Factors That Influence Babies' Names
by Wyatt S. Doolittle

A name sometimes denotes the culture, origin and nationality of the person behind it. People from across the different parts of the world have different concepts when it comes to identifying the most common names that they know. Names are influenced by the country where one is residing. Babies born to Asian parents will most likely have Asian Names. Babies born with American, European, Arabic or Greek parents may have names that are based on their nationalities. Variations may happen but one will most likely identify the culture of one person based on the name.

Babies’ names influenced by their parents’ cultures, background and heritage are very common. A baby boy named after the Muslim prophet Mohammad most likely has Muslim parents. A baby girl named after Mary the mother of Jesus can be regarded as a baby with Catholic parents. These are examples of baby names influenced by the parents’ beliefs or religious orientation.

Nationalities or heritage influence babies’ names as well. Names such as Bartolome, Amanda and Cenon are from Spanish origin. Babies with these names most likely are born from parents with Spanish heritage or Spanish influence. Examples of Chinese baby boy names are; Chen, Cheng, Lee, Lian, and Park, for Chinese baby girl names; Jiao, Jin, Jing, Li Hua and Chan Juan. Babies born in America and have American parents have names such as Bruce, Landon, John, Timothy or Will for baby boys and Brooke, Hillary, Britney and Chelsea for baby girls. Babies who are of Arabic heritage and are born in Arabic countries may be named Wafaa, Reem, Dalal or Rima for baby girls and Abdul, Samir, Nasser and Ali for baby boys. Examples of African baby names are; Aissa, Abiba, Faizah, Beyonce, Femi and Fayola. Some these names connote a certain meaning; example is the African name Faizah means victorious.

Another factor that affects naming a baby is multi-cultural heritage. Babies born to parents of different nationalities have unique names or have names that combine the cultures of both parents giving rise to name combinations. Example is a baby who is half Chinese and half American may be named Lian Brooke. A baby born to Spanish and American parents may be named John Luiz. Another example is the name Daichi Andre which may belong to a baby with multi-cultural heritage such as Japanese, Spanish or French.

These are just some examples of how parents’ cultures, heritage and background can affect the decision in giving name to a baby.