes. The chapter compares the phonological properties of English first names to those of the English vocabulary as a whole, highlighting trends in syllable structure and stress patterns.
Chapter 3 details the methodology employed in the analysis of the name corpus. It outlines the steps involved in analyzing syllable count, stress patterns, and specific phoneme combinations within the dataset. The chapter also addresses the exclusion of middle names and foreign names from the analysis to ensure a focus on English names.
Chapter 4 presents the results of the analysis, focusing on name length, stressed syllables, and phoneme combinations. It explores the distribution of syllable types and the role of stress patterns in determining the perceived euphony of names.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The main keywords and focus topics of this text include the phonology of first and last names, euphony, syllable structure, stress position, phonemes, gender-based differences in name phonology, and the analysis of a corpus of English names. This research explores the linguistic factors that contribute to the perceived pleasantness of name combinations and aims to identify patterns in the way parents choose first names that complement their child's last name.
- Quote paper
- Giuseppe Dennis Messina (Author), 2017, What is the secret to a nicely sounding name? How to create euphony in children's names, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/456246
